6 ideas for more inclusive, active neighbourhoods

How can we continue to create thriving, inclusive, and active neighbourhoods and communities for the future? Urban sociologist Ho Kong Chong shares six key ideas on housing design, experiments with community participation, and everyday play options.

1. Explore more diverse housing typologies

Kong Chong: It is great to see that many of our newer neighbourhoods are planned with a car-lite focus and will have more conveniently located amenities within a 15-minute walk. Beyond these aspects, when you are thinking about the future, it is also important to consider exploring even more varied types of housing typologies and options to cater for different demographics, their preferences, and needs. 

The future Marina South neighbourhood is envisioned to have amenities and facilities located within a 10-minute walking distance (

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In a research and design study envisioning the Paya Lebar Airbase (2022) as a future new liveable and sustainable town, we sought to understand different demographic groups (from singles to young couples, families to seniors and new citizens) and their housing preferences. In this study, we had suggested that within high-rise estates, some four to six-storey blocks could be explored as part of the housing mix in catering for different housing preferences. Low to mid-rise housing may appeal to seniors and families with younger children since the units are closer to the street level with its amenities and playgrounds. This could also encourage more people to mix and bond with one another.

With the Paya Lebar Airbase relocating from the 2030s, architects, planners and other experts have shared initial ideas in envisioning this place as a future sustainable and liveable town.   

2. Pay closer attention to design 

Kong Chong: As we explore a greater mix of housing types in our future neighbourhoods including mixing flats with rental units, details such as the configuration of our housing blocks, the use of colours and even the design of doors and grills will affect the way people perceive and experience their neighbourhoods. 

We should pay closer attention to such design elements to create a more conducive environment for residents from a mix of housing types to freely interact with one another and to feel comfortable to move through and between blocks in the neighbourhood.

An example of public spaces created at Skyville@Dawson to encourage interactions amongst residents. Image: Housing & Development Board.

3. Build in more flexibility for diverse uses

Kong Chong: When it comes to the built environment, once you build specific infrastructure, they can be very hard to take down when needs and aspirations change. But you want some flexibility in the mid to long term as the profile of a neighbourhood evolves. We should think of neighbourhoods that can accommodate activities and services which are more portable and mobile. 

Imagine the town council or residents’ committee working with the polyclinic, library or NTUC to offer mobile amenities that visit different precincts one day a week. It makes things even more convenient for residents and neighbourhood spaces can become more multifunctional. 

Some days it can be food and other days it can be books, groceries, healthcare or other things. “Things on wheels” can become a regular weekly fixture and residents can look forward to these events and have a chance to meet.

4. Encourage more experiments to foster community participation 

Kong Chong: Building stronger communities should involve regular participation from residents of different demographics, from young to old. In one of the projects that I was working on in Tampines Central, one of the efforts was led by the Residents’ Network group that saw to the storage and deployment of mobile furniture that could be used at void deck spaces. When there was an activity, the furniture was used and when there was no activity, the furniture was stored at the void deck.

I observed that a cooking class was conducted on a Saturday morning, and it attracted mothers with young children. They don’t usually approach the Residents’ Committee (RC) for things but if you have cooking classes and the kids are interested, then moms are interested too. Another RC decided on a morning café where residents can come together for a quick drink and snacks before school or work. Some come after their morning exercise.

 Residents turned the void deck space in a HDB block in Tampines into a lively play area with murals, supported by the Lively Places Fund. Image: Housing & Development Board. 

These are all innovative and simple ideas that are not too costly to do and is something we should continue to explore and experiment to increase participation.

5. Open more schools for the community

Kong Chong: Some of our schools are already open to the community but I hope to see more of this happening. When I was in Taiwan for a few months, I used the school track regularly. I saw the elderly and adults exercising on the track and children playing in the sandpit or riding their tricycles. 

When you think about recreation, it is not just about the big ideas or attractions. But it is also about the everyday recreation. For families living near schools, it will be great to have an additional option to bring their kids to play in the open spaces of the school grounds.

At the same time, when a school has its open day or fun fair, you could invite neighbours and businesses in the neighbourhood to have booths too. In this way, the school becomes an integral part of the community, and the community can also get involved in the school.

6. Have more playgrounds

Kong Chong: The large number of playgrounds, especially in HDB estates, across Singapore is incredible and I hope to see more of these planned in the future. Playgrounds will become increasingly important especially in an ageing society. They are not just for children alone. They are also important to others and seniors like me.

Canberra playground, the first community-built kelong-themed playground reflecting Sembawang’s history of fishing jetties as part of HDB’s pilot “Build-A-Playground” initiative. Image: Housing & Development Board.

I became a grandfather four years ago. The first time I brought my grandson to the playground about two years ago, as COVID19 restrictions lifted, I made many new friends because people are very friendly towards young kids. In an ageing society, playgrounds become places that we find delight in, not just as users but as observers of play among children and families. As our neighbourhoods become even more diverse, our playgrounds as happy places, enable us to see families of diverse backgrounds, and such observations can go some way in reducing fears and encouraging trust. 

About Ho Kong Chong
Ho Kong Chong is Head of Urban Studies, Yale-NUS College and Associate Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore (NUS). Trained as an urban sociologist at the University of Chicago, his research interests are in neighbourhood and community development, heritage and place-making, the political economy of cities. Much of his published work is on East Asian (Hong Kong, Seoul and Taipei) and Southeast Asian (Bangkok and Singapore) cities. Recent publications include “Neighbourhoods for the City in Pacific Asia” (University of Amsterdam Press, 2019) “Sojourning Korean Expatriate Families and the Ethnic Enclave in Hanoi”, Korea Journal (2022, with Yun and Kim) and “Informal Neighbourhood Partnerships: With a Little Help from my Friends”, Urban Solutions, Issue 22 “Building Partnerships”. (2023, with Wong Shiau Ching).