Investigation of the impact ‘luxury consumerism’ has on the urban streetscape design of a central shopping hub in Orchard Road, Singapore. Sonali MASeptemberStudentVenkateswaranNumber-1801250872019UrbanDesignandPlanning The University of Sheffield To make a great street, better ‘Submitted in partial fulfilment of the Degree of MA in Urban Design and Planning’
Investigation of the impact ‘luxury consumerism’ has on the urban street scape design of a central shopping hub in Orchard Road, Singapore.
URBAN STREET SCAPE DESIGN
I am thankful for all the support and assistance that I received through the process of writing this dissertation. I would like to thank my supervisorDr. Rowland Atkinson who guided me through the process of exploration and provided me with feedback whenever I was in need of help, my par ents and my brother who constantly motivated me while writing it and my friends who were there to listen to me constantly talk about my dissertation.
Abstract
This dissertation is focused on the impact that luxury consum erism has on the urban streetscape of Orchard. It analyses the issues such as problems of inclusivity, socio-economic segre gation and existing physical design constraints that affect the way pedestrians move through the streetscape and thus alter ing their experience of Orchard Road. A constructivist, inter pretative and inductive qualitative method of data collection was conducted. The data was first open coded and then axi ally coded to separate them into themes. The data collected was then split into the three themes and thematically analysed in order to understand the extent to which these issues affect ed the urban streetscape.Upon analysing the three themes, it was understood that the elderly are not included in the cur rent streetscape. There is also an underlying strong purchas ing power divide that is translated into the physical design of the streetscape. Design solutions to these identified prob lems were then created to cater to the pedestrians needs.
Acknowledgements
ContentsIntroduction•Overview•ResearchBackground•ResearchContext•AimandObjectivesLiteratureReviewUrbanDesignAnalysis•ArchitecturalEvolution•Connectivity•Porosity•Permeability•Grid,GrainandBlock•Nodes,PathsandEdges•PhotographicAnalysis•3DBlockAnalysis Research Methodology • Theoretical Framework • Research Paradigm • Research Design Strategy Research Question One • Observational Findings • Cognitive Mapping • Deduction from Questionnaire and Interviews Research Question Two • Observational Findings • Deduction from Questionnaire and Interviews • Policy Analysis191716161616141211764311 363534332928272623232121
Research Question Three • Observational Findings • Deduction from Questionnaires and Interviews SWOT AppendixBibliographyConclusion••DesignAnalysisProposalDesignDiscussionMasterplan 60555352434241383737
List of Figures
Figure 1- Graphic about engaging in conusmerism Figure 2- Graphic about types of consumerism Figure 3- Crowd on Orchard Road Figure 4- Locating the site within context Figure 5- Collage of Orchard Road Figure 6- People on Orchard Road Figure 7- Luxury stores on Orchard Road Figure 8- Old people exercising in Singapore Figure 9- Site of Study- Orchard Road Figure 10- Site of Study- Orchard Road within a wider context Figure 11- Orchard Central Figure 12- Ion Orchard Figure 13- Orchard Point Figure 14- Connectivity on Orchard Road Figure 15- Cars on Orchard Road Figure 16- Buses on Orchard Road Figure 17- Motorbikes on Orchard Road Figure 18- Porosity of Orchard Road Figure 19- Permeability of Orchard Road Figure 20- Paths, edges and nodes on Orchard Road Figure 21- Block Arrangement on Orchard Road Figure 22- Grid Arrangement on Orchard Road Figure 23- Grain Density of Orchard Road Figure 24- Clash of old and new architecture Figure 25- Socio-Economic Segregation Figure 26- Socio-Economic Segregation- Through urban intervention Figure 27- Socio-Economic Segregation- Through urban intervention Figure 28- Block Arrangement from 313 to Ion Orchard
Figure 29- Block Arrangement from Tangs to Orchard Point Figure 30- Block Arrangement from Ion Orchard to 313 Somerset Figure 31- Block Arrangement from Orchard Point to Tangs Figure 32- Theoretical Framework of the research project Figure 33- Process of conducting research Figure 34- Problem area on site Figure 35- Existing urban interventions on the site Figure 36- Existing street vendors and buskers on the site Figure 37- Segregation using urban design Figure 38- Segregation using urban design Figure 39- Cognitive Mapping- Interview 1 Figure 40- Cognitive Mapping- Interview 2 Figure 41- Cognitive Mapping- Interview 4 Figure 42- Cognitive Mapping- Interview 5 Figure 43- Cognitive Mapping- Interview 3 Figure 44- Weekdays- Day Time activity within Buildings Figure 45--Weekdays- Night Time activity within Buildings Figure 46- Weekends- Day Time activity within Buildings Figure 47- Weekends- Night Time activity within Buildings Figure 48- Servcie Segregation on Orchard road Figure 49- Regularity of visits to Orchard Road Figure 50- Activities engaged in while at Orchard Figure 51- Vantage points on Orchard Road Figure 52- Declining Old- age support ratio Figure 53- Declining Old- age support ratio- graph form Figure 54- Population Pyramid- 2008 and 2018 Figure 55- Urban interventions that segregate unconsiously Figure 56- Lack of crowd management on Orchard Road
Figure 72- Street pattern 1 Figure 73- Street pattern 2 Figure 74- Street pattern 3 Figure 75- Green Walls Figure 76- Overhead Bridge 1 Figure 77- Overhead Bridge 2 Figure 78- Overhead Bridge 3 Figure 79- Overhead Bridge 4 Figure 80- Artist’s impression of Overhead Bridge acting as a vantage point
Figure 71- Authors Impression of Sheltered Corridor and Outdoor seating
Figure 57- Shibuya Crossing Trial in Singapore Figure 58- Street Popup stores on Orchard Figure 59- Ice cream sandwich vendor on site Figure 60- One Balmoral Luxury Apartments in Orchard
Figure 84- Wayfinding 3 Figure 85- Inclusive Playground 1 Figure 86- Inclusive Playground 2 Figure 87- Inclusive Playground 3 Figure 88- Artist’s Impression of Inclusive activities on FigureOrchard89- Creative seating area 1 Figure 90- Creative seating area 2 Figure 91- Creative seating area 3 Figure 92- Creative seating area 4 Figure 93- Author’s Impression of creative seatind and inclusive playgrounds Figure 94- Outdoor Exercise units 1 Figure 95- Outdoor Exercise units 2 Figure 96- Outdoor work station 1 Figure 97- Outdoor work station 2 Figure 98- Author’s Impression of outdoor work stations Figure 99- Author’’s impression of street popup stores under a sheltered corridor Figure 100- Placement of all the new interventions on a Masterplan
Figure 81- Author’s impression of overhead bridges and rest spaces guided by wayfinding tools Figure 82- Wayfinding 1 Figure 83- Wayfinding 2
Figure 61- Residential Prices in Orchard Figure 62- Residential Prices in Central Figure 63- Residential Prices outside central Figure 64- Commercial rental Prices from 2013 to 2018 Figure 65- Retail rental Prices from 2013 to 2018 Figure 66- Sheltered Corridor 1 Figure 67- Sheltered Corridor 2 Figure 68- Sheltered Corridor 3 Figure 69- Sheltered Corridor 4 Figure 70- Sheltered Corridor 5
Introduction
Overview The act of consumerism has rapidly made its way through every household due to the constant needs arriving in every individual’s life. With the rising impact that media and pop culture have on our lives, we observe people around us and find the need to acquire objects and services that the society around us is consuming. This hunger for consumption has led to the creation of streets that sole ly serve this purpose. Consumption has become such a crucial part of our lives that, accessibility to these spaces from households have become an integral need for middle and high income groups.
Figure 1- Graphic about engaging in conusmerism
Figure 2- Graphic about types of consumerism
‘Retail centres have become ‘Spaces of consumption’ due to its avid role in our daily lives now’ and are now also ‘using full range of sensations to attract and sustain people in these spaces’(Mul lins et al, 1999). Evolving design strategies are being continually used to keep these areas in trend as these high streets have be come ‘more than just places to acquire goods at’ (Mullins et al, 1999). Instead they have started to be recognised as places ‘to fulfil higher values such as self-actualisation’ (Mullins et al, 1999). This act of consumption can be further split into sub catego ries that range from ‘functional consumerism’ that target day to day essential shopping, ‘Impulsive consumerism’ that covers the purchase of goods that aren’t essential but improve one’s quality of life and finally ‘luxury consumerism’ that include the purchase of high quality branded goods that is usually targeted towards a part of the population with higher purchasing power. This dissertation shall focus on how urban design helps luxury consumerism thrive in an area like Orchard Road in Singapore and how this attracts people to this area and influences the way they behave here.
