Coursework
DISSERTATIONS
2017
As our post-war Baby Boomers turn 65 years old from 2012 onwards, Singapore will experience an unprecedented age shift. By 2030 more than a quarter of the current citizen population, approximately over 900,000 residents, will retire from the workforce and enter their silver years. In land-scarce Singapore, we face the issue of housing not only for the elderly but for every citizen. However, considering the changing demographic, the future elderly are more affluent and many of them would be single and living alone. This results in Singapore facing a new challenge of designing services and systems that support and empower the elderly. In view of the changing mindset and expectations of the elderly population, a Retirement Community is thus proposed as a suitable housing option that caters to their needs. Despite lengthy discussions, the development of a Retirement Community in Singapore did not materialize until 2012 due to market uncertainty. The objective of this dissertation is to examine the characteristics of Retirement Communities, and what constitutes one; adapting philosophies and concepts from foreign context, this essay attempts to search for a typology of Retirement Community which is suitable in our local context of Singapore. However, this Retirement Community would be targeted at the middle to high income demographics only. In addition, this study also explores the potential of developing more Retirement Communities in Singapore by examining the reasons and various demand factors affecting the willingness of the elderly to live in a Retirement Community.
Man and the body have in many instances displayed the power and ability to fight and reclaim what belongs to us. Not only is architecture shaped after us, man has the ability to shape architecture. Even after a building or space is constructed, it is continuously changing and shaped by its inhabitants. The body is able to subvert the intention of designs in various extents. The phenomenon of desire paths is a classic example of how people have chosen to go against the design of urban designers and rather, create their own paths and shortcuts that are more efficient and effective. Another example, staircases and steps are conventionally designed as a vertical circulation device, but it is a common sight to find people sitting around flight of stairs. The steps become more like a recreational space instead of merely for circulation. “The human ageing process does not only change the individual’s physical appearance and spatial behaviour, it also influences the perception of space and the amount of space that the older person appropriates.”(Andersson, 2011) The elderly population is a particular group of users who can be regarded as the potential ‘other’ architect due to the need to compensate for their impairments. From daily household objects to outdoor public spaces, how differently do the elderly use them?
As Singapore undergoes unprecedented age shifts, nursing homes emerge as one of the solutions for aged care. While studies have discussed the nursing home elderly’s wellbeing from the caregiving, medical, technology aspects, very little discussion focuses on the built environment. As people age, the meaning of home and built environment become increasingly important and directly affect the wellbeing of the elderly. In Singapore, considerably high depression level among the elderlies in nursing homes indicates the potential shortcomings of the current nursing home typology in creating a wholesome living environment to support elderly’s health and wellbeing. The nursing homes are generally designed under the influence of an institutional-centric model that focused on the cost-efficiency of facilities and infrastructure rather than qualitative spaces and lifestyles. This dissertation seeks to understand the complex relationship between the nursing home built environment and the wellbeing of the elderly residents. With detailed study of the existing nursing home typologies available in Singapore, this dissertation aims to identify the pitfalls in design. Through comparative studies with China, which also faces aging issues and a comparable cultural context as Singapore, other possible eldercare facility design strategies are introduced and analysed. These strategies are then evaluated on their relevance and viability for implementation in Singapore's context. This dissertation hopes to provide insights and suggestions for future eldercare facilities to produce a healthier and more holistic living environment for the elderly community.
The acceptance of the recommendations made by the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) to legalise both the use of bicycles and personal mobility devices (PMDs) on footpaths and shared paths coincides with on-going improvements done to cycling towns under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (MEWR & MND, 2015). The current modifications to the cycling towns however, seems to be geared towards benefiting cyclists using the path network as first and last mile connections to transport nodes. This dissertation aims to address the gap between the accepted recommendations and the improvements in path infrastructure mainly directed at cyclists, in terms of the support for PMD users. By studying three different cycling towns, namely Tampines, Ang Mo Kio and Punggol, this study investigates whether the improvements in path infrastructure directed at cyclists support elderly residents—the main PMD users—to perform instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The study of the three cycling towns is done through detailed observations of three selected neighbourhoods, as well as feedback from residents. The study recognises the increased accessibility for elderly residents as a result of improved infrastructure directed at cyclists. There are also ample and varied amenities for convenient engagement of IADLs in mature estates. However, greater considerations are needed to make improvements in path infrastructure more inclusive for PMD users.
As many countries today are faced with rapidly ageing populations, there is an urgent need to do more to cope with the issues associated with ageing. In Singapore’s context, the government has addressed this phenomenon by implementing various strategies and initiatives to promote active ageing. One such strategy is integrated design which allows for the creation of new synergies by integrating amenities. In land-scarce Singapore, integrated design appears to be the way forward. As such, it is necessary to study this new way of designing and assess its effectiveness in enabling an ageing-supportive environment. This dissertation evaluates the physical, functional and social aspects of integration in two local neighbourhoods (Bedok South and Braddell Heights) by using a research framework derived from existing ageing-focused design guidelines. Microsites within both neighbourhoods that portray different intensities of integrated design are also evaluated. Taking into account the possible changes in education, skillsets and preferences of the ‘future elderly’, the findings of the case studies attempt to identify the elements of successful integration so as to better inform future integrated designs.
2016
This study seeks to examine the current elderly-centric estates and lifestyle of seniors in Singapore and to propose recommendation to evoke healthy stimulants in the surrounding environment. Over the years, the government has been actively implementing senior-friendly policies and initiatives to cater to elderly needs. Overseas, there have been studies on the theory of salutogenesis in health promotion that enhances the adaptability of senior recipients. Therefore, how can the theory of salutogenesis play a part in Singapore’s senior-friendly policies for seniors to achieve successful ageing? This study adopts both qualitative and quantitative approaches in reviewing two case studies in Kreta Ayer and Marine Terrace that encompasses different government policies and senior-friendly implementations. The research reveals that the environment plays a part in senior behaviour and health through different observation on site, gender in seniors also acts differently in different context. Two recommendations are proposed in this study to enhance overall contribution and environmental stimulation towards salutogenesis for seniors. Hence, reducing the tendency to fall ill while supporting purposeful living to achieve the ultimate quality of life.
Over the years, public housing has become a critical and indispensable part of Singapore as a result of the promotion of homeownership through the use of CPF. However, there are significant changes to the socioeconomic and demographic assumptions that guided the formulation of public housing policies. Thus, HDB has been successful in providing affordable homes for majority of the nation’s population but the exponential increase in the number of senior citizens have to be taken into serious consideration in the current and future planning of public housing. The main aspects of the policies on elderly public housing include “Ageing in Place” and housing monetisation. The key policies for “Ageing in Place” include encouraging families to live in close proximity for mutual support through several schemes as well as housing estate rejuvenation through various upgrading programmes. The main housing monetisation policies include Silver Housing Bonus, Lease Buyback Scheme and subletting. This study seeks to evaluate and to acquire a deeper understanding of senior citizen’s perceptions of these policies. A qualitative research was conducted through in-depth interviews and the questions are open-ended and semi-structured. The findings were presented through verbatim transcriptions. Majority of the respondents expressed their intention to age in a familiar environment and the housing estate rejuvenation policies were effective in helping them age in place. However, many elderly prefer to live independently but are open to living near their children. The main reason cited for the preference of Silver Housing Bonus is that elderly could bequeath their homes to children and those without children prefer the Lease Buyback Scheme as it allows them to age in place. There were mixed responses for subletting as many expressed their unwillingness to live with strangers.
This dissertation seeks to redefine the ever-changing shifts in housing needs of the population in Singapore. The average household size has fallen drastically from 5.35 persons in the 1970s to a mere 3.43 at present. Coupled with rising higher educational qualifications amongst the populace and late marriages, the trend is expected to persist. Public housing in the future is expected to be greater in quantity but declining in unit size. Policies and functions of public housing must be regularly reviewed to match the expectations of the changing demographics. Two pertinent factors on every Singaporean’s mind would be the cost and functions of the average HDB unit. Existing research on aspirations of the future Singaporean elderly for public housing is relatively limited. Furthermore, any public discourse lying outside the official domains may be perceived as noise. Hence, Singapore’s overall public participation has increased gradually but still lacks significance. In time to come, we envisage technological advancements to raise the benchmark for both the form and functions of an average HDB unit as the production cost of smart technologies decreases. This research aims to collate the opinions of the public, which may inform the formulation of public housing for future generations. The focus is on future expectations of housing developments and policies. In addition, it reviews existing policies and designs and attempt to generate meaningful suggestions for Singapore’s public housing over the next fifty years.
As Singapore undergoes rapid ageing, the need for ageing in place becomes apparent in ensuring successful ageing of its population. Ageing in place (AIP) is broadly defined as one’s ability to age in the home, community and environment that he/she is familiar with. The concept of AIP is widely favoured by the elderly and part of its popularity can be attributed to the potential benefits it offers, such as cost-effectiveness, independence and autonomy, safety and security, improved health, and indirect benefits to the families, communities and societies in which the elderly belongs. In order to enable AIP, it is critical for seniors to be able to successfully perform the activities of daily living (ADLs), which are everyday tasks necessary for leading an independent life. However, as the functional and cognitive abilities of the elderly decline with age, it becomes challenging for elderly to age in place. Thus, there is a need to design a home environment that is congruent with the abilities of the elderly. To improve the home environment of the elderly living in Singapore’s public housing, this paper has compiled a list of ADLs and identified potential environmental barriers that an elderly may encounter in the course of performing these ADLs. Solutions are subsequently proposed to address these barriers.
The issue of a rapidly ageing population in Singapore necessitates the provision of adequate support for the elderly, especially in the context of their housing needs. One way to alleviate this issue is through the introduction of 3Gen flats to encourage multigenerational families to live together to provide a support network for the elderly. Unlike the less successful ‘multi-generation’ flats introduced in 1987, 3Gen flats have received overwhelming response from multigenerational families in Singapore. Hence, this study seeks to evaluate if there is a demand for 3Gen flats by investigating its demand drivers and obstacles that could derail its purpose. The analysis also examines if there might be an abuse of 3Gen flats in Singapore. In this study, survey questionnaires were conducted with two groups of respondents (aged 21 to 54 and aged 55 and above) to ascertain their views towards 3Gen flats. Subsequently, the survey results were analysed using statistical models such as independent sample T-test and binary logistic regression. The results show that there is a demand for 3Gen flats in Singapore. The significant factors that influence younger respondents’ decision to live in 3Gen flats include parents’ age, marital status, physical condition, and CPF adequacy; their own age, marital status and average age of their children; and the presence of parental assistance in household chores and childcare. Statistically significant differences between perceived drivers of 3Gen flats to the two groups of respondents also suggest that there might be an abuse of 3Gen flats. Notably, the lack of privacy has also been found to be the greatest obstacle of living in 3Gen flats.
