ANNUAL CONGRESS 2025

The Evolution of Sense of Place in Singapore's Public Housing in the Context of Conservation: A Case Study of Toa Payoh Central

Not scheduled

20m

Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul

Poster Track 06 | URBAN CULTURES AND LIVED HERITAGE

Speaker

Ms Meng Zhang (Delft University of Technology)

Description

In recent years, the concept of "sense of place" has expanded and deepened in the context of conservation and urban renewal. This concept transcends the physical connection between people and places, emphasizing subjective attitudes that encompass three core dimensions: place identity, place attachment, and place dependence. In Singapore, several early public housing estates have been designated as conservation areas, with various initiatives introduced to strengthen the sense of place. While much discussion has focused on how community renewal and placemaking efforts enhance the sense of place, little attention has been paid to how the sense of place evolves before and after these measures are implemented.

This study examines the evolution of residents' sense of place in Toa Payoh Central, a prominent public housing estate in Singapore using the theoretical framework of sense of place within a conservation context. By analyzing publicly available social media data from 2008 to 2023, this research identifies and quantifies residents' expressions of place identity, place attachment, and place dependence, exploring trends across these dimensions. Specifically, using text-mining techniques, social media texts were scraped and segmented, with key terms categorized into the three dimensions to measure changes in the sense of place over time.

The findings reveal that between 2008 and 2023, residents’ place identity experienced significant changes, whereas place attachment and place dependence remained relatively stable with minimal fluctuations. During this period, Toa Payoh underwent multiple rounds of community renovation and placemaking activities, including upgrades to public amenities and the implementation of heritage conservation projects. Based on the trends in the sense of place before and after implementing these activities, this paper concludes by discussing how these interventions influenced the various dimensions of the sense of place to varying degrees, and the mechanisms through which placemaking shapes the evolution of the sense of place. The study highlights the potential and limitations of conservation and renewal initiatives in fostering a sense of place, offering practical insights for future community planning and heritage conservation efforts.