Urban design is very important for the sustenance of consumerist neigh bourhoods as the relationship between people and these materialis tic places only start once a built form is created to bridge the two enti ties. The urban configuration (Sevtsuk, 2012) and the manipulation of the city’s urban geometries affects social life in several ways. Retail stores targets its audience and sets shop in areas with highest accessibility. ‘The reciprocal relationship between people and their environments are part of a system of agreements and interactions that constitute the culture of a society’ (Sevtsuk, 2012). The high engagement of consumerism with the social and physical realm in cities therefore ‘shape people’s attitudes, behaviour and also dictates the evolution of the city’ (Sevtsuk, 2012).
How is consumerism affecting people and the physical environment?
However, it is important to note that people and the physical formation of high streets alone do not promote consumerism. With the help of ‘institutional support, policies, financial regulation and economic support’ consumerism is drilled further into the make of a functional society and confirms its unwaverable position in today’s world. As consumerism has made its way to the top of the food chain, it has moulded the public to become an adaptable entity that adjusts to the varying trends and phases of consumerism. The reason the public unequivocally supports consumerism is because of the freedom that it provides its people. Although this freedom poses as a farce to only confuse the public and increase its sales, it does liberate its audience by making them believe that they have a choice in the purchase depending upon their purchasing power. It also gives them something to strive for and do better, thus earning more. This adaptability can also be coded into physical design by the ‘temporal management of activities and by designing urban streetscapes using a well-dimensioned street grid pattern’ (Sevtsuk, 2012) that encour ages a criss-cross pattern of movement and makes accessibility more active.
02 Figure 3- Crowd on Orchard Road
Research Background
With a preceding colonial history, the local population lived under poverty, over crowding, diseases and malnutrition (Hee, 2003), while the Europeans lived in palatial bungalows and ‘lorded over the natives in their miserable hovels’ (Hee, 2003). While the upper class resided in the city by accessing main roads and market bazaars, the poor moved through the city in a different way- back alleyways and behind shop fronts. People’s movements were controlled and always under surveillance. As a result, upon independence, Singapore turned to development using a ‘very centralised state control of planning’. With demo cratic decisions made by Singapore, they tackled ‘urban problems like hous ing shortage, land use planning, sanitary and municipal surveillance and ur ban management’ (Hee, 2003). The country understood the importance of public space but wanted to create a new public realm that was free from the influence that was left behind by the colonial period. However, with time the new generation started coming under the global influence of different luxury brands and these retail stores came to shape Singapore’s new age identity. With the growing need for space due to the increasing population of Singapore, planners needed to carefully plan out which spaces to leave empty and which to build upon. Singapore’s urban grain model suggests that denser buildings are built in the central part of Singapore with more retail and commercial spaces while the peripheries consist of smaller grain but tall res idential buildings that houses the population. As a result of this built struc tural growth pattern, residential dwellings closer to or within the central area are now more expensive than the surrounding properties in other districts.
Historical, Locational and Social Context of Singapore
Figure 4- Locating the site within context
Figure 5- Collage of Orchard Road
Emergence of Luxury Consumerism in Singapore
Research Context
While most of Singapore’s consumerist society leans towards fulfilling the needs of the middle and lower middle class population, Orchard Road directs its attention to the higher income groups and the luxury brand enthusiasts. With the country’s already small population, this target group consti tutes an even smaller group. Therefore, having to rebrand the area to target tourists and the youthful population of Singa pore. However, this can also be viewed as ‘subtle coercion’ as the importance of these stores in this area to be consid ered a tourist spot is equivalent to ‘embedding power re lations in a space that in turn influences the terms in which social relationships are formed’ on a daily basis in this area
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Orchard Road focuses on maintaining the spatial order of its streetscape as if this is ‘fragmented, and there is no sense of cen trality, its cultural and social significance would reduce drastically’ (Jones et al, 2016). By ensuring that this ‘centrality’ is not lost, a ‘space syntax’ should be applied by focusing on the road networks around the site, its proximity to other services, the structure of the site’s streetscape and it’s natural flow at varying street levels (Hill er, 2009). The maintenance of this structure allows for ‘higher vol umes of vehicular and pedestrian movements that are desired for most businesses’ (Jones et al, 2016). However the one thing that remains unsuccessful is the site’s integration values. A central site as this, does attract a lot of people from varying socio-economic backgrounds. However, it still hasn’t managed to achieve a cohe sive environment where everyone feels comfortable and welcome.
06 Figure 6- People on Orchard Road
‘Active Sociability’
‘Street as a Social Space’ ‘Passive Sociability’
By inducing spaces of rest and areas of active engagement, the streets must be designed to specifically fit the needs of the population that accesses these areas on a regular basis. By creating sensory pleasure for the audience through the design of pedestrian friendly streets (Mehta, 2007; 2013) a social experience can be created for the passes by’s and the space can be made a memorable and an accessible one.
Research Aim and Objectives
This dissertation will focus on luxury consumerism and its impact on the urban streetscape of Orchard Road. This road has been nicknamed- The Great Street, because of its diverse nature and its exquisite design. An analysis on its positive and negative effects will be conducted followed by a design proposal tackling the issues and enhancing the strengths identified in the research questions.
The aim of this design dissertation is to make Orchard a more in clusive environment that accommodates and adheres to the us ers needs independent of the influence of luxury consumerism. This long term goal can be achieved by accomplishing some short goals. By observing what the implications of the current problem are and understanding the reason behind why the urban streets cape of the site is designed in a particular way, this can be achieved. Upon doing this, it is important to then understand the user’s per spectives and opinions regarding the benefits and problems that the site provides them with. This data shall be collected using pri mary qualitative data collection methods. Upon understanding the people’s needs, the primary data should be clearly reflect the changes that urban streetscape would be positively impacted by.
Orchard Road is planned in such a way that the pedestrian pathways on both sides of the one way mainroad are wider than the road itself. This allows for a smooth pedestrian flow through either side of Orchard Road. However, this urban streetscape should not be ‘simply treated as a channel for move ment’ (Gehl, 1987; 2008) as that would make the area very one dimensional; but by adding uban interventions at regular intervalsstalls outside storefronts, street buskers and other such means, the pedestrians can be encouraged to stop, gather around and linger around in the area, rather than to simply use it as a connective passage.
Literature Review
Developing dedicated areas for shopping Through consumerism, ‘shopping malls bring together human ity, behaviours, commodities and symbols of expression for to day’s society’ (Khizal et al, 2014). Due to the power media has over us, we constantly stay on top of trends and find the need to obtain them if they lie within our purchasing power . Malls are constantly changing with the consumer’s evolving lifestyle and their increasing need to stay on top of trends (Khizal et al, 2014).
Although Urban Design techniques can be used to create street scapes that accomodate the targeted audience well and aid with the flow and management of the generated crowd, its limitations do need to be recognised. Without the influence of market forces, advertisement and social promotions, an area can never be made active. While a well designed space can contain a crowd and keep them coming back due to its functional and aesthetic design, it cannot make up for the type of services that are provided there. Carmona (2014) describes a successful high street as one that cre ates social value by achieving economic value. He also theorizes ‘place quality’ and ‘place value’ by conceptualizing it as a virtuous loop in which the quality of the services dictates value of an indi vidual’s time, thereby allowing the value to in turn define the qual ity of the area (Carmona, 2018). High streets have also become more luxury and ‘leisure-tourist-shopper’ orientated instead of just appealing to the utilitarian shopper (Sorkin, 1992). The conve nient geographical location of Singapore has not only made it an ideal stopover location for tourists, but also a well located import destination thereby housing various high fashion flagship stores in this now redefined shopping destination of South-East Asia.
‘Create obsessions, emotions, aspirations and belief systems of urban society.’ (Khizal et al, 2014)
Importance of Public Spaces When trying to explain public space, Hee (2003) defined it as an area that needs to be of physical value, social value, political value and cultural value to the people using it. The inclusion of these factors is in turn what brings this feeling of ‘inclusivity’ thereby mak ing it active. However, Lehrer (1998) addressed public space as a ‘delineating’ factor that divides physical space based upon types of ownership within the area. Thereby implying that the social use and the symbolic value of the space is what provided the area with activity, ‘collective practise and memory’ (Hee, 2003), while physi cal urban design merely aided this process of inclusivity and wasn’t a major part of it. However, Jane Jacobs (1961) disagreed with this thought process and stated that physical design played an important part in allowing people to associate socially and cul turally with places and was in fact the building blocks of creating symbolic value for a streetscape. Madanipour (1999) agreed with this thought process and also added that ‘access, agency (own ership) and interest (benefit)’ were also important elements that helped people connect with public space and could also be used to test how ‘public’ a streetscape truly was. This literature shall be used to build comprehensive questionnaires and interviews that shall help the interviewee’s evaluate the Orchard streetscape and test its inclusivity by evaluating the current urban design practises.
08 Figure 7- Luxury stores on Orchard Road
Purchasing power brings with it a higher self esteem, a sense of belong ing, an ego boost and an opportunity to openly belong to a group of high statute (Khizal et al,2014). Luxury has always been viewed an ‘appendage of the ruling class’ (Wiedmann et al, pg.2,2007) and has always acted as a bridge between material culture and the personal/interpersonal relation ship that the consumer has had with a brand/s (Hanzaee et al, pg.2, 2012).