The percentage of elderly in Singapore has been on a steady climb in recent years from 2.5% in 1965 to an estimated 18.7% in 2030. This translates to a staggering increase from 296,900 in 1965 to a projected 873,300 by 2030. In other words, for every 5 residents, there will be an elderly. In addition, more and more elderly are living alone; the number may increase significantly from 35,000 in 2014 to 83,000 by 2030. As we age, there is an increased possibility of facing problems such as financial difficulties and health risks. To tackle these problems, alternative housing options such as Sheltered (community) Homes and Senior Group Homes are made available to those facing financial difficulties and health issues. This arrangement still allows them to live independently in the community and avoids relocating to an institution. This dissertation seeks to assess the well-being and quality of the living environment of low-income elderly through the retrofitting of one-room rental flats, otherwise known as Sheltered (community) Homes or Senior Group Homes. In this dissertation, Sheltered (community) Home and Senior Group Home will be narrowed down and referred to as ‘Shared Housing’. This paper aims to offer a more in-depth understanding of Shared Housing, especially from the elderly’s perspective. Through qualitative research tools such as one-to-one interviews, surveys and personal observations, this paper seeks to evaluate the level of satisfaction of the living and built environment. Lastly, it concludes with a list of recommendations on forming guidelines towards formulating a better design for Shared Housing in future. These design guidelines will bring us a step closer to improving the well-being and quality of the living environment for the elderly in Singapore, providing them with suitable housing that meet their needs and reduce housing stress, thereby allowing them to age gracefully and without worries.
2015
The growth of Singapore’s aging population is accelerating. The number of Singapore citizens above 65 years and above would balloon to 900,000 by 2030. However, the government’s measures for aging were mostly inter-agency “software” approach of healthcare and financial policies such as Pioneer Generation package, investment in healthcare and nursing facilities and active aging programmes through Community Clubs and Residents' Committees. However, these measures are inadequate. In fact, with improved healthcare and its resultant longer life expectancy, more elderlies would be staying at home after retirement. Up to 80% of the population of 5.39 million Singaporeans lived in public housing provided by the Housing Development Board. Hence, more elderlies would be spending their golden years in HDB, where current measures focused on Barrier-Free Accessibility and increasing accessibility to lifts cannot assist them in achieving their larger aspirations. Aging in place is defined as "the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level." Without the association with home, government’s software measures are inadequate to help elderlies age in place. HDB needs to be designed to fulfil the elderlies’ aspirations for aging in place, with social support from the community to prevent elderlies from being isolated and segregated from the younger population. This paper assessed how the planning and design of 4 generations of HDB new towns—Queenstown(1960s), Ang Mo Kio (1970s), Jurong West (1990-2000s) and Punggol (2010s)—respond to creating an environment to fulfil aspirations of the elderlies’ for aging in place, in the aspects of community interactions, life-long learning and development and inter-generational Interaction. It postulates that older towns could meet the aspirations of elderlies better with more community amenities such as hawker centres and wet markets.
With increasing ageing populations around the world, age integration has become a critical discourse for social inclusiveness. To turn the silver tsunami into waves of opportunity, the Singapore government has been rolling out initiatives that seek to empower seniors in their quest for successful ageing. Yet, the proliferation of age-segregated social institutions and ageism remains a contrasted reality. Could there be other intergenerational practice models that can be tapped into to change inherent age-based thinking and lifestyles? This paper explores this idea through a study of intergenerational shared-site models (IGSS) in schools, questioning its viability in Singapore. Case studies from the U.S., Japan and Singapore were examined through three domains – intergenerational programming, environmental designs, as well as societal systems and conditions – to reveal insights that at least for the near future, such integrative models are hard to come into realization in Singapore. Ingrained competitiveness and silo mentalities serve as impediments, though the potentiality for realization exists within this generation: state initiatives are required to push for integrated systems, and design can offer viable translations of the model. Consequently, IGSS models in schools will be able to provide us with opportunities of challenging age segregation by eroding age-based structures and enhancing cross-age interactions, thereby fostering genuine intergenerational living.
This thesis aims to explore active aging for the elderly and other residents living in mature Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates. It introduces farming into the existing estate as a medium for active aging, providing various platforms for the elderly to actively engage in activities. It encourages the elderly to be socially connected, mentally alert, cultivate a sense of identity, and enable them to be financially secure through the selling of the produce that they farmed. Although initially designed with the elderly in mind, the various amenities will eventually benefit the other residents living in the estate as well. The site that is chosen is located in Telok Blangah Rise, a mature estate with a high percentage of elderly. A main spine is proposed to link the different farming nodes and the two overhead pedestrian bridges at both ends of the site. Studio apartments are also integrated along the linkage. As the site is located over an undulating terrain, the linkage provides a better connection between the nodes and provide universal accessibility for the residents. This thesis also explores how to merge the new studio units and housing blocks into the existing fabric so as to intensify the land use and to allow the elderly to downsize their larger houses without the need to move out of the estate, thus allowing them to continue to age actively in an area that they are familiar with and preserve the relationships that had been built up over decades.
The average time a patient spends in a nursing home is 6 years. Due to semi mobility, patients are stuck in their beds and wheelchairs within sterile wards. This thesis looks into enhancing the daily experience of patients through layering personal experience, family experience, community experience and the definitive Kwong Wai Shiu experience.
The trait of social responsibility is deeply rooted within the Japanese society. Retirement at the age of 65 in Japan marks the end of their responsibility towards the economy and their family. The cessation of years of work life routine is usually hard for some of them to get accustom to and the notion of ageing starts making its entry into their lives. The overarching idea for this thesis is henceforth envisioned as a migratory network of experiential sanctuaries for the Japanese elderly to assist them in embracing the notion of ageing while achieving spiritual and physical wellness. Located across sub-urban area in Japan, these identified sanctuaries were designed to facilitate an inclusive and communal approach model. Through the engagement with the surrounding landscape, local culture and community, experiential living can hopefully assist them in coming to face this stage of their life and prepares them for their “next life”.
Barrier-free accessibility was introduced in Singapore since 1990 and is important because it promotes independent living, and with Singapore’s ageing population, it becomes a necessity. Many countries consider barrier-free accessibility seriously by passing laws that make it mandatory. United States of America started enacting accessibility through the Architectural Barriers Act in 1968 and Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. The UK mandates accessibility through the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which has since been replaced by The Equality Act 2010. New buildings in Singapore must comply with the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment, while older buildings largely remain inaccessible due to the reluctance of building owners to undertake accessibility upgrading. This is in spite of the monetary incentives given by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). This dissertation considers the accessibility concerns of the disabled community in Singapore and identifies the factors affecting universal design. Perceptions on accessibility and universal design of different stakeholders of the built environment are also studied to identify the possible differences in expectations. Interview questionnaires were used to collect information from building professionals and end users of buildings. The findings showed that despite the general improvement in accessibility in the built environment in Singapore, the disabled community and the elderly still find it difficult to gain access to buildings without physical barriers. The relatively low number of responses constituted the main limitation of this study. Recommendations were made based on the findings and analysis.
Singapore is facing an ageing population and the government is beginning to notice the importance of ageing actively and healthily. Numerous schemes have been rolled out to benefit and enhance the everyday lives of the ageing population. However there is little exploration of the adoption of technology in enhancing elderly lifestyles in Singapore. Technological developments and advancements take place rapidly in today’s world and it has greatly impacted the lives of people, infiltrating and changing lifestyles in all possible ways. Likewise, technology can help to improve the lifestyles of elderly in Singapore. This research focuses on how current technologies have improved the elderly lifestyles in Singapore and how new technologies can further enhance their wellbeing especially with a more educated, affluent and technologically-aware ageing population. In addition, the price sensitivity and concerns of the elderly regarding new technologies were studied. A survey was also conducted to identify the common trends of the lifestyles of the elderly in Singapore and the current technologies they adopt. The respondents' demographics were analysed and the underlying reasons for willingness in adopting current and new technologies were also studied. Governmental efforts were examined to understand the possibilities of technology in enhancing elderly lifestyles in Singapore. A variety of new technologies available in the market and are applicable in the elderly context were reviewed to evaluate the ways in which they can enhance elderly lifestyles in the least intrusive yet secure and efficient manner. The results showed that new technologies have the potential of further enhancing elderly lifestyles in Singapore. However, elderly here still face limited information and awareness of the benefits that technologies can bring about. Thus, it is important to ensure that the elderly are aware and receive information regarding technology so that they do not feel foreign and be less receptive towards technology.
Demographic aging appears to be a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly prevalent in developed countries over the years. This is the result of advancement in medical science and also rising health awareness around the world. According to research, it is suggested that by the year 2030, 1 out of every 5 Singaporeans will be an elderly, as compared to the current state of 1 elderly among every 10 Singaporeans. With the advancement of technology, the living standard of human beings becomes relatively higher and added convenience is brought to our daily lives. With this in mind, we are able to solve the issue that the majority of Singaporeans are facing, which is to provide a convenient and comfortable living environment. However, the elderly are usually the ones who fail to embrace these technologies to aid them in their living; this is also the case for the elderly in Singapore. It is a known fact that as human beings age, their living skills will also decrease gradually. Therefore, the trend of an increasing ratio of elderly in Singapore is an important issue that needs to be tackled seriously. Implementing relevant technologies in the daily lives of the elderly will assist them in their routines while providing them with freedom and quality of living. However, the elderly have little exposure to these technologies and lack interest in them. Hence, research on products to assist elderly living and their impact especially in the context of Singapore will help to identify the actual needs of the elderly and to assist them. This dissertation focuses on the responses of elderly towards Assisted Living Technologies (ALTs). A feasibility study on the function and features of the current ALT that are available in the market was conducted. After that, an interview was carried out on the elderly in Singapore to understand their acceptance and appreciation of these technologies in their daily life and to understand their responses towards such ALT. This dissertation concludes with a conceptual framework summarizing the elderly’s responses to such smart technologies.
