Organisation of neighbours in Singapore
1. Spatial scales in Singapore
a) more than 20 towns spread across the country, catering to different lifestyles
b) each town has a town centre, serving as commercial and social hubs for residents living in its neighbourhoods
What is a spatial scale?
Examining phenomena and/or processes at different scales can provide us with different perspectives based on the spatial patterns and trends observed.
Take a look at the maps below which shows how geographers can observe spatial patterns and trends of the spread of Dengue using scales.
Why do you think maps of varying scales are used to show the spread of dengue fever?
Spatial Hierarchy in Urban areas
In each town, there is a town centre with a concentration of activities. Each town centre may serve as the commercial and social hub for residents in its neighbourhoods. For example, some town centres may have integrated transport hubs where bus interchanges and train stations are near shopping malls such as those found in Punggol.
Studying the scale of the neighbourhood also enables us to explore the differences between them. For example, it is only when we compare different neighbourhoods that we can analyse why some parts of Singapore flood more often than others. The same can be said for towns that may also experience differences in the amount of rainfall they receive annually. Towns in the northern and western parts of Singapore receive rainfall in excess of 2,000mm annually, whereas the annual rainfall of towns in the east is usually less than 2,000mm.
Why do you think the west side of Singapore is wetter? Is the following video true of Singapore?
2. Spatial hierarchies in Singapore
a) nested areas of different sizes beginning with a single residential unit
b) clusters of residential units form a precinct, which in turn form neighbourhoods that combine into a town
Hierarchy of Hougang Town
Hougang integrated transport hub and other features of Hougang Town.
A park in Hougang Central neighborhood.
A community garden in the precinct.
3. Town planning in Singapore
a) serve residents and provide for nature at distinct levels of the precinct, neighbourhood and town
b) create connections and synergies across precincts, neighbourhoods and towns
Look at how the Punggol area is developed.
The main neighbourhoods - Punggol Town Hub, Punggol Point District, Oasis Terraces and Punggol Digital District.
https://propertyreviewsg.com/ura-master-plan-for-north-east-region/
Access the map below on Punggol Neighbourhood. Check out the amenities and facilities in the neighbourhood. Click on the respective amenity/facility in the legend to view it on the map.
There are more than 20 towns across Singapore. Watch the videos of selected towns below.
Which town would you want to move to after watching the videos of Punggol, Sengkang and Bedok?