‘Consumerism has the ability to create new perceptions and re-interpreta tions of urban culture.’ (Khizal et al, 2014)
Urban materialism has also affected the physical urban streetscape. Many services that were once independent of consumerism - like airports, librar ies, museums and stations, now have shops as an essential money making element. Kärrholm (pg 421, 2009) now believes that commercial activities can now be associated to the ‘renaissance of public life and have also aid ed towards the privatisation and social homogenization of the urban street scape’. Lefebvre’s (2004) rhythmanalysis can also be used as a helpful tool to see how retail stores have an effect on pedestrian activity and street de sign. The urban streetscape has ‘heterogenous temporalities and rhythms set by clock time, working hours, seasons, timetables and bodily functions thereby leaving areas deserted at certain times and active during others’ (Kär rholm, 2009). Here retailers have tapped into a strategy of ‘assembling, fram ing and coordinating’ (Kaärrholm, 2009) the flow of people to maximise sale and focus on urban design strategies that aid this process of consumerism.
“The only reliable marker of luxury left is scarcity. The new generation of the luxury con sumer that grew up on limit ed-edition streetwear drops knows that territory too well. It did not take savvy brands like Vetements long to figure this out- if they could make their trendy product scarce, their margins would skyrocket. That’s how they’ve gotten away with selling $1,500 cotton hoddies. “ - Eugene Rabkin
Interpretation of ‘Urban Materialism' Psychology of mass consumerism
Singapore has been facing a decline in fertility and mortality while also neglecting the consequences of an ageing population. Peggy Teo addressed gerontological issues from a geographical perspective and de duced that although Singapore has a comprehensive set of social policies aided towards different age groups, there are still certain areas in central Singapore that remain unwelcoming to the elderly and the young. There is still a deficiency in the application of the young and elderly’s preferences, attitudes and their desires’ application in an urban streetscape. It has be come increasingly important to tailor in their preferences as the percentage of old people have increased from 4% in 1957 to 20.8% in 2018 (singstat). This percentage is only said to increase to 26% by 2030. By ‘favouring the younger cohort through larger contributions, the older group is margin alized because of their lessened purchasing ability’ (Teo,1997 ). Teo also emphasises on the importance of ‘structured dependency’ and the need to translate it into urban spaces. By creating spaces that are constructed in ways that make the older population feel safe in a central active hubs, the rate of inclusion can be increased. By creating familiar atmosphere more like mind ed people will be attracted and the urban participation level amongst the young and elderly will also increase. By looking at multiple social and plan ning policies that the government has implemented to favour the elderly, Teo analyses how accommodating these policies have been and deduces that these policies have not worked in an inclusive manner as they have all been directed towards making the elderly feel accommodated rather than includ ed. It is noticeable that the current policies have worked towards making the elderly feel comfortable in spaces close to their home by creating lobby decks with seating to socialise, outdoor exercise units to keep them active and building hawker centres within the housing building districts (HBD) rath er than including them in more active central retail and commercial districts 8- Old people exercising in Singapore
Inclusive of different age groups in high streets
10 Figure
The “geography of ageing ought to maximise contributions to under standing the personal and social implications of the ageing process” (Teo,1997 ).
Figure 10- Site of Study- Orchard Road within a wider context (Author, 2019)
Urban Design AnalysisCity ProfileArea of Island- 719.2 sq km of Areawhich-ofland- 709.2 sq km Area of Water- 10 sq km Total Population- 5,888,926 (July, 2017) Dependency Ratio- 37.3 per 100 Youth Dependency- 21.3 per 100 Elderly Dependency- 16 per 100 Death Rate- 3.5 per 1000 Birth Rate- 8.6 per 1000 (Indexmundi.com, 2019) Figure 9- Site of Study- Orchard Road (Author, 2019)
Figure 13- Orchard Point (Author, 2019)
Figure 11- Orchard Central (Author, 2019) Figure 12- Ion Orchard (Author, 2019)
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Architectural Façades and Design Centric EvolutionOrchard Central was the very first ‘vertical mall in Singapore and was a turn around for the typical mall model’ (DP Architects). Having been ahead of the game for nearly 20 years, Orchard Road has carefully planned its design streetscape. However, most buildings at the moment only pro motes an exploratory circulation internally. While the external façades are very aesthetically pleasing and help keep the interiors cool, the ex ternal glass reflects heat and makes the streetscape much warmer. With external seating placed as an afterthought and the lack of attention paid towards crowd management, Orchard Road still has a long way to go when it comes to harbouring an inclusive environment for its users.
Figure 15- Cars on Orchard Road Figure 16- Buses on Orchard Road Figure 17- Motorbikes on Orchard Road
Dhoby Ghaut- MRT station on the extreme right of Figure 14 and Orchard station (lies within the site boundary) bring in the most amount of pedestrian traffic into the site. There are also multiple bus stops along the along the stretch of the urban streetscape, therefore keeping the area active at all times and bringing pedestrian traffic from the ION Orchard side, while the MRT brings in people from either ends of the site. The green pathway highlights the busiest route along the site. This observation highlighted that the dual carriageways and expressways were the busiest routes along the area as it was being used by cars that were either going to Or chard Road or were passing by this area to get to Tanglin or Clarke Quay. Although this particular road has a specific con gestion charge (Electronic Road Pricing), it was seen that it did not affect traffic levels in this area during peak timings.
Figure 14- Connectivity on Orchard Road (Author, 2019)
Connectivity of Orchard RoadThe red demarcation identifies the site area within a wider con text of central Singapore. There are five MRT stations across the site periphery thereby well connecting this central area.
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Figure 20- Paths, edges and nodes on Orchard Road (Author, 2019)
Figure 21- Block Arrangement on Orchard Road (Author, 2019)
Figure 18- Porosity of Orchard Road (Author, 2019)
Figure 23- Grain Density of Orchard Road (Author, 2019)
Figure 22- Grid Arrangement on Orchard Road (Author, 2019)
Figure 19- Permeability of Orchard Road (Author, 2019)
ThePermeabilityPorositygrainsuggests
that it is denser in the retail centre and gets less dense as the site starts hosting more residential and commercial properties The dense grain is also located in the centre of the district. Thereby giving Orchard its identity of being a retail district. With the busiest road- Orchard Road going through the retail area and only having tertiary roads access the residential properties, thereby giving them a level of privacy amidst the crowd that accesses the entire central area of Singapore. The blocks get bigger in the areas that are more active. This could indicate that people are more comfortable lingering around bigger and more open spaces. The area has also been planned to attract more people to this area by building the 2 MRT stations here.
All buildings are extremely porous with multiple entrances and exits. This is common for retail buildings. Stores at the ground floor mostly have their own entrances. Majority of the shop front entrances to the mall are all luxury stores. All the shop fronts also face Orchard Road while entranc es and exits that aren’t conjoined with stores face the other direction. A linear permeability pattern can be seen on Orchard Road. The longest visible unbroken permeable path travels through the centre of the site, while the smaller roads that are adjacent to Orchard Road are less permeable and are only accessed by service vehicles or to get into parking slots in the basemenlevels of the malls.
The Orchard Road streetscape is the continuous path (highlight ed in green) that this site has. This connects to the central expressway (CTE) that is highlighted in grey. The continuous pathway allows for multiple nodal points (yellow circles) to be created along the way with the biggest node being in conjunction with two big carriageways- Scotts Road and Orchard Road; at the junction of Ion Orchard and Tangs. This suggests that this area is the most active on the site. The location of the Orchard MRT station also makes this the most accessible part of the site.
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Grain, Grid and Block Analysis Nodes, Paths and Edges
Figure 24- Clash of old and new architecture (Author, 2019) Figure 25- Socio-Economic Segregation (Author, 2019)
lit staircase - also an
OOHPTGRAPHICEVIDENCE New building - Modern Architecture Old building - use of materialsdifferent greenery used as blinds from the traffic
mallsfromispathwaypedestrianthatkeptawaytheluxury levelmalls-high-endinterventionurbanonahigherthanthepedestrianpath
newer luxury mall Modern build and use of materialscontemporary planters unconsciously used as a divider between the pathway and luxury mall productscheaperlowershopsbasement-end andstreetshopsstreetOnlywouldtheforAdvertisementsservicesthatlabourclassuseareawithsidethatsellsidefoodsouvenirs 18 Figure 26- Socio-Economic Segregation- Through urban intervention (Author, 2019) Figure 27- Socio-Economic Segregation- Through urban intervention (Author, 2019)
313 to Ion Orchard Tangs to Orchard Point Figure 28- Block Arrangement from 313 to Ion Orchard (Author, 2019) Figure 29- Block Arrangement from Tangs to Orchard Point (Author, 2019)
Ion Orchard to 313 Orchard Point to Tangs 20 Figure 30- Block Arrangement from Ion Orchard to 313 Somerset (Author, 2019) Figure 31- Block Arrangement from Orchard Point to Tangs (Author, 2019)
Framework Figure 32- Theoretical Framework of the research project (Author, 2019)
Theoretical
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Red and Yellow Web- This visualises the first step that needs to be taken in order to understand the local and global context of the issue. Thorough understanding of the Research Questions then helps create a concise SWOT Analysis and a viable design solution.