Cohousing seems to be the solution in today's elderly housing options that allows residents to enjoy a balance of privacy and community living. Despite its popularity in European and American cities, it has yet to find its way into most Asian societies. There is a gap in the literature in identifying potential residents and their needs for future cohousing projects. This proves troubling for planners and developers in other cities, as they are uncertain about the suitability of cohousing in their society. This dissertation is an exploratory research on the willingness of future elderly to participate in this novel living arrangement. A multi-dimensional measurement of people's acceptance for cohousing (MMPAC) survey was used to determine quantitatively the extent of respondents' acceptance for cohousing. The first part of the survey identifies key cohousing variables that are deemed important to participating in cohousing. Using Principal Factor Analysis, these variables were grouped into three cohousing attributes: autonomy, attributes and social relationships. The second part of the survey aims to increase the possibility of cohousing engagement by understanding legislative, financial and environment factors impeding this form of housing concept. Respondents that scored lowly in the MMPAC survey are not likely to engage in cohousing. A sample of 385 Singaporeans of age between 26 and 55 participated in the survey and their responses showed encouraging results for establishing cohousing in Singapore. In particular, those with higher education levels and longer overseas living experience are more willing to participate in cohousing. Participants also indicate a preference to rent a unit in cohousing while retaining ownership of their existing home. The MMPAC survey appears to be a useful indicator for measuring Singaporeans' attitudes towards cohousing.
Ageing population has been a topic of interest in Singapore because of the wide-ranging ramifications across various disciplines, such as sociology, politics and economics. As housing is considered to be the single largest asset that an average household possess in their lifetime, it is important to examine the mechanics behind adjustments in housing consumption. Despite the wealth of related literature exploring housing consumption, this topic has received limited academic attention in Singapore. Hence, this research paper contributes to the existing literature by exploring the evolution of housing consumption in the context of Singapore, which has a different socio-cultural context. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were employed to study the relationship between variables identified through literature review and housing consumption. In the regression model, it was revealed that changes in housing satisfaction, financial capability, market conditions and housing policies, investment and housing demographics were statistically significant in influencing the likelihood of no adjustments in housing consumption. All of these variables displayed inverse relationship with the dependent variable, thus suggesting that respondents who cited the above factors were more likely to reduce housing consumption. The key hypothesis postulates that older households do not reduce their housing consumption during the empty phase due to deep emotional attachment to the house. This was found to be unsupported by the regression model. Hence, an in-depth research is recommended to gain deeper appreciation of housing consumption patterns which would pave the way for the formulation of effective housing policies to tackle ageing issues.
The ageing population in Singapore constantly causes the old-age support ratio to fall; with fewer young adults to support the elderly. The Singapore government implemented the Central Provident Fund (CPF) to fund the retirement needs of elderly, without relying on the younger generation. Other than funding the retirement needs, housing needs and medical needs are also covered. However, the housing needs is in conflict with retirement needs. The ability to use the CPF savings for housing would deplete the amount that are meant for retirement. This gave rise to “asset-rich, cash-poor” elderly households as most of their CPF savings is tied to their housing assets and little is available for retirement. Furthermore, compounding factors such as rising house prices and increasing housing aspirations of citizens have worsened the “asset-rich, cash-poor” phenomenon. This study explores the elderly housing monetisation choices in supporting their retirement consumption. From the extant literature, it reveals that most elderly citizens prefer ageing-in-place over moving to a new environment. The research hypothesis is that the age and income level of an elderly affects his/her choice of housing monetisation scheme. Survey was conducted for 131 elderly respondents aged 55 and above. Data collected from the survey were analysed by two statistical techniques, namely multinomial logistic regression and descriptive statistics. These analyses have shown that the elderly preferred “Silver Housing Bonus” over “Lease Buyback Scheme”. Significant variables such as “Age” and “Household Income” are crucial in predicting the preference of an elderly but not for “Presence of Savings for Retirement” and “Size of Flat”. These analyses suggest a need to review the housing monetisation policies in order to match the genuine needs of elderly. With the possible changes to the policies, elderly citizens in Singapore would be able to age-in-place as well as retire with ease.
The issue of an ageing population is a growing concern in Singapore and the need to provide resources for this group of people, be it housing or healthcare, is imminent. This paper seeks to examine the viability of retirement villages in Singapore, from determining the key needs of the elderly to what they value the most. It also serves to determine the general willingness of the population in moving to a retirement village. Lastly, an affordability model was drawn up to predict the income level needed and to define the target group of retirees in Singapore. A survey on 300 people aged 35 and above was carried out in Toa Payoh HDB Hub. The results showed that the respondents were mostly more concerned about their emotional needs in their ageing years. Respondents who stayed in private condominiums are more willing to move to a retirement village. The findings also showed that family and health are most valued by the respondents. Lastly, it is shown that retirees who lived in private condominiums and landed properties are better positioned financially to afford a 30-year stay in a retirement village after cashing out on their place of residence. This shows that retirement developments are feasible if they are targeted at the top 20% of the society financially. The key implications of this dissertation are that it contributes to past research with a local perspective. It also helps private developers determine the response and the suitable mix of amenities. Recommendations for these are provided at the end of the paper to ensure that it meets most of the needs that retirees require with the best marketing methods to reach out to the appropriate audience.
2014
The aim of this research is to look into community liveability and social integration for the ageing in the dense urban fabric of Singapore. High density living has been a strategy employed by most developed cities in order to achieve greater mobility and connectivity through an efficient and accessible public transport network as well as to minimize urban imprints on the natural environment. These residential typologies are often self-sustaining where amenities are within walking distances. The primary objective of this study is to examine the community liveability of high density residential in high-rise residential typology such as the studio apartment implemented by the government and how it contributes to social bonding and active ageing of the elderly residing in it. From an architecture standpoint, this paper examines both on a micro and macro scale, how the architecture configuration of a structure and the urban planning of an estate can affect an elderly interaction with his or her surroundings. Ageing in place is perceived to be mutually beneficial for the aged and the state (Committee on Ageing Issues Report 2006). As such, this research evaluates the hardware and software that dictate and affect the environmental settings of liveability in which the elderly can age gracefully. Through the study of 2 different typologies of Studio Apartment, this research aims to highlight appropriate trends and propose feasible methods or alternatives that aid in fostering greater social integration and community liveability. This research aims to make ageing an integral part of the community in a high rise residential typology. The research strives to create a more inclusive community with communal spirit, which otherwise, is gradually eroding in the high density living environment.
Design and planning of elderly amenity spaces are increasingly more important, especially to promote ageing-in-place in view of an ageing population in Singapore’s public housing estates in recent years. This dissertation seeks to assess if the public housing environments of three neighbourhoods consisting of different HDB typologies, are adequate in providing elderly amenities to support an ageing-in-place scenario and the elderly's well-being. The paper based its findings on one of the most elderly-populated housing estates in Singapore over the next decade – Clementi Town. Through literature review, it was proved that the provider-user dichotomy could have an impact on elderly’s well-being. Yet within Singapore’s context, there is presently an absence of such studies. By means of qualitative data obtained from site investigations and usage analysis, this paper attempts to evaluate existing site facilities as well as the usage of existing amenities among elderly users in the public housing environment. Lastly, in order to facilitate negotiation between elderly users of services and the state as provider of these services in the public housing estates; this paper examines the design adaptability and essential conditions of elderly amenities in three neighbourhoods within Clementi Town; which are categorised as social, recreational, commercial and residual spaces. Furthermore, learning from the site findings and literature review, it identifies any incongruence between the state’s perception of needs measured against actual usage of elderly persons.
In the book, “The Great Good Place”, urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg (1989) coined the term ‘third places’ as a regularly visited place of refuge other than the home or workplace to commune with friends, neighbours, coworkers, and strangers. In Europe, visiting third places have been established as part of the everyday routine, for example, the Italian taberna, British pubs and German bierstube (ibid). Destinations as third places appear to exist universally though vary between countries (Hisashige, n.d.). However Oldenburg does not introduce case studies in countries other than Europe and America. Therefore, this paper discovers and identifies the characteristics that construct the third places in Asia, using urban Ageo, Japan as a case study. Ageo is one of the largest bedroom cities in Saitama Prefecture that connects to the central business district of Tokyo and is distinctly planned with rings of urban and rural districts encircling Ageo Station. The main research methods used are surveys to locate the third places, and subsequently, visual surveys and comparisons to further investigate the features of the place to understand how these places are differentiated from other similar businesses or places (Mehta and Bosson, 2010). The outcome of the research showed that there are several hardware, software and “orgware” (Cho and Trivic, 2012) features that characterize third places. Furthermore, the results showed a strong demographical correlation between the types of users and types of third places.
An ageing population is one of the key challenges which Singapore is facing. It is projected that, by 2030, the percentage of elderly aged 65 years and above will reach 19% of the total population. One of the major concerns of elderly is the quality of life in their old age. As a basic need, housing is important not only because elderly need comfortable shelters but also because it provides a social environment for them to interact within the community. In order to deal with the challenges, Singapore Housing and Development Board (HDB) has developed several elderly housing schemes ranging from the Multi-generation Flats, Granny Flats, Studio Apartments, new Multi-Generation Flats and Flexi-layout Flats. This dissertation seeks to evaluate how well do the existing public housing typologies meet the needs and aspirations of the elderly in Singapore with emphasis on independent living and attempts to suggest improvements and alternatives in this field. To examine their effectiveness and propose possible improvements, literature review was carried out to understand physiological and psychological needs of elderly and used as the basis to form a set of design criteria. Based on these criteria, housing typologies were assessed. Qualitative approaches were employed, for example, site visits and interviews were conducted to investigate the elderly residents’ level of satisfaction with their living conditions. Subsequently, this dissertation goes beyond the basic design criteria and explores unit spatial arrangements, unit types and distributions, as well as block forms. Other alternatives of elderly public housing typologies were proposed and analysed. Eventually, this paper also serves as a reference for designing future elderly public housing typologies in Singapore.
“A home is a fundamental human imperative” (Pastalan, et al., 1993) and a large proportion of Singapore’s population live in public housing. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has been planning towns and providing affordable public housing for Singapore since its inception in the 1960s and continues to do so today. People in Singapore are living longer due to improvements in nutrition, living conditions and public health services. Advances in medical and pharmacological technology, coupled with a low birth rate, puts Singapore in the setting of an ever‐growing, “greying” population. Singapore has been championing for the elderly to “age‐in‐place” through the development of strong social networks so that the elderly can continue to live in a community for as long as possible without institutionalization. (MCYS, 2009) With the upcoming demographic changes, it becomes important that the planning of towns and the design of public housing estates are prepared for this phenomenon. This paper seeks to investigate and assess the evolving designs of town planning, focusing on the distribution of facilities and amenities that cater to the ageing‐in‐place condition. It postulates that the manner of distribution of such spaces, apart from availability, in the physical environment has a direct impact on the general wellbeing of the elderly, contributing greatly to the ability of the elderly to age‐in-place. The findings showed that the manners of distribution in newer towns are not as conducive for ageing‐in‐place when compared to its predecessors.
