Remaking Our Heartland Exhibition Survey Findings

Source : Housing Development Board (HDB) Press Release, 12 Oct 2007

HDB invited Singaporeans to share their thoughts and feedback on the plans to remake HDB estates at its "Remaking Our Heartland” Exhibitions from 1 Sep - 3 Oct 2007. These plans to transform the heartland into more vibrant homes were announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the 2007 National Day Rally.

2 The exhibitions showcased Punggol, Yishun and Dawson as examples of how new, middle-aged and old estates could be transformed under three segments: Realising the Vision for New Estates, Rejuvenating Communities in Middle-Aged Estates, and Regenerating Old Estates. The main exhibition was held at Toa Payoh, before roving to Punggol, Tampines, Woodlands, VivoCity, Yishun and Jurong East. An online version is also available on the HDB website.


Response to Remaking Our Heartland Exhibition

3 The last roving exhibitions in Yishun and Jurong East concluded on 3 Oct 2007. In total, the exhibitions at various locations attracted about 110,000 visitors and HDB received over 11,000 completed survey forms. About 90% of the survey respondents were HDB residents from all over Singapore.

4 Feedback on the remaking plans were very positive, with more than 80% of the respondents expressing their excitement about the plans showcased in the Exhibition. Strong support was received for the proposals to transform Punggol into a waterfront town, the rejuvenation programmes for middle-aged estates and the regeneration plans for old estates.


Realising the Vision for New Estates

5 To meet the aspirations and changing needs of residents, HDB has been refining plans and designs for new public housing estates. For Punggol 21+, the strategy is to build up the critical mass of public housing and to spur the development of other commercial and recreational facilities, by offering not just a home but an appealing lifestyle.

6 97% of respondents agreed that the proposals for Punggol would contribute to realizing its vision of “A Waterfront Town of the 21st Century”. The facility that respondents looked forward to the most was the commercial cum residential development at the Punggol Town Centre (73%), followed by the Community Focal Point (50%) and the idea of alfresco dining next to the waterway (50%).

7 94% of respondents supported the proposal of having a waterway through the town, and the features that appealed to most respondents were the waterfront housing (65%) and the extended promenade along the waterway (55%). About half of the respondents said that they liked the idea of housing with terrace gardens (53%) and having flats with balcony overlooking the waterway / open spaces (46%). Many respondents (71%) also looked forward to having the coastal promenade with jogging and cycling tracks.

8 The majority of respondents, 81% said that they were prepared to pay higher monthly service and conservancy charges to enjoy the new housing design and features, with 46% of them willing to pay $10 or more per month.


Rejuvenating Communities in Middle-Aged Estates

9 Many HDB flats are located in middle-aged estates developed in the 1980s, such as Yishun and Tampines. For Yishun, besides the two new programmes, the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) and the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP), additional plans have been drawn up to rejuvenate the estate. These include revitalization of the Town Centre with new commercial and recreational facilities. Proposals have also been drawn up to allow residents to enjoy the nature and the great outdoors, by facilitating easier access to the Lower Seletar Reservoir and adding new facilities such as new jogging and cycling paths.

10 The vast majority of respondents, 98% supported the HIP. 70% indicated that they would like to have their refuse chute hopper replaced, 62% - 65% indicated their preference to have their toilets, entrance door and grille gate replaced and about 77% preferred to have the integrated wash basin-toilet pedestal system installed in their toilets.

11 Feedback on NRP was also positive, with 62% of respondents happy that the programme provides residents with greater choice of upgrading items and over 75% saying that they would participate in the Town Hall Meetings / Dialogue Session and Block Parties.

12 For the proposals to revitalise of Yishun Town Centre, 61% of respondents said they looked forward to having a modern shopping complex integrated with housing and bus interchange at the Town Centre. Over 74% of respondents supported the proposed outdoor facilities and the green link/park connectors, and about 40% felt that naming places after Yishun’s historic villages / pioneers or having heritage trails with maps and signages would help to build up the town’s identity/heritage.


Regenerating Old Estates

13 For old estates developed in the 1960s and 70s, such as Queenstown, as and when there are large pieces of land available, a new generation of public housing could be introduced to transform the estate. Dawson Estate in Queenstown will be an example of how an old estate can be regenerated. Some of the new ideas and concepts include housing-in-the park, sky gardens, community green and multi-generation living. Three award winning architectural firms, Surbana, WOHA and SCDA were invited to share their concepts and designs for three vacant sites at Dawson.

14 Under the concept of a New Generation of Public Housing, 63% and 56% of respondents indicated their preference for Sky Gardens and Housing In A Park, respectively. Under the concept of Building Communities, 60% and 53% of respondents said they preferred Community Green and Multi-generation Living respectively. 90% of respondents expressed willingness to help to maintain the Community Green.

15 Under the concept of Integrated Facilities and Seamless Connectivity, 55% and 50% of respondent supported having Sports Facilities within a Park Setting and Sheltered & Barrier-free Pedestrian Network respectively. In addition, about 86% of the respondents indicated that they were prepared to pay higher monthly service and conservancy charges to enjoy the proposed facilities and features, with 44% of them willing to pay $10 or more per month.


Going Forward

16 The large turnout at the Remaking Our Heartland Exhibitions and the forthcoming feedback received showed the strong interest and support among Singaporeans on the various plans to transform our HDB Heartland.

17 Together with the relevant agencies, HDB will study the feedback and suggestions received, and incorporate them into the plans for implementation where appropriate. Further implementation details will be announced when ready.