Dotted lines- Researching and mapping all these elements will help understand the impact and the extent to which luxury consumerism has on the streetscape of Orchard Road.
Green Web- The detailed urban design analysis of the site through the lens of the three re search questions will highlight all the specific issues that will be tackled in the design proposal.
The researcher conducted 4 individual interviews (below 15, 16-35, 36-60 and above 60) and 1 focus group interview that consisted of 6 people ranging from 15 to 30 years of age. These interviews were fol lowed up by a cognitive mapping exercise whereby these people were required to move around the site as they usually would. Their path would be recorded on a grain map of orchard road with the amount of time spent in buildings and streetscapes recorded separately. The researcher gathered responses from people of different social class es and cultural backgrounds in order to understand how certain vari ables such as purchasing power, race, culture and educational back grounds had an effect on the individual perceptions of Orchard Road. This exercise would help understand people’s daily routine and the way they moved around Orchard road would reveal their interests and needs. By then questioning how fulfilled they were with the current de sign strategy, improvements on redevelopment strategies can be made in a more informed manner. By doing the cognitive mapping exercise right after the interview, connections can be made between their inter view and visual locational markers, thereby re-iterating their point of view. This exercise indicated that the interview helped understand how the users build a social relationship with the urban streetscape while the cognitive mapping exercise helped establish a relationship that is built with the physical realm. Thereby giving a well rounded response and understanding of how different relationships can be built with the site thereby appealing to different people in a varied manner.
Research Paradigm This site was chosen because of the collection of luxury retailers that the urban streetscape of Orchard Road accomodat ed. Instead of the population influencing the type of ser vices brought into the area, the retail stores and architectural facades of buildings were defining the type of res idential dwellings and the social class that moved here. With a huge array of international brands that are housed in the vari ous malls located on this road, tourists are immediately drawn to this locality and the expatriate cacausian community prefer living here as it provides them with comforts from their home countries.
Although Singapore is small and extremely diverse in terms of the facilities provided in every district, Orchard and Tanglin do house more international services and retail stores that provide solace to the expat community in Singapore. This area also attracts a lot of Singapore’s youthful population as new trends and famous internation al retail stores like Sephora, Off-White, A Bathing Ape and such are lo cated here thereby always maintaining the high buzz that is required to keep the area active. However, the urban design of this area is not ideal in terms of inclusivity and crowd management thereby causing a lot of noise, pedestrian and vehicular traffic. While some cities may look upon this as the indispensable makings of an active street, many Singaporeans are not fond of Orchard Road and its urban streets cape. This design dissertation will analyse what factors cause many res idents to steer clear from this area and also look for design solutions to make the urban streetscape a more appreciated and inclusive one.
Types of methods implemented and their assessment Research Design Strategy Interviews
Cognitive Mapping Observations 100 questionnaires were conducted on Orchard Road during the evening as that is when most pe destrian activity is detected on site. All the question naires were conducted at one stretch so that vari ables such as the time of day, time of the week, the surrounding street activity, weather and such would remain the same. The questionnaire on an average took 3.5 minutes to complete so passerby’s were more willing to participate in this exercise rather than a longer interview. The use of this question naire was to gain a majority of the users brief opin ions about the site even if they didn’t have enough time to participate in a detailed interview. Although this did not prove to be as comprehensive as ex pected, it did direct the researcher to pick on the recurring key issues that were addressed by most of the respondents. This process also allowed for a random selection of people thus getting a mix of respondents from different age groups, cultur al and educational backgrounds. This allowed for multiple perspectives to show through without any bias. The researcher chose three spots on the site to interview different group to people to see if that affected the answers that were received. The loca tions were chosen upon observing their activity lev els at the beginning of the data collection process. The questionnaire helped understand the respon dents activity pattern in Orchard, their comfort level in the area, their opinions about the design of the urban streetscape and their consumerism patterns. This exercise followed an interpretative approach rather than a scientific approach of cognitive mapping as ‘it is the less structured in terms of data collection and posits that talking to and observing individuals as the way they interact with an environment reveals more information concerning spatial behaviour’ (Kitchin, 2001). Upon completing this ex ercise after a long interview, their reasoning behind spatial decision making can be deep rooted within the previous ly discussed perception of the urban streetscape. This ex ercise provided visual locational context to their opinions thereby making it easier for the researcher to understand their likes and their problems. This provides for a structured base to find design solutions to the identified problems.
‘Observations are more likely to involve note tak ing, photographs, videos or audio recordings re cordings rather than measurements. These meth ods also tend to examine and record the quality of interaction rather than quantifiable human per formance’ (Mackenzie, 2013). This observational exercise was conducted from 3 different locations at 2 different times of the day. The number of peo ple who passed by the researcher in an allocated 5 minutes time period were recorded. Although it is not an exact method to identify the activity on the site, it did provide some context of comparison on the activity of the pedestrian urban streetscape. The same was also done for the number of cars that passed by the one way- Orchard Road. A fellow researcher’s help was taken for this exercise and an average of both our recordings were taken to erase any mistakes made in counting the fast moving cars on the road. Alongside this, photos were also taken to see the façade of the buildings and the activity near urban interventions. This helped gain a clear visual opinion about the current situation on site. Afterall, ‘observational descriptive studies are focused on preconceived behaviour and a goal of describing the phenomena’ (Edgar et al, 2017).
When asked to make rough sketches of their pathway on Orchard Road, most respondents were only able to draw out iconic landmarks or frequently visited places. This al lowed the interviewer to understand their pathway, inter ests and their comfort level on the site. Niv et al (2006) also determined this exercise highlights the exercise high lights the consequences of one’s actions in the light of one’s current needs. This knowledge was also usually frag mented or distorted due to the limited amount of time spent in the area (Golledge,2001) thereby only aiding as a supplementary tool of understanding the respondent and not to be used as the sole tool of deciphering the re spondents view on the streetscape and its inclusive nature. ‘It is not a unitary integrated representation, but consists of stored discrete pieces including landmarks, route seg ments and regions.’ (Montello, 2001)
Questionnaires
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Research Design Strategy Figure 33- Process of conducting research (Author, 2019)
While trying to build a high end luxury image for itself, Orchard Road was seen switching ‘traditional retail parade of grocers, bakers and butchers to continental bistros, coffee shops, delis and boutiques’ (Townshend, 2017, pg 168) selling more up-market versions of the same product. These revised versions of the same service tended to do better due to the buzz that was created around them as they did more than just sell a product. They sold an ideology and a lifestyle. People preferred buying the brand instead of just the product with the rising influence of luxury consumerism
How has luxury consumerism influenced the urban streetscape design of Orchard Road?
According to the Portas Review (2011) conducted on the future of high streets in the UK, it was deduced that ‘too many fried chicken and betting shops could pre vent an area from becoming vibrant and thriving (Townshend, 2017, pg 169). This logic can be applied to Orchard too. Most of the services slightly vary from each other. Although 80% of the services here lie in the fashion retail sector, they do not directly compete with each other. Instead, they come together to create a bustling urban streetscape that is a luxury tourist hub and active entertainment area. A high er level of mixed land use ‘is seen in positive terms toward an ageing population’, thereby creating a well designed landscape that applies to a wider group (Chin moy et al, 2014; Townshend, 2014b). Although this proved to be beneficial for ‘community interaction, social capacity building and community well-being’, it has also been found to aid negative factors such as ‘territoriality, overcrowding, noise’ (Aray et al, 2017; Evans, 2003; Ackrill et al, 2006; McNeely et al, 2013) and such too.
Research Question One 26
Figure 34- Problem area on site (Au thor, 2019) Figure 35- Existing urban interventions on the site (Author, 2019) Figure 36- Existing street vendors and buskers on the site (Author, 2019) Figure 37- Segregation using urban design (Author, 2019) Figure 38- Segregation using urban design (Author, 2019)
Observational Findings
The two biggest problems in the Orchard road streetscape was located near Ngee Ann City and Lucky Plaza. These two malls had a direct effect on its streetscape that altered the way people behaved around these areas. By using different materials for the landscaped ground as shown in the picture, a subtle sense of exclusiv ity is introduced. While noticing people’s walking patterns during the cognitive mapping exercise and while conducting observations, people were seen walking away from the sandstone flooring as they felt they were encroaching on private property. If they did not need to go to Ngee Ann City they walked away from the building. This sense of privatization acts as a subtle filter for the groups of people that enter the luxury shopping mall. Meanwhile, near Lucky Plaza people walked away from the building for different issues. Lucky Plaza is a multilevel mall with services catering to labourers in Singapore such as- money transfer banks, retail stores with ‘3 for $10’ offers and tailoring shops. There is an open basement with stores that can be accessed from ground level. This building in particular gets ex tremely crowded during weekends as the labourers are on holiday then. During the weekend, people can be observed avoiding this area altogether due to the crowd. The art installations and current urban interventions are also placed in the parts of the site where the highest activity has been recorded- near Ion Orchard. How ever, the street vendors and buskers are evenly spread out through the site.