The growth of increasingly stressful urban cities has taken a toll on the quality of life, through the dilution of culture and the fast-paced lifestyle that comes with the pride of economic progress. Many challenges of urban social life often revolve around the lack of community interaction and social cohesion for support. For the youth, this may seem like a daunting future to grow up in; but for the elderly, this poses an even greater challenge. Although there are many contributing social factors that affect the ability of the elderly to age successfully in urban cities, the built environment that surrounds them daily is the only constant in a world of change. The quality and design of the built environment has great potential to either facilitate the growth of communities to create social support for the elderly or to deny the elderly of interaction and stimulation. Looking to the context of Singapore's built environment, Singapore has endured the challenges of providing the basic needs of residential housing for its citizens during its growing years through several urban planning schemes and building developments. However with societal progress and evolution, the needs of the elderly population and society are no longer as simple. In accordance with Maslow's 'Hierarchy of Needs', once the basic needs of society are met, individuals will crave the need to be satisfied on a psychological level. Therefore, current design solutions and strategies may not address these rising problems as effectively. In light of the challenge of an aging population, this dissertation seeks to distil key indicators for creating sustainable communities in the built environment to ensure aging-in-place. These indicators act as springboards to analyse the spatial strategies that encourage natural social interaction in communities for the elderly to integrate better in society. Furthermore, by looking at the challenge of aging-in-place with the focus on urban planning perspectives, this dissertation will discuss the triumphs and pitfalls of current urban strategies to tackle the challenges of ageing-in-place, through the exploration of various foreign and local case studies. In conclusion, this discussion explores the potential of alternative collaborative planning strategies and how effective they can be in creating sustainable and inclusive communities for the aged.
This dissertation is an exploratory research of introducing collaborative housing as an alternative housing lifestyle choice in Singapore. In particular, it rationalises and examines the feasibility of kick-starting collaborative housing as a potential elderly housing solution. A thorough literature review brings together relevant models internationally and locally, from which the concept of collaborative housing in Singapore’s context is developed and evaluated in the social, institutional and financial aspects. Insights from interviews from both professionals and amateurs enriched the analysis. Collaborative housing is a social framework that can mitigate the conflicts faced by the 3 main stakeholders in elderly housing: the elderly, the government and the neighbours. It is a ground-up initiative that develops an intentional close-knitted social community through participative planning of a building’s development. Collaborative housing is feasible from the social perspective. A participative planning process coupled with a familiar environment and location helps the elderly age-in-place comfortably. From the institution perspective, a ground-up non-government approach, starting from a small scale, has the greatest potential to realise collaborative housing objectives. Financially, keeping the project affordable yet ensuring financial and land acquisition sustainability pose as an obstacle to its feasibility. Considering all factors, the timing for collaborative housing with a focus on new retirees is right. However, as a new concept, government support is vital in many aspects to ensure its success. More holistic and incremental plans would need to be formulated, along with developing more expertise prior to the programme’s execution.
By 2030, one out of every five residents will be a senior citizen in Singapore. However, infrastructure development in Singapore is not catching up with the growing special needs of the elderly in today’s society. This problem is especially acute in the aspect of severe shortage in supply of senior housings and elderly care facilities. In spite of the government’s plan of building 105 elderly care facilities across the island over the next couple of years, local residents’ objections towards the proposal of building such facilities amidst their neighbourhoods, which is often termed as the Not-In-My-Backyard Syndrome, has become a huge hindrance. Therefore, this paper aims to find out the significant causes of Singaporean local residents' NIMBY Syndrome towards senior housings and elderly care facilities, and thereby make useful recommendations to the government as to how it can effectively tackle local residents’ NIMBY problem in the future. After an in-depth review of international literature and modelling analysis of 200 survey responses from Singaporean local residents, it can be concluded that “threat to property value”, “type of resident’s dwelling”, and “loss of existing neighbourhood amenities” are the three most significant factors that underlay Singaporean local residents’ Not-In-My-Backyard Syndrome towards elderly housings and elderly care facilities, along with other significant factors including “potential health hazard”, “traffic problems” and “impression”.
Singapore is facing an ageing population whereby in 2030, one in five residents would aged 65 and above. The social well-being of the elderly is important as being socially active is beneficial to their emotional and physical development. In an attempt to extend the social network among the elderly or residents in the neighbourhood, green spaces such as Community Parks have been constructed in the estate. Moreover, the inclusion of facilities and elderly corners in the parks serve to encourage participation from the elderly. Hence, this paper seeks to discuss and analyse the role of Community Parks as a platform for social interaction among the elderly, specifically their perception and attitudes towards the parks and the facilities available. This study was conducted on the elderly through 250 surveys in five Community Parks to identify their usage pattern of the parks and perception towards the parks in achieving their social needs. The results indicated that Community Parks provide a good setting for the elderly to engage in social interaction. The facilities and the natural landscaping are important determinants for the quality of interaction. The conduciveness of the facilities would affect the duration of the stay and the usage pattern. The overall perception and the attitudes towards the Community Parks as a platform for social interaction are positive, although some elderly felt a lack of community bonding and facilities in certain parks. Greater community cohesion can be fostered through organising more community activities for the development of community bonding and enhancement on the quality of social interaction. Better environment could be created through providing sufficient facilities, abundance of natural landscaping and better maintenance of the parks.
This study examines the barriers to social participation in two housing estates of Singapore: Ang Mo Kio and Bukit Panjang. Using survey data, barriers to social participation are found to include poor health, functional limitations, unwillingness to commit to structured schedules, lack of energy, low motivation for community activities, weak sense of community in neighbourhood, low education, mentality of being too old for anything, lack of partner for community events and economic insecurity. Barriers to social participation vary across age, gender, education and location. This paper also identifies major membership groups of elderly based on their behaviour, attitudes and perceptions towards social participation. They are: (1) Elderly with Active Lifestyle; (2) Working Elderly; and (3) Passive Retirees. Membership groups of elderly vary across age, gender, education and location. This study concludes with an examination of what contributes to an adoption of active lifestyle among the elderly. Elderly in their 60s tend to have a more active lifestyle than elderly in their 70s. This could be associated with age differences in individual characteristics (education, health and functional limitations). Elderly with higher levels of educational attainment are also observed to have a more active lifestyle, as compared to elderly who have received lesser education. This is associated with them being more aware and conscientious about their health and actively taking steps that promote good health outcomes. Elderly women are also observed to have a more active lifestyle than men as women have stronger inclinations to be associated with organisations that focus on domestic and community affairs, while men usually belong to core economic organisations. Finally, more elderly in Bukit Panjang adopt an active lifestyle, owing to the strong sense of community in the neighbourhood.
Universal Design embodies the significance of sustainability and place management in the built environment. The research described in this dissertation aims to evaluate the strategies taken to improve accessibility status in Singapore’s built environment and examines the receptivity towards universal design by the users. Literature reviews set the foundation to understand the background of universal design. Raw statistics on the Accessibility Rating System were analysed to give a breakdown of the overall accessibility status in Singapore’s built environment. Retail and transport developments were identified to examine the successful accessibility strategies adopted. Interviews with relevant managements and on-site observations were conducted. A sample of 30 survey questionnaires were collected from retail consumers and transport commuters each and inferential analyses were conducted separately. Pearson Correlations analysis was carried out to study the relationships between the usage patterns and outlooks of universal design. One sample t-test and independent samples t-test were undertaken to establish the receptivity towards universal design and examine the difference in usage patterns and outlooks among the two groups of samples respectively. The subjectivity of the perception and usage towards UD along with the fairly low number of respondent contributed to the limitations of this study. Finally, recommendations were suggested to the public and private sectors to better adopt strategies of UD.
2013
Apart from the concern of land scarcity, demographic changes are also one of the most significant challenges that Singapore is facing now. Our declining birth rates and longer life expectancy clearly illustrates an ageing population and the impact of living longer. By 2030, elderly aged 65 and above will form at least 20 per cent of the population. This dissertation seeks to assess if the public housing environment is equipped to support an ageing-in-place scenario as well as the wellbeing of the elderly. The findings were based on one of the most elderly-populated housing estates in Singapore – Bukit Merah. The paper offers a deeper understanding of accessibility in built environment, especially from the perspective of the elderly. Using qualitative data from interviews and observations, it evaluates existing site barriers and access to essential facilities in the built environment. Lastly, the study concludes with an emphasis on re-examining macro level planning and implementation of facilities, such as traffic junctions and footpath networks. And make some recommendation as to how they could be better designed to address seamless barrier-free accessibility in future developments. It also suggests that by prioritizing the outstanding site barriers for accessibility to essential amenities, everyday life and wellbeing of the elderly could be greatly improved.
The contemporary eldercare facility has slowly emerged as an alternative to aging-in-place at home, providing residential nursing care for seniors who, for reasons of physical or mental infirmity, are dependent and cannot be cared for in their own residences. Gradually, there is more design emphasis towards qualitative living conditions besides the basic provision of supportive living, universal design and efficiency of care. It is now universally fundamental that eldercare architecture is about the creation of home-environments considering the general consensus that admitted patients treat this facility as their true home and in most cases, their last. There is also growing evidence that the design of a healthcare facility will directly affect the health outcomes of patients. The emerging theory of salutogenesis is a concept formulated by Aaron Antonovsky, a professor of medical sociology that focuses on wellness factors that support human health and well-being , rather than risk-factors that are disease-causing. The salutogenic approach addresses the relationship between health, stress, and coping. Health here is seen as a “continuum and incessant process” (Alan Dilani, 2005) in which health and disease are extremes. The attribute that determines where on this continuum a person is pertains to a question of how strong or weak is ones’ Sense of Coherence (SOC). The model is crucial in creating healing home-environments, and has never been applied in a methodological way. It largely relates to the environmental-means towards strengthening ones’ SOC, comprising the qualities of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. This paper firstly highlights the inadequacies of local standards of design considerations to fully provide a holistic healing environment. The concept of salutogensis is still in its infancy in Singapore due to the fact of the longstanding culture of adopting hospital-centric model for local eldercare homes. The local high-density typology is one that resorts to a utilitarian practice that maximizes space, medical- and cost-efficiencies, resulting in environmental settings being described as “draconian” and institutional lacking in residential characteristics. In view of this, the dissertation posits its research on a conceptual, architectural framework of designing salutogenic, eldercare home-environments as a form of behavioural medicine, where existing environmental parameters will be researched to better understand their significance towards human wellness. The fundamentals of healthy well-being and the notion of home will be questioned via a review of important, universal concepts set against cultural and contextual backgrounds. The framework hopes to advocate a bottom-up, patient-focused design process and increase awareness of holistic design for optimizing SOC. Such a conscious effort is also needed to endear eldercare facilities more to society, creating healthier communities that combat social exclusion and stigma.
