More Singaporeans are satisfied with the living, working and leisure environment, according to an Urban Redevelopment Authority Survey.
Data collected from the Lifestyle Survey 2009 as well as the Concept Plan 2011 online survey, found that the number of people who think Singapore is a great place to live, work and play has gone up by about 10 per cent to 84 per cent.
Compared with a Public Perception Survey conducted in 2006, more respondents also feel that Singapore is a vibrant and exciting city.
The surveys, conducted by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), found that satisfaction levels have gone up in areas like quality of life, public housing and sense of belonging.
In terms of the living environment, the surveys found that the majority prefer to live in 4-room HDB flats.
Older folks also indicated that they prefer to stay in regular housing as compared to HDB studio apartments and retirement villages.
Respondents also said they’re willing to pay more for a place that incorporates green technologies.
Foreigners, who comprise about 10 per cent of the Lifestyle Survey respondents, indicated that the safe and clean environment here is the most appealing factor to them.
Meanwhile, there are some areas which the respondents say can be improved.
One area is the working environment.
While participants are mostly happy with their working environment, 66% of them prefer to work near their homes.
Many also indicated that they’d like to take a shorter time to get to work via public transport.
Also, it was felt that Singapore could do with a more vibrant nightlife.
More than 70 per cent of the respondents also felt that Singapore’s landscape is changing too quickly.
They feel that the government has to keep enough familiar buildings and places at all costs, so as to strengthen people’s sense of belonging.
Describing the survey results as ‘encouraging’, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said what heartened him more is that Singaporeans identify more with the country.
He noted that close to 90 per cent of the respondents say that Singapore is their home and where they belong – 20 per cent more from the last survey.
And more than 70 per cent want to retire in Singapore.
Similarly, over 70 per cent of them hope that their future generations will be based in Singapore.
Speaking at the URA Corporate Plan Seminar, Mr Mah said the survey showed that the remaking of Singapore efforts are showing a positive trend.
He told the seminar that with more Singaporeans travelling round the world and working across borders, Singapore must still mean something special, as home, to its people.
“A house is not a home. Simply having a good living environment and first world infrastructure will not create an endearing home. The character of a city, what makes it stand out among many new cities, goes beyond new buildings or iconic structures.
“Take Times Square, New York and West End, London for example. Their claim to fame is not based on the latest or best infrastructure, but they are distinctive in character and have established a personality of their own in peoples’ minds.
“While we congratulate ourselves for our achievements, there’s still work to be done,” said Mr Mah.
He added that with the new hardware in place, Singaporeans need to look beyond the physical, to search for the ‘soul’ of our city, and work towards enhancing it.
The Lifestyle Survey 2009 was done over a seven-month period from August 2009 to March 2010 while the Concept Plan 2011 online survey was conducted from January to March this year.
The two surveys are meant to identify lifestyle needs and aspirations of the public.
Information gathered from the surveys will be incorporated into the ongoing Concept Plan 2011 review, which maps out the long-term directions for Singapore’s land use.
Source : Channel NewsAsia – 30 Apr 2010
Singapore Property
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