Figure 39- Cognitive MappingInterview 1 (Author, 2019)
Cognitive Mapping 28
Figure 43- Cognitive Mapping- Interview 3 (Author, 2019)
Figure 40- Cognitive MappingInterview 2 (Author, 2019)
Figure 41- Cognitive MappingInterview 4 (Author, 2019)
‘I almost always have an agenda while shopping at Orchard. Wayfinding is not that ideal around malls as tourists find it difficult to see the diversity of stores here.Sometimes I find my self getting lost in Orchard Road because of the variety. The repetition of certain stores are also quite annoying. There are four Prada’s on Orchard Road. Why do they need so many?’ (Interview respondent 1, 2019) Due to the vast selection of choices and a chaotic arrangement of stores, Orchard Road ends up losing the attention of its users. Locals often tend to know where the stores that lie within their purchasing power are, thereby heading straight to them without exploring around the area. The interviewee’s revealed that they rarely explore new stores, with several remaining un aware of a lot of existing amenities. Due to this reason, a lot of users avoid coming to the site
The interviews conducted highlighted the fact that the current streetscape in a way that luxury brand stores or flagship stores occupy storefronts facing the streetscape while the smaller inde pendent retail and service orientated stores are located further inside the mall with no direct ac cess from street level. The placement of these higher-end retail ventures do shape the image of the entire area. The reason luxury stores are located at store fronts is because of the beauti ful façades of the buildings. Design plays a symbiotic connection with retail as only stores that make a lot of money are able to afford these locations within the urban streetscape. The type of stores in an area also define the character of the area thereby simultaneously affecting the price of residential properties in the vicinity. ‘For example, Chinatown has a lot of retail as well. However, residential properties there aren’t expensive because their retail sector is not brand ed.’ In today’s day and age, people find it of utmost importance to live near areas of acces sibility and this has been defined by the proximity of relevant services. With the ability to pay higher rent, most individuals are automatically categorized into having a higher purchasing power, thereby being located in an area that meets these requirements. The properties around Orchard are viewed to be part of a higher tier because of the retail identity that the site has.
Deduction from Questionnaire and Interviews ‘Retail and design both play an important role in forming an identity for the area. While luxury shops are at the store fronts, high street shops are placed further inside. Unless they are flag ship stores.Tourists could be intimidated by the top tier brands and would think that that’s all Orchard has to offer. Design draws retail toward them. These top tier luxury brands want stores here because of the aesthetical luxurious ambience this place has’. (Interview respondent 2, 2019)
Figure 46- Weekends- Day Time activity within Buildings (Author, 2019) Figure 47- Weekends- Night Time activity within Buildings (Author, 2019)
Figure 44- Weekdays- Day Time activity within Buildings (Author, 2019) Figure 45--Weekdays- Night Time activity within Buildings (Author, 2019)
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Figure 49- Regularity of visits to Orchard Road (Au thor, Figure2019)50-Activities engaged in while at Orchard (Author, 2019)
Figure 48- Servcie Segregation on Orchard road (Author, 2019)
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‘Pedestrian traffic is very seasonal with weekends being more crowded than weekdays’. ‘It’s too crowded and I cannot afford much here. I mostly just come here to do window shopping.The underground pass is a little inconvenient as now you have to pass by more stores and get distracted to get to the other side. Before they had crossings and traffic lights that could take you from Ngee Ann city to Paragon in 5 minutes. Now it takes upto 15 minutes’. (Focus Group, 2019) Crowd control is also a significant problem in this area on weekday evenings or week ends as there is a huge flow of pedestrians. Most of these people come here for food at these times and therefore all accumulate at the streetscape at a particular time. With the underpass being long winded, people tend to avoid travelling between either side of Orchard Road often. High volumes of people can be found strolling on the pathway actively socialising with each other to enjoy the ambience of the site. However, in order to avoid the streetscapes from getting crowded, the malls can be made better use of. All the buildings that line the site are quite high thereby providing multiple vantage points. While there are few spread out across the site, more can be created to appeal to the us ers and keep them away from the pathway for a longer time. By creating passive spaces that encourage public participation, the site can be kept active while also controlling the crowd at the same time. The construction of alternative overhead routes connecting either side of Orchard Road would also be seen as a positive indicator to mediate the crowd.
as their necessities are now being fulfilled by their neighbourhood malls. Tourists on the other hand, spend most of their time on the streetscape only visiting the shops at the store fronts. This influences their perception of Orchard Road, assuming that it is a purely luxu ry consumerism retail centre. Those who have a high purchasing power remain unaffect ed by this as they would still continue to shop at these stores, but those who can’t afford them remain unaware of the diversity thereby going back empty handed and disheartened.
Figure 51- Vantage points on Orchard Road
“Mobility is necessary for accessing commodities, making use of neighbourhood facilities and participating in meaningful social, cultural and physical activities.” (T. Ranteman, 2013)
How do current design strategies favour some age groups more than others?
“Definitions of wellbeing and quality of life are closely connected.” (Amabile et al, pg 27) Not being able to access areas of entertainment can negatively impact one’s mental state of mind and consequently their quality of life. It is important for every member of society to at least be presented with an option to participate in any active environment. Whether they do it is their choice, but to be devoid of that option would be an example of exclusion.
Research Question Two
In a successfully inclusive streetscape, the city’s ageing population needs to beAwarded autonomous independence Health and Wealthbeing Socially well connected Secure and resilient neighbourhood The creation of age inclusive cities is not a problem in Singapore alone. 52% of older peo ple in the UK, do not prefer stepping out of their house because of the lack of accessible public toilets (Amabile et al, pg 23). A finnish study showed that 65% of women and 29% of men are afraid of moving comfortably outdoors (Amabile et al, pg 25). Of all the elder ly people interviewed on Orchard Road, a 100% of them expressed that they were at the site due to some unavoidable work and would otherwise avoid coming here at all costs.
Singapore has always been on a run to design age friendly cities. This means that they have thought out and executed well designed pockets of space that are particularly catered for the elderly. They have also made public transportation were accessible to them. With improvements being made to the MRT and bus services, this accessibility through the streets of Singapore is only going to be further strengthened. However, although these connections between districts in the city is being improved, some districts as an individual entity is not being made inclusive to people of all ages.
The elderly were rarely seen walking the entire stretch of Orchard Road as there aren’t enough rest stops along the way to stop and re-energize. Children on the other hand are seen running around with the constant need for attention from their parents. If age in clusive playgrounds are made in active places like Ion Orchard and 313 Somerset, children could play here while parents peacefully shop and they could even join them in these inclusive playgrounds. Singapore also has this culture where high school students study in cafes and fast food restaurants. Sheltered external work spac es can be created for these students and this way the teenage demographic can also be included in the urban streetscape.
Observations
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Figure 52- Declining Old- age support ratio Figure 53- Declining Old- age support ratio- graph form Figure 54- Population Pyramid2008 and 2018
In May 2018, a mixed use development property called Kampung Admiralty was developed that found a com munity for the older population. This community won the ‘World Building of the Year’ in 2018 (Amabile et al, pg 27) . This may be an example of a closed active community that en courages ‘activity, community engagement and wellbeing amongst aged populations’, but it needs to be applied to the urban streetscape of the city to ensure the overall planning of a successful and inclusive city. By translating this successful communi ty design to the streets of Singapore, especially Orchard Road, will help the older population of this city form a sense of purpose and personal connection to the urban streetscape thereby still feeling included in this fast paced city that is constantly being regenerated.
The younger and elderly demographic of Singapore find it difficult to come to Orchard Road be cause of the lack of time and the lack of activities and services that are of interest to them. People with cars tend to avoid this area because of congestion during peak hours and the high parking rates. By making this an area an age inclusive area that families can come together to and spend more time, people would be more willing to take the public transport to the site or even pay a higher parking rate.
Figure 55- Urban interventions that segregate unconsiously (Author, 2019)
The data collected that the respondents liked Orchard Road when seasonal activities- like Christ mas lights, Chinese New Year and Diwali were hosted on the urban streetscape. This made the area more entertaining and captured the attention of its users. This was because, during these times of the year, activities that were of interest to everyone were hosted and people moved along the streetscape in a passive form. By stopping and lingering and viewing the streetscape from different places alongside the regular retail shopping, people were seen spending more time in the area. It is important to appeal to the elderly population as they work their entire life to earn enough money and just as they are rid of their immediate familial responsibilities, they enter the dependent bracket once again. By introducing urban interventions that appeal to the elderly population, this part of the demographic can enjoy the urban environment even if they cannot afford the luxury goods that are sold here. Demarcating a centrally located location to Singapore’s growing elderly population can be bad for the economy and urban environment.