It is projected that by 2030, 19% of the total population in Singapore would be 65 years and above. This has numerous implications on the structure of the economy with retirement ages increasing in all sectors. From an architectural point-of-view the nature of the most basic form of housing (public housing) has to morph to accommodate this. The home is an important element of an ageing society because it is where most of a senior citizen’s time is spent; the actual house and the area surrounding it have the biggest impact on their quality of life. In the past few years, there have been conscious attempts to deal with housing the elderly. This came in the form of housing typologies that were designed with them in mind. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) had a series of schemes such as the Multi-Generational Flats (two iterations), Granny Flats, Studio Apartments, and while the effectiveness of these schemes is still to be determined, it creates a degree of segregation between residents of those houses and the rest of the community. A literature review was carried out to determine what is required of elderly housing and this forms the backbone of the investigation. Subsequently three generations of public housing will be assessed on how they meet these standards. These HDB estates were not built specifically for the elderly, and older ones are now facing issues with retrofitting to suit an older group of residents.
The recommended active ageing lifestyle promotes participation in activities and education for mental well-being. However, these occasional engagements are insufficient as solutions to active ageing. This paper looks at the interventions in built environment that the elderly engages in through their daily routines. The objective is to identify the factors that contribute to the elderly's Sense of Coherence - comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. The external environment can make the elderly feel vulnerable, thus resulting in lower participation in the community. In reference to Antonovsky's Salutogenic model, he identified sense of coherence for health as a positive stress-coping mechanism. A space can promote a higher sense of coherence for the elderly to deal positively with the stressors in a public realm. Emphasis on the design considerations of these space could tweak the activity levels of the elderly. The higher sense of coherence leads to an active lifestyle and integration within the community, and translates to positive health outcomes for the elderly individuals. The public space serves as a place for commune, intended or spontaneous. Immediately outside the private realms of the home, there exist many forms of public spaces. The post-occupancy evaluation approach is to assess the different spaces with respect to the elderly. The analysis, with reference to the Salutogenic model, aims to identify the factors that contribute to a physical and psychological healthy space for the elderly. Architecture of this age then serves a social need. Environmental stress is inevitable, but more sensitive design considerations for the elderly in public spaces can serve as an advantage and refuge.
The ageing demographic trend in Singapore has wide-ranging implications on the housing provision for the elderly. To address the housing needs of the elderly, HDB has mainly encouraged the senior citizens to age in place, while providing alternative in the form of studio apartments to allow for independent ageing. However, both the existing stocks of age-integrated housing and studio apartments have inherent problems that may compromise the quality of life of the elderly. Therefore, this paper attempts to compare both age-integrated and age-segregated housing in Singapore and determine their impact on the life quality of the elderly residents. Two main statistical techniques were employed in the study. They are namely paired sample t-test and binary logistic regression. After reviewing the extant literature and analysing the survey results of 400 elderly residing in age-integrated housing and stand-alone studio apartment developments, it was found that respondents living in the studio apartments experienced a lower quality of life. Further analysis reveals that that the poorer quality of life experienced by the studio apartment respondents is due to the residents experiencing dissatisfaction in “Psychological Well-Being”, “Relations with Family”, “Opportunities to Maintain or Establish Friendships” and “Liveliness within the Housing Environment”. On the other hand, “Relations with Family” and “Security within the Estate” are the significant factors that explain the better quality of life experienced by the age-integrated respondents These results suggest a need for policy makers to review the provision of stand-alone studio apartments for the elderly in Singapore. Additionally, more could be done to enhance the existing stock of age-integrated public housing to better allow the seniors to age in place.
As Singapore’s population continues to advance in age, there is a need to focus on housing provision for the elderly. In view of the changing attitudes and expectations of the elderly population, a retirement village is a suitable housing option that helps to cater to their needs. Despite a lengthy discussion, the development of a retirement village in Singapore did not materialise due to market uncertainty. This study aims to explore the potential of development of a retirement village in Singapore through the demand perspective, by investigating how changing expectations of the new elderly generation have generated the demand for a retirement village. It also attempts to examine the reasons and various demand factors affecting the willingness of the elderly to live in a retirement village. The data is obtained by conducting surveys on the new ageing citizens of age 50 to 65. The research hypotheses were formulated with regard to key socio-economic variables including education, income and marital status, and evaluated using one-way ANOVA tests. Other significant survey findings were also analysed using descriptive statistics. The study found that new ageing citizens with higher educational attainment and income level, as well as those who are single generally have a greater willingness to live in a retirement village. This can be explained with the change in preference for independent living and the lack of support from children for the singles. This finding implies that there is certainly a potential demand for a retirement village by these groups. However, it was also noted that the development potential of a retirement village in Singapore may be challenged by the supply factors.
The government announced a master plan in 2012 to roll out new eldercare facilities till 2016 in order to support a growing senior population in Singapore. However, this was met with numerous cases of opposition in neighbourhoods slated for eldercare facility development. This phenomenon provides the motivation for research in view of impending facilities all across the island. Evidently, the government’s choice of a "decide, announce and defend" planning model is inadequate in terms of understanding the public. Rather, the perceived ignorant and self-interested opposition has a good grasp of the situation and a spectrum of concerns that include legitimate reasons of communal nature. Furthermore, it is crucial to understand how the public is influenced by demographics and ideological beliefs, thus generalisations would not do justice to their opinions. This evidently calls for a more collaborative approach towards planning communal facilities. This paper uses an in-depth survey of the concerns faced by the residents at Bishan Street 13 where a nursing home has been slated for development. The intention was to use this particular case study to draw inferences for the rest of the affected neighbourhoods slated for eldercare facility development. The results confirm literature findings that depicted an informed community, with wide ranging concerns. The community’s attitude towards collaborative planning was also investigated and provides plenty of evidence and motivation that increased emphasis on citizen engagement and empowerment is needed. The inevitable increase of elderly population in Singapore means that issues of public support and opposition have to be addressed and diverse public opinions meaningfully engaged.
2012
The liberalisation of the CPF regulations in the 1980s has allowed Singapore to enjoy continuous years of high homeownership rates. Amongst typical homeowners, housing accounts for over 75.0% of retirement wealth and this has created a class of asset-rich and cash-poor elderly households. As the population in Singapore ages rapidly, elderly homeowners without adequate support and savings could consider the monetising option of downsizing their flats to release the substantial equity accumulated in their housing. Along this line, the Silver Housing Bonus Scheme (SHBS) is the most recent government measure aimed at broadening the menu of options to enable elderly households to finance their retirement. The extant literature indicates varying findings on whether the elderly are consuming their housing wealth. It appears that only in limited cases do the elderly reduce housing equity by downsizing. Furthermore, the studies in Singapore suggest that the motivations for the elderly to move are different from those mentioned in the majority of research carried out in western countries. This dissertation investigates whether factors such as bequest motive, housing type and location affect the downsizing decision of elderly households. In this connection, a survey among 112 respondents who are elderly living in 1 to 5-room HDB flats in Jurong West and Toa Payoh was conducted to gauge their receptiveness to the SHBS. The majority of respondents, constituting 65.2% of the sample size, indicated their unwillingness to downsize their current residence. Chi-Square Tests suggest that neither flat type nor location bears a statistically significant association with unwillingness to downsize. However, a statistically significant relationship between bequest motive and unwillingness to reduce housing wealth is detected. An Ordinal Probit Regression to include all three predictors also corroborates the findings from the Chi-Square Tests. Given the survey’s findings of a general lack of receptiveness among the elderly to monetise their housing asset, the dissertation also embarked on a discussion of other policy measures related to the letting of underutilized rooms or entire flat to assist the elderly in securing a steady rental stream to finance their retirement and at the same time to fulfil their bequest motive.
According to a report by Global Agenda Council on Ageing Society, Singapore was one of the fastest ageing populations in the world, where 38% of her population will be above 60 years old by 2050. To prepare for the challenges of an ageing population, the Council for Third Age embarked on the "Active Ageing" campaign in 2007 to encourage the elderly to adopt an active and socially-participative lifestyle. In this campaign, the council adopts the six-dimensional model of wellness as a guide for active ageing. This model identifies six distinct but interdependent elements – social, intellectual, physical, vocational, emotional and spiritual. Seniors can attain a higher level of wellness and experience a more meaningful life by taking positive steps to improve some or all of these dimensions. This study looks at how parks can contribute to active ageing by providing seniors with green spaces to exercise these six elements of wellness and how park facilities meet the needs and expectations of the elderly, using Tiong Bahru Park and Bishan Park as case studies. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used to collect and analyse data. The surveys were analysed using charts and the interviews were analysed using content analysis. Briefly, findings show the elderly park users in both parks care a lot more about the physical and environmental factors in the park compared to social factors. Four recommendations are suggested to improve the parks so as to better promote active ageing for the elderly. They include: encouraging mobility, improving park design and facilities, introducing an element of fun and establishing partnerships with other organizations.
Population ageing is a global trend. In the near future virtually every country will deal with population ageing, although at varying degrees of intensity and in different time frames. In Singapore's context, replacement migration can only help to mitigate and delay this trend. It will not reverse the foreseeable ageing population situation. In addition, the future cohorts of the elderly will consist of well educated, healthy and financially secured senior citizens who will fuel an age-specific market for services and products. This presents a window of opportunity for retail management teams and retailers of heartland malls to put in place strategies, so as to remain relevant to its catchment shoppers. Hence, this study will investigate whether heartland malls in Singapore adequately caters to the needs and wants of the elderly consumers in the non‐tangible and tangible aspects. There are many papers discussing consumer studies and marketing strategies about elderly consumers in other countries compared to Singapore. This paper contributes to the marketing, consumer behaviour and retailing disciplines and is a platform for additional research into the elderly consumer’s expectations and needs regarding heartland malls. A quantitative research study was performed. From the research findings, various aspects in which heartland malls do not adequately meet the expectations and needs of the elderly were identified. Consequently, recommendations were proposed for possible marketing strategies for heartland malls to harness the economic benefit of this developing silver industry.
The Singapore population is ageing at a rapid rate. In consideration of the changing socio-economic and socio-cultural profile of the elderly today, as well as the differing perspectives of desirable lifestyles when they retire, a retirement village could be proposed as an alternative housing option for those who desire an independent and active lifestyle during retirement. This study aims to ascertain the target population’s demand of a retirement village through the assessment of the population’s current level of awareness and receptivity. Respondents from the age of 50 are surveyed as they would become the target segment in the following years. The study considered reasons affecting respondents’ desired requirements and their willingness to move into a retirement village. Majority of respondents are unfamiliar with the concept of a retirement village and prefer not to move into one. The key reasons are preference to stay with their nuclear family and ageing in place. The low awareness among the target segment has also been identified as a likely factor. The study shows that home modification, rather than a retirement village, may be a more appropriate solution for Singapore’s current group of elderly given the strong preference to age-in as indicated by the survey results. However, survey results used to extrapolate the demand among Singapore’s elderly of retirement village in Singapore suggests that there is still sufficient demand for a retirement village.