Figure 56- Lack of crowd management on Orchard Road (Author, 2019)
Deduction from Questionnaire and Interviews
‘Maybe if they have more shops for older people it’ll be more inclusive. Like in Bedok, they have so many facilities for older people that does not appeal to younger people. Like out door exercise units, pavilions for them to meet like minded people. I think older people have other things to do in the city. It’s mostly the richer older people who shop in Orchard. If you see Marina Bay Sands you would mostly find an older demographic. So within luxury con sumption, different places cater to different audiences’. (Focus Group, 2019)
It is this ideology that needs to be changed. Every urban streetscape needs to be designed in a way such that everyone remains welcome. However, once this is achieved, it is then up to a person wheth er or how they want to access it. It is the city’s responsibility to ensure that every member of society is welcome in a public central area and is equipped with the facilities that would peak their interest.
‘It should be made more inclusive for sure, maybe by adding more seating, entertainment shows and activities that appeal to them’ (Interview Respondent 2, 2019)
Figure 57- Shibuya Crossing Trial in Singapore
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In a bid to make Orchard more pedestrian friendly, the Shibuya style crossing was trialled in December 2017 (Er, C. L. ,2017). This prac tise has been a successful urban design strat egy applied in Shibuya, Japan that have made areas more people orientated. It was first tri alled in 2006 but was discontinued because of the traffic confusion that it caused. During the first trial, the congestion charge (ERP) was not specifically added to Orchard Road there by experiencing a lot more traffic than it does now. But due to the huge shift towards pub lic transportation, this practise was once again trialled in a busier location this time for more accurate results. With the increasing comple tion from the ecommerce industry, S. Iswaran, the minister of trade of industry urged the ex ploration of converting Orchard Road into a more pedestrian friendly environment (Er, C. L. ,2017). Although the results of the recent trial was quite positive, the implementation of this policy was postponed to be initiated at a lat er date when the new MRT lines are inaugu rated in 2020; hopefully reducing traffic by a larger percentage due to better connectivity. Policy Analysis
What kind of urban design interventions are needed to extinguish economic and social segregation thereby promoting inclusion? Research Question Three
ObservationsTheonethingthat has remained constant on Or chard Road is the culture of street vendors. How ever, this has slowly been diminishing due to the evolution of the Orchard’s retail image. The only remaining street vendor is the ice cream sandwich seller. This speciality of Singapore is also at risk. After talking to the vendor, it was revealed that he now has to pay rent to sell here after nearly 50 years of being in business. The street vendor culture was extremely successful at one point as it was one of the only products on Orchard Road that anyone regardless of their socio-economic background could afford. With the increasing retail rent of this area, this cultural element seems to be vanishing.
Figure 58- Street Popup stores on Orchard (Author, 2019)
Every Sunday, the labourers and helpers in Singapore are given a holiday. During this time, a lot of people can be seen visiting Orchard Road. However, upon observing their movement around the site, a clear difference could be seen in the way they interacted with the streetscape. They tended to spend a longer time on the streetscape instead of entering the malls. Upon conducting brief questionnaires, it was understood that they felt more comfortable lingering on the streets taking pictures and spending time with their friends than entering malls and shopping. This was mainly because they couldn’t afford much. Although they weren’t treated differently in bigger malls like 313 and Ion, they were looked down upon in luxury orientated malls like Ngee Ann City, Tangs and Paragon. Deduction from Questionnaire and Interviews Figure 59- Ice cream sandwich vendor on site (Author, 2019)
‘I mainly visit 313 and Ion because I know for sure I will find something that i can afford. They are also at the start and end point of Orchard. These places also have affordable good food options’ . (Interview Respondent 1, 2019) Located at either ends of Orchard road, the two malls are equipped with low, midend and high-end retail stores and restaurants that appeal to a varied audience. While different social groups usually experience the city different geographical ly (Maffini et al, 2018), Singapore has ensured that everyone is welcome everywhere. While there are no physical restrictions to enter this luxury oriented streetscape, there is a ‘hidden purchasing power divide’ that can be seen when one looks closely.
‘Lucky plaza mainly caters to the labour class and Tangs (the mall next door) caters to people of a higher economic class. But the streetscape is inclusive for all so cio-economic backgrounds. While they would be fully allowed to enter any of the upscale malls, I definitely do think they would be treated differently’.(Interview Re spondent 1, 2019)
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The retail rent is nearly twice the amount of the retail sectors in the neighbouring districts. This is the case with commer cial rent too. The brand that Orchard has created for itself can be reflected in the rent that the services have to pay. This simultaneously affects the prices of the goods. This is one of the main reasons why the stores here do not partake in the small sales that the same brands have in other locali ties. The retail services around an area are often seen having an impact on the architecture and the residential buildings in the vicinity. The higher retail and commercial rents have influenced the rise in residential rent around Orchard. This area houses a majority expatriate community as they feel at home in an area where they are close to a central shopping district. The expatriate jobs provide them with more mon ey, thereby increasing their purchasing power in the city.
‘Orchard Road has always been viewed as a luxurious prime property area. You would think this identity and ambience would only invite a certain type of people here.’
Figure 60- One Balmoral Luxury Apartments in Orchard
Figure 61- Residential Prices in Orchard Figure 62- Residential Prices in Central Figure 63- Residential Prices outside central
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Figure 64- Commercial rental Prices from 2013 to 2018 Figure 65- Retail rental Prices from 2013 to 2018
($ psf) ($ psf)
1) Create more walkable spaces - Improve design of zebra crossings - Shelter from unpredicatble weather - Connect both sides of Orchard Road effectively
2.
2.
3.
1.MoreOpportunities-greenery
2.
SWOTspacesAnalysis2.1.Strengths-LotsofgreeneryLargeamountof
OWST
3.
2) Create more interactive and Integrative spaces
3. No direct connections to get to the other side.
- Wayfinding through Orchard Road - Provide spaces that engage in varying activities - Create intergenerational space for the users on the pedestrian pathway Aesthetically pleasing building façades
4. Greenery used as dividers instead of integrational elements.
1.Threats-Lackof crowd management Flooding of the site during heavy rains
1.Weaknesses-Noisefrom the vehicles and the crowds. Crowds gathering in one place instead of being spread out through the site.
- can help counteract pollution caused by the vehicles on Orchard Road alongside being aesthetically pleasing to walk through and see from a vantage point Make use of the vantage points in the city to control crowds Make the streetscape more interaction to convert active pedestrian flow into a passive one
Promotes- Safer Streets - Functional and aesthetic design - Fight isolation - Encourage civic particpation - Create safe and active areas
List out Issues that need to be tackled through design- Lack of greenery - Natural light - Flooding - Lack of inclusion - Lack of vantage points - Lack of rest spaces - Lack of diverse services - Lack of public participation
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Design Proposal
Creating sheltered corridors on the pedestrian pathways alongside sheltered and open rest spaces can be helpful as Singapore experiences a harsh summer and tropical rains throughout the year. Due to the unpredictability of the weather, the presence of the amenities allows for continuous usage of the pedestrian pathway.
Sheltered Corridor
Retail centres such as Orchard have buildings and roads, but the spaces in be tween are what holds them together as a place and creates a shared identity for the site. It is also important to keep in mind the strong social factor these streets play alongside being mere connective pathway for the services on site. It is important to interlay principles such as ‘local identity, community pride, common heritage and values into the design of the urban streetscape’ (uk gov, 2012, pg 3). It is import ant to create a strong community as commonly used services such as high street retail stores and restaurants are being opened up at multiple locations these days. Therefore, this area needs to be envisaged in a creative way without allowing its current success erode thereby causing anti-social behaviour (uk gov, 2012, pg 4).
Design Discussion Figure 66- Sheltered Corridor 1 Figure 67- Sheltered Corridor 2 Figure 68- Sheltered Corridor 3 Figure 69- Sheltered Corridor 4 Figure 70- Sheltered Corridor 5
Interactive street patterns 44 Figure 71- Authors Impression of Sheltered Corridor and Outdoor seating (Author, 2019) Figure 72- Street pattern 1 Figure 73- Street pattern 2 Figure 74- Street pattern 3
Overhead bridges and green walls
Alongside this, overhead shelters and vantage points should be created for easy ac cess between either side of Orchard and a good view of the entire site. By creating these spaces, a percentage of people can be taken away from the pedestrian path ways and the crowd can be made more manageable in the entire site. Natural light can also be brought in through these vantage points and entertainment activities can be hosted here for the public as they enjoy the view of the site. These spaces can also be used during the rare heavy rains when the ground level experiences some flooding.