Today's elderly and the future elderly have higher educational qualifications, thereby earning higher wages that enable them to lead a better lifestyle in their retirement years. This change in socioeconomic status among Singaporean elderly would mean more complicated housing needs and higher demand for quality retirement housing. Using examples from foreign countries, this study examines retirement village as a potential senior housing option in Singapore. The objectives of this study include identifying the important features of a retirement village in Singapore from a consumer’s perspectives and to determine the level of acceptance of a retirement village in Singapore. This study also aims to find out why some of the elderly reject the idea of moving into a retirement village. A quantitative approach was adopted in this study where data was collected through survey questionnaires involving 314 respondents. Subsequently, survey results were analysed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and binary logistic regression. The results from this study have shown that design, facilities, marketing, location and accessibility, supporting services, and financing are important features of retirement villages. In general, 74.8% of the respondents gave a positive response when asked if they would consider moving into a retirement village. The remaining 25.2% of the respondents who rejected the idea stated a desire to live with their children, new development in Singapore, high cost, and other retirement plans as the few main reasons. The findings of this study offer useful contributions towards research on senior housing option and present retirement village as a new concept in Singapore. At the same time, this study can serve as a useful guide for potential developers who may be interested to undertake such development in the future.
Studies have revealed that managing the challenges presented by dementia will be the overwhelming priority of healthcare in the 21st Century. Dementia affects mainly elderly where patients develop memory loss, decline in social skills, personality changes and gradual loss of the ability to even manage daily activities of living. With a rapidly aging population the number of people diagnosed with dementia is set to rise dramatically. The thesis proposes a new model of high-density Care Home for dementia. Studies have revealed that design of the environment can qualitatively improve the lives of demented elders. Through a study of the specific needs of demented elders, the proposed design of Care Home aims to provide a more home-like environment, which offer privacy, autonomy, support, enjoyment, and a place to call home. Located at a vacant field along Pioneer Road North (Jurong East), in the midst of a public housing estate, the new typology is a sharp contrast to traditional institutional model of nursing homes, which are usually isolated entities located at the fringe of a neighbourhood. The new model of Care Home design seeks to achieve greater community integration and aims to increase awareness of dementia among the community through expanded public functions such as dementia daycare centre, childcare centre, senior’s gym, dementia awareness and training centre, thrift shops, café, and hair saloon. These community functions provide opportunities for residents and public to interact and socialize, thereby reducing the social stigma of dementia. Through the various community gardens, volunteers and demented elders can partake in a common activity of gardening together. This recreation activity is a form of horticultural therapy and aims to encourage volunteerism within the community as well. In all, the new typology of Care Home for elders with dementia seeks to provide a holistic solution towards providing a residential care environment for rehabilitation of elders while being a node of community well-being and recreation.
The government announced a master plan in 2012 to roll out new eldercare facilities till 2016 in order to support a growing senior population in Singapore. However, this was met with numerous cases of opposition in neighbourhoods slated for eldercare facility development. This phenomenon provides the motivation for research in view of impending facilities all across the island. Evidently, the government’s choice of a "decide, announce and defend" planning model is inadequate in terms of understanding the public. Rather, the perceived ignorant and self-interested opposition has a good grasp of the situation and a spectrum of concerns that include legitimate reasons of communal nature. Furthermore, it is crucial to understand how the public is influenced by demographics and ideological beliefs, thus generalisations would not do justice to their opinions. This evidently calls for a more collaborative approach towards planning communal facilities. This paper uses an in-depth survey of the concerns faced by the residents at Bishan Street 13 where a nursing home has been slated for development. The intention was to use this particular case study to draw inferences for the rest of the affected neighbourhoods slated for eldercare facility development. The results confirm literature findings that depicted an informed community, with wide ranging concerns. The community’s attitude towards collaborative planning was also investigated and provides plenty of evidence and motivation that increased emphasis on citizen engagement and empowerment is needed. The inevitable increase of elderly population in Singapore means that issues of public support and opposition have to be addressed and diverse public opinions meaningfully engaged.
This study seeks to examine the current public housing situation and policies for elderly in Singapore and to propose recommendations to improve the overall living conditions of the elderly. Over the years, the government has been actively implementing housing policies and initiatives to cater to the housing needs of the elderly in Singapore. The government also introduced various housing financial schemes to address the apparent “asset rich, cash poor” problem among the ageing population. Meanwhile, there is also a growing preference among the elderly in Singapore to live independently and age in place. This study adopts both qualitative and quantitative approaches in reviewing the success of the housing policies and determining the possible recommendations that can further cater to the housing needs of the elderly population. The survey findings reveal that generally, the elderly population in Singapore are not very receptive to the current financial housing policies. Furthermore, there are also room for improvements in terms of the provision of amenities and elderly-friendly facilities within the public housing estates. Hence, four recommendations were proposed in this study to enhance the overall living condition of the elderly population in Singapore. They are the Shared Ownership Scheme, Elderly Rental Scheme, Deferred Payment Loan and the incorporation of more elderly-friendly features as well as free shuttle services.
2011
This thesis investigates the growing needs for alternative housing options and community living for the increasing educated elderly population (the Third Age) in Singapore. There is a need to rethink the notion of active ageing and ageing-in-place for the future elderly by empowering them to continue engaging and enjoying activities. Especially to continue sharing and contributing their professional expertise and knowledge to society, learning, practicing or pursuing personal interests, or working to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle so as to age with dignity and security. It also allows them to live a purposeful and meaningful lifestyle that promotes family, community and social bonding within the built environment. The project was sited in Redhill Estate (Bukit Merah Town), one of the oldest estates with high elderly population in Singapore. The design approach applies the concept of insertion of two new elements into existing urban fabrics. The first element was the introduction of a link bridge with communal deck spaces that ran through the whole site connecting to the proposed integrated apartments, existing flats, elderly rental apartments, commercial facilities, neighbourhood park and MRT(Mass Rapid Transit) train station. This link bridge not only facilitates seamless circulation through the site but also include pockets of communal deck spaces for the elderly residents to gather and meet for activities. The second element was the introduction of an Integrated Habitat – new housing and communal living typology in apartments that integrate residential living, community programs and commercial facilities. The new Integrated Habitat emphasizes family and community bonding, which allows the elderly residents to age-in-place within their familiar environment and various housing options for them to live independently or with the family. The integrated communal spaces and facilities encourage the elderly residents to participate and engage in communal activities with family and friends, thus creating an active community living for the elderly residents.
Singapore’s population is ageing at an unprecedented rate, with statistics showing that in 2030 there will be 1 elderly in every 3 adults, and ¼ of them will be living alone in their later years. The change in demography and living arrangement, together with changes in education, wealth and health background of the new aged, require a change in residential design that focuses on “ageing-in-place”, to create spaces that people can grow old in and have total control of when they’re old, spaces that facilitate and promote a healthy lifestyle, and last but not least, spaces that encourage socialising among the residents and their contributions to the community. The Kreta Ayer neighbourhood in Chinatown has a high percentage of elderly people, especially those who live alone in one-room flats. Unlike the typical HDB precinct, this neighbourhood is unique as it has the Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre and Community Centre, one of the oldest in Singapore, in the middle of the compound. These facilities provide opportunities for community bonding and individual development, but the buildings are not well connected to the surrounding residential blocks, both visually and physically, and thus are not frequently used by the residents. The project redesigned the spatial quality of this community platform, and added a new residential block in the compound that mainly accommodates the elderly. The principle throughout the project was about “living around a courtyard”, which is a familiar lifestyle in traditional Chinese culture: the community platform was treated as the common courtyard of the compound, and in the newly added residential blocks, units are grouped around a common courtyard to form a cluster. It is an exploration of the potential of treating the public and neighbourhood place as the extension of one’s living room. Therefore, the notion of spatial hierarchy between public/private, inside/outside, and “the neighbours” in a common HDB block are redefined. Hence, the comfort zone of the elderly is extended beyond the boundary of their house.
As Singapore approaches the predicament of an ageing population by 2020, the unbalanced young-old ratio has given birth to a phenomenon known as the “Return-ment” syndrome, resulting in an increase of elderly presence (>65 years) in the Central Business District (CBD) of Singapore. However, as with all urban spaces, the CBD was not conceived with the objective to include this coming generation of elderly people, much less promote active ageing. The objective of this thesis was to explore the impact of an ageing population on the urban environment through understanding the demographic profile of this coming generational boom of elderly, and redefining urban public spaces as a catalyst for active ageing. In the study of CBD’s existing patterns, a mixed-use residential programme was introduced along Cross Street with connections made to the existing viaduct. Design strategies aimed to provide urban connectivity, enhance street walkability, promote wellness and health, create multi-levels of urban participation and maximizing opportunities for active ageing. The goal is to facilitate the inclusion of elderly people in our Urban Environment.
The rapid urbanization in Asian cities creates both glamorous urban nodes as well as decayed communities. Aging population, low income level and out-flowing population are the most common syndromes for these communities. Destruction of the existing urban fabric and gentrification of the local population is likely the foreseeable destiny of these communities. An underlining problem for such cases is the detachment of place from the local population, among which, the elderly and youth being the most affected social groups. The two social groups consist of more than one third of the local population and spend most of their time in their neighbourhood. In a post industrialized city like Taipei, Dalongdong Area is one of the typical decayed communities with rich history and yet facing the destruction and gentrification. The proposed community care centre intends to provide services for the needs of the elderly and youth social groups and helping them re-establish their attachment to the place. On top of that, the project also aims to foster interaction between the two social groups and their belonging to the community at large. The site presents plenty of opportunities together with a typical set of problems. It is close to historical buildings and sites but separated by vehicular traffic. Public amenities are within walking distance but such advantage was not considered. Nodes around the site see hardly any social activities. The intervention seeks to demonstrate a prototype of solutions for the typically observed problems within the area.
The need for community facilities catering specially to senior Singaporeans will increase as more citizens retire in the local housing estates when they age. However, senior-oriented facilities should not simply focus on healthcare and eldercare, as is the case in Singapore now. This study proposed recreational based communal facilities as the means for elders to seek friends, find peer support, help each other and engage in enjoyable activities confidently during their free time. While a number of other recreational facilities also exist in HDB estates, most are outdoors, fitness-based and therefore lack variety for elderly residents to engage in a broad range of activities. Affordability is also another crucial issue in encouraging activities as elders prefer to keep their savings to meet medical needs. Facilities, such as those that exist in community centres incur costs – participation, material or transportation – and do not engage more elders than the existing pool of aged members. The communal facilities proposed in this study were not intended to be institutionalized centres for providing eldercare and services, but rather, to encourage through convenient infrastructure, an independent and active lifestyle for Singaporean elders, helping him/her to cultivate hobbies, take an interest in the neighbourhood, all while enjoying the retirement years comfortably at home.