Figure 75- Green Walls Figure 76- Overhead Bridge 1 Figure 77- Overhead Bridge 2 Figure 78- Overhead Bridge 3 Figure 79- Overhead Bridge 4 Figure 80- Artist’s impression of Overhead Bridge acting as a vantage point
Wayfinding tools 46 Figure 81- Author’s impression of overhead bridges and rest spaces guided by wayfinding tools (Author, 2019) Figure 82- Wayfinding 1 Figure 83- Wayfinding 2 Figure 84- Wayfinding 3
Age inclusive playground Creative seating area ‘ Design can create adaptable spaces where people of all ages and abilities can work, rest, relax and play.’ (uk gov, 2012, pg 11) Figure 85- Inclusive Playground 1 Figure 86- Inclusive Playground 2 Figure 87- Inclusive Playground 3 Figure 88- Artist’s Impression of Inclusive activities on Orchard Figure 89- Creative seating area 1 Figure 90- Creative seating area 2 Figure 91- Creative seating area 3 Figure 92- Creative seating area 4
Figure 93- Author’s Impression of creative seatind and inclusive playgrounds (Author, 2019)
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Outdoor work spaces
By creating spaces that can be used by everyone, an inclusive environment is created that keeps users coming back to the space that they feel they have a partake in. Inducing public participation like this can foster local ownership and care of public spaces (uk gov, 2012, pg 12), thereby reducing maintenance issues in the area. It is important to have outdoor work spaces and age inclusive active areas as this only only engages the crowd but also makes active sociability passive during congested periods. By diverting the attention of some of the users and providing them with spaces that make them feel comfortable in.
Outdoor exercise and play areas
Figure 94- Outdoor Exercise units 1 Figure 95- Outdoor Exercise units 2 Figure 96- Outdoor work station 1 Figure 97- Outdoor work station 2
Figure 98- Author’s Impression of outdoor work stations (Author, 2019)
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Figure 99- Author’’s impression of street popup stores under a sheltered corridor (Author, 2019)
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Figure 100- Placement of all the new interventions on a Masterplan (Author, 2019)
Alongside urban planning policies, residential and com mercial policies can be altered to create a more cohesive and interactive neighbourhood that caters to its audiences needs while maintaining the existing retail district in the area.
Mr Chan (Mohan, 2019)
Figure 101- Artist’s impression of Orchard Roads street typology after regeneration
An inclusive design strategy is one of the ways the urban quality of the streetscape can be improved. By ignoring the people’s needs and their involvement in the activity of a place, user satisfaction drastically decreases. Although, retail consumerism will always be in the centre of the users needs, they will start using Orchard as a connective passage. With out a functioning and inclusive streetscape, the area will be devoid of any character and people will start avoiding the area as seen in the questionnaire and interview responses. The application of the provided design solutions will make the site more lively and increase public participation. While this paper focuses on making the streetscape of Orchard Road an inclusive one, in the future area around Scotts Road and those adjacent to Orchard can be regenerated.
Conclusion
“Orchard Road is not a 2.4 km IPPT run. We are not aiming for people to pass through Orchard Road in 9-10 minutes.”
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Sciencedirect.com. (2019). Cognitive Map - an overview | Science Direct Topics. [online] Available at: Singstat.port-ratiohttps://www.singstat.gov.sg/modules/infographics/old-age-supSingstat.cesseddirect.com/topics/computer-science/observational-method|Sciencedirect.com.topics/neuroscience/cognitive-maphttps://www.sciencedirect.com/[Accessed26Jun.2019].(2019).ObservationalMethod-anoverviewScienceDirectTopics.[online]Availableat:https://www.science[Ac24Jun.2019].(2019).Oldagesupportratio.[online]Availableat:[Accessed9Aug.2019].(2019).VisualisingData.[online]Availableat:https://www.
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List of Secondary data from the Internet
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[Accessed 17 Aug. CNA.2019].(2019). Design Orchard to debut with 61 homegrown brands. [online] Available at: Data.gov.sg.brands-11094488singapore/design-orchard-to-debut-with-over-60-homegrown-https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/[Accessed17Aug.2019].(2019).MedianRentalsandVacancyofRetailSpace by Locality, Quarterly-Data.gov.sg. [online] Available at: sights-of-singapore-from-aboveAvailableglobalblue.id=2d201915-f5cb-401c-8ed4-2171af9f3403sg/dataset/median-rentals-and-vacancy-of-retail-space?resource_Locality,Data.gov.sg.Aug.sg/dataset/median-rentals-and-vacancy-of-retail-spacehttps://data.gov.[Accessed122019].(2019).MedianRentalsandVacancyofRetailSpacebyQuarterly-Data.gov.sg.[online]Availableat:https://data.gov.[Accessed16Aug.2019].(2019).Top10sightsofSingaporefromabove.[online]at:https://www.globalblue.com/destinations/singapore/10-[Accessed18Aug.2019].
List of Images from secondary sources
Base. (2019). Old age support ratio. [online] Available at: Base.18singstat.gov.sg/modules/infographics/old-age-support-ratiohttps://www.[AccessedAug.2019].(2019).VisualisingData.[online]Availableat:https://www. singstat.gov.sg/find-data/search-by-theme/population/popula tion-and-population-structure/visualising-data
LAM, L. (2019). Heavy rain causes flash flood in Orchard Road; vehicles stuck in murky water. [online] The Straits Times. Available at: https:// sues-high-flood-risk-alerts-in-central-regionwww.straitstimes.com/singapore/flash-flood-in-orchard-road-pub-is[Accessed16Aug.2019]. (2019). Bus Service Diversion for Chingay Night Fiesta 2019 @ Orchard Road | Land Transport Guru. [online] Available at: https://landtransportguru.net/event/bus-service-diversion-for-chin gay-night-fiesta-2019-orchard-road/ [Accessed 22 Jun. 2019]. Pentagram. (2019). WalkNYC — Pentagram. [online] Available at: https://www.pentagram.com/work/walknyc [Accessed 18 Aug. 2019].
Landtransportguru.net.
wayfinding, E. (2019). Education sector commits to wayfinding - NewsEducation. [online] Fashionunited.com. Available at: https://www.fash ionunited.com/education/news/education-sector-commits-to-wayfind ing-20131707492418 [Accessed 18 Aug. 2019].
-november-21-orchard-road-night [Accessed 26 Jun. 2019].
I have been given the opportunity to ask questions about the project.
I agree to take part in the project. I understand that taking part in the project will include an swering a few short questions about the physical and social environment in Orchard Road. I also consent to this interview being recorded by the student.
How my information will be used during and after the project
I understand and agree that other authorised researchers will have access to this data only if they agree to preserve the confidentiality of the information as requested in this form. I understand and agree that other authorised researchers may use my data in publications, re ports, web pages, and other research outputs, only if they agree to preserve the confidentiality of the information as requested in this form.
Please tick the appropriate boxes Yes No Taking Part in the Project
I understand and agree that my words may be quoted in publications, reports, web pages, and other research outputs. I understand that I will not be named in these outputs unless I specifically request this.
I agree to assign the copyright I hold in any materials generated as part of this project to The University of Sheffield.
I understand that my taking part is voluntary and that I can withdraw from the study at any time. I do not have to give any reasons for why I no longer want to take part and there will be no adverse consequences if I choose to withdraw.
I give permission for the answers given to the questions asked in the interview to be used in the student’s design dissertation and that it can be used for future research and learning
Name of participant [printed] Signature Date Name of Researcher [printed] Signature Date Project contact details for further information: Rowland Atkinson- rowland.atkinson@sheffield.ac.uk
Appendix
Luxury Consumerism affecting the urban streetscape of Orchard Road- Consent Form
I have read and understood the project information sheet dated 04/04/2019 or the project has been fully explained to me. (If you will answer No to this question please do not proceed with this consent form until you are fully aware of what your participation in the project will mean.)
So that the information you provide can be used legally by the researchers
60
I understand my personal details such as name, phone number, address and email address etc. will not be revealed to people outside the project.
62
1- yeahh 3- i dont shop I- what about those vendor stalls opposite the malls on the streets? Where they have food festivals or sell artsy items? 3- ohh no no no nah i don’t go there. I’d rather go to the mall. Like inside 4- usually when i go to Orchard its for a purpose. Whether its a movie to like Shaw 3- year the theatre there is very nice. Very comfy. The seats are nice.
3- twice a month, when I’m not busy studying- otherwise rarely ever 4 - Orchard Road, like orchard road area?
I - yeah so basically my case study area is between Koek Road and Scotts Road, near Tangs. From 313 to tangs 4- oh okay, like that. Yeah once a month then 3- Oh okay yeah i go about twice a month. I think the number of time ive gone there over the years have decreased.
1- I hardly go there 5- Once a month 2- Once in a Blue Moon
2- Yeah sorry then… because of the Christmas lights and all. The street shows are inter esting so it’s very nice to walk around there.
2- But the best time to go to Orchard is during September… I- oh September… why? 2- No, december. I- oh yeah, because of Christmas.
1- then now its like.. 5- you have to find your way to the underground. And its always opposite ends. One side all the way in ion and the other on somerset . 4- yeah but i guess... 3- that’s safer anyway. Only have to deal with human traffic. I- oh okay so you guys prefer that? 3- yeah and it’s not hot. *everyone agrees* 4- and its helps with traffic also right. When you’re in between ion and somerset, you can’t easily pop over to the other side say to paragon. You have to go all the way 4-I-around.yeahyeah pretty much. I- right.. So otherwise you don’t shop at luxury stores. But do you at least window shop in those places? 4- no i feel like i’m looked down upon. You know what i mean? Because i am young. 3- yeah like some shops i just don’t go to. Because they are so expensive. And they are obviously shops that our parents would probably go shop at. Not saying that its an old person’s shop. But if you’re working and earning then you are allowed to shop there, because you are at a liberty to splurge. But i don’t have money to splurge at the moment. *laughs* so it’s just cotton on for me. I - yeah that makes sense. Why do you think orchard road is such a landmark in sin gapore?whenever I hear a tourist they go all like Orchard is so cool and it’s so nice.
3- i mean if i go to Orchard Road, it’s usually for genki sushi, because it’s the nearest to me lah, from like the… yeah Jurong side there’s one also, but that’s too far for me. But there’s more stuff to see at orchard anyways.
3- I think it goes back to what she says. It’s all the flagship stores. They are really big I-dostores.you think tourists just come to shop here?
3- yeah and there’s a lot of food here too.
1- and it’s usually 313’ I- hmm okay and what about the streets as such? Do you feel comfortable on the streets because there’s one way traffic on the roads right. And then you cant cross, you have to use the underwalks at tangs/ ion or paragon/orchard central. 1- yeah it’s fine 3- its fine 5- its fine 1- yeah it’s quite accessible I- i mean i’m always lazy. I rarely go to the other side because the route is so long winded and twisted. 4- yeah i agree. Its annoying because now everything is underground right so you have to go and pass by more stores, last time they used to have crossings and traffic lights. So you could just like from ngee ann city cross over to paragon.
1- I think it really depends. Because the shops that are here now were not there anywhere else before. So last time H&M and Zara were only here so i use to always come here to shop at these places. That used to be the shopping district. Now it’s there in Tampines itself. I don’t need to go to Orchard. 2- yeah there’s one at Yishun also. 1- exactly 5- yeah 3- there are almost 5-6 in most areas now. So you don’t need to keep coming back
I- But like on a normal day when you go to Orchard, do you shop at those street vendor shops and luxury stores?
2- twice a year I- why do you guys go there rarely? Why is it not more often?
4- then other than that it’s like.. if i want H&M, huge selection. Its like flagship store right. The uniqlo also got flagship store. It’s always targeted shopping. I- oh okay. 3- so always go for targeting shopping. Done. get out.
Focus Group 1- 18-24 age group I- First, how often do you go to Orchard Road?
4- It’s too crowded, can’t afford anything 3- rather stay at home and chill or go to places nearby 4- everything you can do in town, you can do elsewhere also I- ahh okay 1- yeah i’d rather go to my neighbourhood malls 5- there’s always a lot of foreigners 4- yeah and they seem so excited also to see everything. And they are the ones that mostly buy also. They seem so excited to be in singapore.
5- no just malls and do window shopping.
3- when I was young I thought orchard was only for christians, little india was only for indians and bugis was only malay. I think it was because of the majority of the peo ple there. Formed an opinion. Now obviously i know lah.
3- yeahh i agree. It’s not like you’d want to travel around for similar luxury goods. It’s so hot in singapore anyway. I- But would you walk across the street to access luxury stores on either side? Or rather it be all on the same side? 3- I go through inside the building. I- okay. Do you guys usually shop at the Ion side or Paragon side? 3- ohh what’s the difference again? 4- Paragon is near tangs and shaw. Ion is the other side lah 3- Im on the ion side. I- is there a reason? 3- it’s just because of the MRT line I- hah right yeah it’s more convenient. That side of the street is also way more crowded on SUndays because of the workers. 4- But that side is also the paragon area right?
I- did you think it was because of the foreigners? 3- Maybe? Christmas tree also. I don’t think it was because of confinements. But people just liked it there.
to orchard just for that. A few years back, it would make more sense to keep coming back here.
4- I think this place has just grown to become a tourist attraction. Before people used to be like where do I go, and we used to be like go to Orchard. You wouldn’t tell them to come to Tampines or Kembagang you know? Because it’s the heartland 3- yeah those places are more residential living. But orchard there aren’t too many houses. Or its just expats. Like posh living. 4- Orchard is a good representative of Singapore. You know services wise. Like new orchard has become THE PLACE to go to. It’s a good representation of singapore. the tourist pace so that’s why they go there lah. 2- yeah become like the destination spot. I- yeah. So when you were younger, did you go to Orchard a lot? Or was it always this tourist driven? 4- yeah my parents never liked Orchard Road. I- yeah mine either. 4- Its only with your friends right? Always central area to meet. But otherwise go elsewhere lah 1- yeahh i usually come with my friends. 3- why? 4- because my parents hate driving around here. Parking right. It’s always insane here. 2- yeah like the traffic jam and all. It’s crazy over here. 1- hmmm. That’s true 4- I don’t think I ever came here as a kid. Right? 5- yeah we barely came. Not kid friendly 1- yeah it’s usually only with public transportation also 3- yeah that’s the most convenient way to come here. Parking is also so expensive. I started coming only after JC. before that it was only with my mum. 2- yah during christmas also. Very crowded. 1- hah for the christmas lights is it? 5- I actually always come for the christmas lighting although it is the same every year. It’s a tradition you know? 2- nice to see street shows and decor 3- but my perception of Orchard road has changed over the years. Ion was the place with the huge christmas tree and takashimaya was the place with the huge library. Now bugis is bigger. My interests have also changed over the years.
3- when I come out of the MRT, i think you see dior first and then H&M and Sephora. So those are the places I usually go to. I- If you had to make any changes to the streetscape of Orchard Road, what would you 4-do?transparent shelter 3- wouldn’t be really hot then? 5- yeah trap in heat right?
64
4- no no i mean the partial shelter like near bus stands and stuff. For the people. With partial roof shelter with pillars supporting them. Overhead shelter lah? So when you walk it’s nice. 3- won’t it heat up though? 4- but wind will come from the side right?
2- I think it’s fine. It’s good that its in one place and you can get it all done one shot.
I- what do you think of luxury stores put all in Orchard Road? Would you rather it be spread out or kept in one place?
I- So basically a shaded area? 4- yeah 3- I don’t want people smoking on the sides. I have to walk all the way to the building side to avoid. 5- maybe if you enclose it? 3- if they have a small dedicated area like outside Plaza? 4- yeah i have heard that they have made the rules stricter for smoking now. I- do you think orchard road is good for older people and children? 3- well i mean they don’t have anything there so why even go there? 1- I mean they should be welcome there. Introduce more things for them maybe? I- yeah like what? Right now it’s mostly a tourist attraction or an area for the younger pop ulation to relax and window shop at. 3- I think it should be only for people who shop at these places. Older people have spac es of their own anyway. 4-i don’t agree. It should be made more inclusive for sure. 5- yeah 1- like maybe add more seating and entertainment shows and stuff like that 3- i think its understandable that old people cannot walk that long and orchard is quite big. So naturally becomes difficult for them . 5- Yeah but they have rest stops for them right? 4- proper pedestrian paths, travelators? 1- haha that would be so expensive right? 4- yeah but super comfy lah.
3- Maybe if they have more shops for older people it’ll be more inclusive. Like in bedok, they have so many facilities for older people that doesn’t excite younger people. Like out door exercise units, pavilions for them to just sit around and all. I- i get that. Each area has an interest to cater to. 3- yeah and they have limited money to spend as well. Like majority.
3- i think they could improve lighting also . street lighting. Like outside wisma they have small fountain that people just walk into because its not well 1-lit.
talking about problems- i dont theres enough seating. Like they only have boring small seating on the extremes of the street. If they make it more interesting then more people can be encouraged to linger around the area more.
1- but that’s the nature of the area. Orchard is more happening. And the streetscape should promote that. It doesn’t do that enough now. 4- anyway to make it less crowded? It gets too crowded sometimes and it gets really iffy. I think it’s because a lot of people just pass by to get to other places. Also i think older peo ple have other things to do in the city so it’s okay. It’s mostly the richer older people who shop in Orchard. Like if you see, Marina Bay Sands is mostly only older people. So within luxury consumerism they have audiences that they cater to. I- okay, so you think these areas are mostly luxury oriented and that affects the streetscape a lot. 5- Definitely. I- I think you guys have helped understand Orchard’s streetscape and its facilities really well today. Thank you guys.
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