There are 44,000 public rental units across Singapore, of which, 40% are occupied by elderly households and 28.4% are occupied by future elderly households. Satisfaction with life among the elderly residing in public rental housing deserves comparably more attention as social housing is not a luxurious choice of accommodation, but the last safety net for a basic shelter. This study attempts to ascertain the home modifications required by the elderly living in public housing, as well as factors that are significant in affecting their life satisfaction. The research determined if home modifications made to public rental housing can improve the life satisfaction of the elderly. After a review of the relevant literature and statistical analyses of a survey of 403 elderlies residing in public rental housing, it was found that “non-slip flooring” and “grab bars along the corridors and void decks” are the top two most favoured home modifications. In addition, “elderly features within living unit”, “elderly facilities in the vicinity”, “social inclusion”, “workmanship” and “physical health” were significant in affecting the life satisfaction among the old folks. However, it was also revealed that few elderly are satisfied with these factors. Lastly, the results show that there will be a rise in satisfaction levels across most aspects of the life if home modifications were to be carried out in the social housing estates. This implies that there is a need for relevant authorities like HDB, Town Councils and BCA to extend and improve their policies of social housing in order to achieve a barrier-free status and improve life satisfaction among the elderly.
This study investigates the relation between Singapore’s ageing population and the need to improve the tenant mix as well as the design of shopping malls. This study aims to find out the needs and desires for retail shopping of middle- and old- age people versus what they feel are lacking in present retail malls in Singapore. The study highlights the existence of a diverse group of elderly consumers with different expectations, i.e. how consumers of different socio-demographic groups value different mall and product attributes. This holds important implications for retailers who want to tap on this silver-haired market. Lastly, on a macro level, the study revealed shortcomings in the local retail industry that retailers and mall management can work on to maximize the potential of this mature market. The relevance of this study is driven first by the increasing number of retail mall developments in recent years in Singapore and second, the increasing spending on retail shopping. This shows that increasing population has created a substantial pool of consumers who drives the continual development of retail malls. Thirdly, as Singapore is undergoing a rapid transition into an aging society, improvements in social infrastructure must be made to match the increasing expectations of elderly and their families.
2010
This study reviews and examines the existing Singapore’s senior housing policies, and suggests improvements to the existing senior housing policies in light of international policies and experiences. Currently, the Singapore Government has devised several senior housing policies such as the Studio Apartment Scheme, Reverse Mortgage Scheme, Lease BuyBack Scheme and Elderly-Friendly Designed Program to tackle the housing needs of our ageing population. To determine the effectiveness of these existing policies, both qualitative and quantitative research were conducted. Specifically, a questionnaire was conducted and 198 elderly’s responses were analysed, to investigate the elderly’s perception on the current senior housing policies and how it could be improved. With regards to the survey findings and international senior housing policies and experiences, three recommendations were suggested to improve Singapore’s existing senior housing policies: 1) introducing Rental Housing Scheme, 2) building more Studio Apartment and 3) offering loans for elderly friendly modification to homes.
The thesis attempts to address the emerging issues caused by the greying society of Singapore. With an increasing number of elderly and changing perspectives about ageing, the current elderly care options are insufficient for the needs neither in quantity nor quality. At the same time, the public domain of urban spaces is not conducive for the elderly and discourage them from engaging with the community. By locating the study within a high-rise, high-density HDB estate, the project is a demonstration of how elderly care can be integrated with the existing urban context of the HDB community. The integrated elderly care is functionally divided according to the different needs of elderly based on a range of ability levels: namely, daycare, assisted living and skilled nursing. The spatial organization is a therapeutic approach to encourage the elderly to use the facilities freely. Consideration is also given to include the existing residents in this intervention. A commonly seen multi-storey car park was chosen as the main site for its key traffic location among the HDB blocks within the neighbourhood. The conversion of the carpark from a purely functional building into a place that the residents actually use, appreciate and gradually changing their thoughts of how an elder can live his life in the heartland urban context.
The growing aging population faced by Singapore has brought about various social and economic implications. The society is beset with the responsibility of ensuring the well being of senior citizens; especially when the spotlight now is on the issue of successful aging, which to some extent is a function of community liveability. This study sets out to ascertain whether the elderly of Singapore are aging successfully and whether there are liveable communities to support successful aging. In view of this, the relevant extant literature was reviewed. This was followed by a case study of 400 senior citizens of Singapore through a questionnaire survey, which was administered through personal interviews. It was found that there are four indicators of successful aging: 1) good health 2) having savings 3) developing new goals after retirement 4) feeling emotionally independent. Similar predictors were observed at the community level. For Henderson Hill and Sungei Serangoon West, emotional independence is also the most significant predictor for successful aging. For Yishun West, financial independence is the significant predictor for successful aging. No direct association between financial ability and emotional independence was observed. However, being in good health, having savings, and spending time with spouses appear to be linked with greater likelihood of emotional independence. Emotional independence and subsequently successful aging is more of a state of mind mechanism, rather than tangible fixed goals. Communities in Singapore are generally liveable and supportive of successful aging, and the middle-aged community is observed as the most liveable community for successful aging. Assessment of the communities shows that old- and middle‐age communities are complete with appropriate housing types and amenities. However, the general walkability and recreational options are still inadequate. On the other hand, a young community provides good walkability and more shopping options. However, essential amenities for elderly such as health services and a variety of housing options are lacking in the young communities. Communities of all three stages of maturity enjoy good accessibility, served with well‐planned transportation routes and safe public transportation.
Amidst a backdrop of a growing greying population, it can be observed that more elderly are utilising the open spaces within the HDB precincts. They have carved out their own niche places such as interaction corner with chess boards and makeshift tables and chairs. The trend begs the question: Is the current open space adequate and conducive for social interaction among the elderly? The study conducted at the Toa Payoh and Yishun elderly Studio Apartments and their immediate precincts revealed that a relatively high proportion of elderly above 65 years old, use the open space, especially the void deck on a daily basis. About 50% reported that the open space provision within their precinct is inadequate and 63% opined that its layout is not conducive for social interaction. Recommendations to improve the open space from the elderly themselves include having socially adaptive layout, ‘presentable’ open space provision and, social events, including gardening, and the provision of TV, chat areas, socket for coffee making and potted plants to improve the open space environment. Pockets of unused spaces in the precincts that command good views and location could be converted to recreational spaces. At the studio apartments surveyed, safety and security enhancement were major concerns.
Digitally-designed skate ground has been recently introduced in the States, thereby providing the children of today with another new ‘playground’. The concept behind this new playground is an indication that the planners are aware of the change in the level of technological skills and technological accessibility of a child today. Hence, they see the necessity to match the settings of the physical environment to the same level of technological understanding of the child in order to achieve equilibrium in social interaction among children. The implication of such concepts is especially relevant as the children today are increasingly alert and aware of the surroundings and are mainly extroverts compared to those of yesterday. Singapore is an ageing population. In the next 20 years, the elderly will constitute 20% of the population. This fourfold increase will inevitably have several implications for this fairly young nation, therefore the city developments and concerns should focus on our elderly. The reality is that there is an absence of such similar implementations for them. To cope with the increasing number of elderly, the government has been actively creating awareness among the public, emphasizing the problems the nation might face with an ageing population. Though efforts have been made to address the financial problems and needs of the aged, there has not been a significant and effective attempt to improve the intangible aspects of an ageing population. Non-monetary aspects such as the quality of social space have been compromised. Similarly, the public has not shown much interest to socialize at such created spaces. This study therefore lies in finding out what are the intangible boundaries of urban social space, and the influences it has on the users, placing emphasis on the new-age elderly who will be the next group of elderly-to-be. In order to create better-suited social spaces for the elderly, this study identifies the intangible boundaries evident in society and secondly, emphasizing new directions that the new-age elderly will perceive. Thirdly, the paper will continue to evaluate these influences and its hierarchy. This study continues to investigate the current phenomenon of the elderly today on three physical sites in Singapore. Lastly, it conclude by evaluating the effectiveness of these intangible boundaries and discuss the general direction in planning for a more inclusive environment in Singapore. This study seeks to better educate the reader on our elderly's relationship with social spaces, thus broadening the spectrum in their perceptions of the new-age elderly.
2009
This study explores the housing needs of the elderly population in Singapore. It adopts a qualitative approach in the process of establishing the housing needs and demands of the elderly community. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 respondents to understand their housing needs and examine if their housing needs have been adequately met. The survey findings show that the current supply of housing options for the elderly falls short of meeting the demands for housing needs by the elderly community. Recommendations for improvements in government housing policies, housing options catering to the elderly and the provision of facilities and amenities in housing estates were suggested.
Public housing is unique in Singapore’s context. The public housing in Singapore was formed and managed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). Due to the constraint of limited land in Singapore, high-rise and high-density flats were eventually erected. By the 1990s, the HDB concentrated on the upgrading of existing older flats. Through the Lift Upgrading Program (LUP) lifts will now stop on every floor. The Studio Apartments (SA) scheme was then introduced in 1998 to suit the needs of senior citizens. Like most developed countries, the population in Singapore is ageing. Between now and 2030, 1 in 5 Singaporeans will be 65 years and above. This paper looks into the impacts of greying population in Singapore that affect public housing options by 2030.
Singapore is facing a growing proportion of elderly as a result of declining birth rates, resulting in a quadruple increase by the year 2030. The growing trend of younger couple moving out after marriage to set up their own families contributed to the elderly staying alone. This thesis is based mainly on the Kreta Ayer estate in Chinatown as it represents one of the areas with the largest population of elderly people in Singapore. In the study of the existing estate there is a lack of communal interaction spaces. Approximately 400 elderly are staying in Block 5 Banda Street, which makes up 80% of the total residents. Majority of the elderly staying in this block are either living alone or living with their spouse. The block is made up of only one-room flats. The living conditions of the block is poor, its double-loaded corridors are not well lit nor ventilated, and not an elderly friendly environment. The thesis aims to propose a new residential and retail block to link with to the existing 1-room flats, and additions and alterations to Block 5 Banda Street to improve the current conditions. One of the project requirements is to intensify the activities by providing more communal spaces as a platform for the resident to interact. The residential units are arranged in a manner such that every six floors forms one cluster and they share a common activities space that is linked to the existing 1-room flats. The thesis aims to enhance family and community bonding of the Kreta Ayer estate in Chinatown and close the generation gap between the young and old. Encouraging younger couples to move back and stay near their parents, priority will be given to those whose parents are living in 1-room flats. Enabling the elderly to age in place and lead a better quality of life where they are encouraged to stay involved with the community. This planning framework hopes to achieve an environment that reinforces the sense of security in the elders and a society that is supportive of their well-being in the late stages of their lives.
The thesis project is a critique on how the planning of spaces within public housing estates in Singapore do not adequately cater to the transforming community by 2030, specifically in terms of community aging as a whole. The current planning and layout of HDB precincts fulfils the functional purpose of housing the majority of the population, but is lacking in elements that contribute towards community life, in preparation for the age shift. The current options of housing for the elderly are inadequate in providing essential factors for ageing in place to occur. For example, the method of destroying and renewing via the en bloc system that the government adopts is destructive to community life as estates lose the chance to mature and memories are lost. The project explores the integration of community spaces with a residential component into matured planning areas, inclusive of provisions to supplement the support network of medical, educational and recreational facilities. The density of public housing is increased to provide for the growth of the population, while established communities can continue to develop. With the preservation of familiarity of surroundings, the community is in a better position to allow residents to age in place
This study recommends that the current housing options be revised to encourage elderly citizens to age in place as well as to equip the elderly with the skills to independent living. The Singapore government has been actively providing many housing options and initiatives that cater to the elderly with different needs. However, despite the many initiatives and housing option in place, the majority of the elderly prefers to age-in-place. Aging-in-place is the concept of not having to move from current residence in order to secure support services in view of one’s changing needs. Hence, this report suggests that home modifications is a more pragmatic approach to housing problems compared to the need to actively build new housing for the elderly. Thus in order to improve the choices for the elderly, the current housing options, initiatives and programmes should be reviewed. This includes the need to examine financing instruments available to help the elderly and to explore some of the facilities that could value add to the lives of the elderly. The survey conducted with both the elderly and middle-aged residents revealed that both parties are generally satisfied with their current living environment and will prefer to age-in-place. Since the various research disclose that most elderly would prefer to age-in-place, this report recommends that current housing be modified to include more elderly friendly features in order to support the growing elderly population in Singapore to age-in-place. Besides that, it also recommends a form of training to enable the elderly to learn to live independently.
Amid the proliferation of suburban malls and the fast aging population in Singapore, this study serves as a timely evaluation of the performance of suburban malls in the area of elderly provisions. While town and regional shopping malls are found to have performed up to expectations, there remains much to be improved for neighbourhood malls. Nonetheless, neighbourhood malls are still found to be very relevant especially to those elderly who value convenience above other mall and product attributes when choosing their destination for shopping. The study also highlights the existence of a diverse group of elderly each with their own retailing expectations and this holds important implications for retailers wanting to ride the boom of the “silver” industry. Lastly, on a macro level, the study revealed shortcomings in the local retail industry in the area of providing special shopping privileges for the elderly, which may also be seen as a window of opportunities for retailers to capitalize on.
Medical institutions are important in supporting an ageing society such as Singapore. While locating near such facilities reduces transportation cost, it also increases the chance of the spreading of illnesses and traffic congestion when one is closely located to such facilities. Hence, it is uncertain if the presence of such facilities boosts or lowers surrounding property values. Furthermore, it is also uncertain if the impact is different across different types of institutions. However, the scope of previous research on this topic is only limited to hospitals and group homes. As for Singapore, there have not been any studies that analyse the impact of various medical institutions on property values. This study is a first attempt to unveil the impact of various medical institutions in Singapore such as hospitals, polyclinics and nursing homes on Housing Development Board (HDB) resale property prices. A hedonic pricing model was implemented to test the hypothesis that medical institutions have an impact on HDB resale housing prices. It was discovered that there is generally a positive effect of distance to the nearest medical institution on housing sale prices except for the effect of polyclinics on 3-room flats. Furthermore, hospitals do not influence prices of 3-room and executive flats. Given an ageing society, these results have implications on planning where the impact of a medical facility on surrounding property values should be considered in the decision-making process. Another application is in possible enhancement to the Lease Buyback Scheme and giving of grants for housing units located near polyclinics.
Singapore’s ageing population, when compared to other nations of South East Asia, stands out as the highest at more than 10% of its population. This proportion is set to be even higher—as high as 35%—by 2050. In view of this projection, an “Active Aging” campaign was promoted in 2007 amongst the elders to adopt an active and socially-participative lifestyle. However, the definition of “Active Aging” lacked a mental-intellectual wellbeing component, of which when neglected, can promote depression and its corresponding accelerated physical debilitation. In short, a lack of emphasis on mental wellness amongst the elderly can accelerate into aging disabilities. Such a campaign is targeted aggressively at the high percentage of the greying communities congregated in HDB estates, particularly the matured neighbourhoods (15 years old or more). However, the aging projection also correspondingly amplifies concerns about current levels of infrastructure designed to cope with the aging demography. While there are ample evidence that national policies do cater to the greying nation, such as the retirement fund Central Provision Fund (CPF), there are still inadequacies in design interventions that could promote “active aging”. The matured HDB flats, and the inadequacies of current HDB upgrading programs are not enough to promote the mental wellness of elders. Therefore, while an architectural interventions may be costly, an alternative complementary method to current HDB upgrading practices, would come in the form of a vertical landscaping redesign that creates and greens communal areas. Plants are chosen and careful grouping can amplify benefits that achieve both direct mental stimulation as well as attain indirect mental activation as greenery promotes physical activities and social participation. This intervention benefits the general demography of residents living in the HDB flats by increasing the value of the built environment but mostly profits the frailest group through cognito-physio-socio stimulation. Here the research questions are: How can we strategically propose a psycho-physical stimulus design that is crafted and disguised as vertical landscaping elements, which can directly stimulate the different components of mental cognition (“sequence” and neuro-motor learning, “visual perception” learning leading to “mood and action” tempering, “associative” learning and “creative problem solving” learning) of the aged individual? Can the new greening strategy also promote physical and social participation that indirectly contribute to mental health? Can we, from this implementation, distil a fundamental essence that could be developed into a mental wellness (cognition complexity) model to be included in and contribute to a new understanding to the definition of “active aging” that includes the psychological wellbeing of the elderly?
In recent history, the contemporary in-patient hospice has slowly emerged as an alternative to a clinical death in a large, sterile medical institution. Emphasis has gradually shifted from the provision of support, universal design and efficiency of care to the quality of living conditions. The reconstruction of a homelike environment is a fundamental aspect of hospice design, out of respect for a general consensus that patients prefer to reconcile death at home or in an otherwise familiar environment. In developed western societies, a proliferation of such commercial hospices is a testament to this successful design strategy. In Singapore however, a distinctively different cultural context poses challenges to its integration. Hospices exist unfortunately as a typology that bears the mark of social stigma. In a recent survey conducted in 2009, eighty per cent of Singaporeans polled were unsure or unreceptive to the idea of checking into a hospice (Appendix 9.4.8). This design approach therefore is unlikely to be universal and the reasons above are by no means exhaustive. As the reach and extent of hospices are likely to expand in the future, we should not be content with following international standards without attempting to contextualize them to suit our locality. The search for an answer begins with an effort to identify the problems at hand. The dissertation wishes to firstly highlight the pitfalls of an over reliance on imported strategies and definitions of home. The fundamentals will be questioned and their application scrutinized against a historical and contextual background via a review of important concepts and statement of cultural norms. Subsequently, further issues may be identified via local case studies and a commentary of prevailing government zoning and policy. A scenario where hospices manifest as ineffective pseudo homes may become reality if inappropriate design approaches are allowed to be perpetuated. A conscious effect to improve upon current practice along with proper education and awareness could endear the hospice more to society, make a connection with its patients and hopefully help combat social exclusion and stigma. The hospice should never be in the eyes of our society, a “last resort”.
Singapore will face an increased proportion of elderly as a result of declining birth rates. This quadruple increase by the year 2030 will have an effect on the way urban spaces are designed for the elderly, and also the understanding of how elderly people react to spaces in which they inhabit and interact. In ‘Prisoners of Space’, Graham Rowles writes about the elderly’s attachment to space as he explores the changing relationship between an older person and his environmental context. His exploration led to his concept of routine and change as expounded by sociological theories of ageing. As Singapore’s urban landscape rapidly modernizes, more considerations are needed on spaces for the elderly, and their importance in the urban planning policies catering to continual change and renewal of Singapore’s urban landscape is not one to be undermined. The government plays a very crucial role in providing them with facilities such as elderly friendly housing. This is subject to the discretion of authorities in their perception and definition of elderly needs, which might not be truly reflective of the real needs of the elderly. The focus of this study was based mainly on the Kreta Ayer estate in Chinatown as it represents one of the areas with the largest population of elderly people in Singapore. The research methodology emphasizes extensive fieldwork made by gathering a range of responses and reactions from the elderly people who work, live and visit Chinatown. Survey and site observations were conducted to gather information from a multi-faceted perspective in seeking to understand and fulfil the real needs of an elderly living within the community. An investigation of the spatial relationships between the elderly and their spaces was conducted to show how the layering of sociological theories of ageing are directly inferred and translated into the way the elderly use space. The dissertation also seeks to explain how the effect of routine and change in the sociological and spatial psyche of the elderly is directly reflected in their way of life, by their daily activities and paths they physically map out a routine of everyday life; crafting an ‘on-going participation in the social life of the place’ and hence contributing to the making and sustenance of place. The dissertation concludes on the way the elderly relate to their physical environments, and how they interact and inhabit spaces, prescribing a set of routines that gave them a sense of belonging and attachment to the space. The implications on policy planning and recommendations for the establishment of designed elderly estates or upgrading were proposed to improve the current living conditions of the elderly living in Kreta Ayer and beyond.
In Singapore, the unique way of financing housing through the mandatory savings system has created a class of “asset-rich cash-poor” Singaporeans. This study provides a framework to examine whether the newly implemented Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) housing policy in Singapore can be harnessed as a source of financing retirement income for elderly homeowners. It also assessed the viability of the LBS based on residents’ perception, receptivity and expectation. The simulation results indicate that the LBS policy is currently not popular with many elderly homeowners. Only a small percentage of the respondents generally welcome the concept and is happy that the LBS scheme was implement by the Government as a form of housing financial tools in converting assets into cash. However, the limitation of eligible target group targeted by the LBS aspects remained a major concern for most respondents. With regards to the survey findings, some recommendations were suggested to improve or address the concerns arising from the LBS scheme. These recommendations suggest that the government should consider more incentives by working with insurers to offer higher payout. Secondly, the government should consider opening up the schemes to elderly living in bigger flats and consider giving out to those ‘low and lower middle’ income households bigger grant. Finally, the government may consider topping an additional 5 to 10 years of rent free occupation upon the expiring of the 30 years lease for those elderly homeowners who outlive their terms.