THE MOVEMENT BETWEEN TWO NEIGHBOURHOODS: A COMPARITVE STUDY.

WHAT EXACTLY IS MEANT BY A LIVEABLE NEIGHBOURHOOD?

The term ‘liveability’ in itself is ambiguous and tricky to measure, therefore so is the term ‘liveable’ (Elmahdy et al., 2021). But perhaps the notion of liveable neighbourhood oscillates between both user-perceived space, and urban design concept and planning policy. Through the lens of the latter, it is observed that liveable neighbourhoods have been adopted as popular scheme championed by numerous UK city councils for city suburb improvement, in conjunction with citizen wellbeing. Although exact definitions of liveable neighbourhoods and its applications vary from city to city, its overarching ethos remains somewhat similar. In general, the liveable neighbourhood concept aims to transform existing city or suburban neighbourhood through the collated themes of (Elmahdy et al., 2021):

• Walkability, Cyclability, Accessibility, & Safety
• Health & Sustainability
• Mixed-Use and Higher Density
• Community and Participation

There is perhaps no one-size-fits-all model when it comes to creating a liveable neighbourhood – to further explore this notion, this blog post will now engage in a comparative study between two vastly different contexts and its successes and failures.

STUDY 01. SPARSE NEIGHBOURHOOD: THE MOVEMENT WITHIN SUBURBIA.

The first study deals with suburbia and its sprawling nature. As described by Robert Cervero (2000), urban sprawl ‘is hard to define, but you know it when you see it’. Such is the case with suburban housing estates, a commonplace neighbourhood typology in the UK whereby over 80% of the population reside (Historic England; n.d.). A pressing problem these neighbourhoods present is the cultural automobile co-dependency that has been created (Cervero; 2000) – a string of consequences follows this longstanding phenomenon. The heavy loss of open land to construct mass low-level housing and transport infrastructure has facilitated high levels of vehicular movement and congestion, leading to unavoidable emission pollution and fuel consumption (Nechyba & Walsh; 2004). Today, many of these neighbourhoods still have too much road and little to no cycling or pathway provisions. Public transport is also insufficient and not well connected enough to reach deep within the suburbs. These factors are especially problematic as not all know how to drive or can afford a car, potentially leading to social alienation and inaccessibility (Tickle, 2016).

One such example of the liveable neighbourhood concept being applied as a result of this trickling context is that of Newcastle’s Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) schemes. Located in the neighbourhoods of Fenham, Heaton, and Jesmond, these projects were implemented as a means of decreasing or eliminating traffic and traffic-related pollution and safety hazards from residential zones through the use of traffic signs, planters, and bollards, as well as to promote cycling. However, perhaps initially well-meaning or naively so in the name of health, wellbeing, and quality of life, they were scrapped within just 18 months due to perceived polarity and inconvenience, and the shifting of the problems onto other sites. While a new plan is to be reimplemented, this displays an initial lack of understanding of the deeper complexities that the site and its users require. The perception of ‘liveability’ in this case has turned into one of frustration (Farrell Centre, 2024; & Holland, 2024).

FIGURE 01: LTN BOLLARDS IMPLEMENTED IN HEATON STREET (Bradley, 2022)

STUDY 02. DENSE NEIGHBOURHOOD: THE MOVEMENT WITHIN THE LITTLE RED DOT.

The next quick study takes a look at Singapore – a tiny country only about 740km² in size and just over 6 million in population (Statistics Singapore, n.d.). Although small, it is a bustling dense city which features a vast network of roads that are heavily used daily. Still, there are many ways to get around. With an aging population, traffic lights function under an inclusive Green Man+ scheme whereby the elderly, as well as the disabled, are able to extend the overall street crossing time with a simple scan of a card. This allows crossing with more safety and a better peace of mind (DPA, 2013). Roads feature overhead bridges, allowing pedestrians an alternative to cross without jaywalking – although this increases walking time and distance (Zhang et al., 2018), it ensures safety and no waiting time. Lift shafts are attached to the bridge for accessibility (Liow & Sam, 2023).  As the climate in Singapore is hot, rainy, and humid, the ‘Walk Shelter Ride’ scheme has seen a majority of the sidewalks sheltered – a total of 200km long, to protect pedestrians from the elements (Liow & Sam, 2023). Singapore does not claim to implement the concept of liveable neighbourhood, but its urban approaches fit its ethos.

FIGURE 02: OVERHEAD BRIDGE WITH LIFTS IN SINGAPORE (JTC, 2024)

BETWEEN LIVEABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS & THE QUALITY OF LIFE.

The spaces in our everyday lives – in other words: the everyday space, holds great significance whether we realise it or not. The living space – consisting of the dwelling and by logical extension, the neighbourhood, is arguably the most significant form of everyday space. More than just a setting in which we live, play, rest, and/or work, the living space facilitates an environment which influences not only our physical and mental health, but also our interpersonal connections and productivity (Sisson, 2021). There is an inherent connection between the quality of life and the quality of the neighbourhood, and this relationship is complex and multifield in nature, with both objective and subjective influences. The importance of creating liveable neighbourhoods is evident, especially ones of high calibre. However, to do so, it is first necessary to recognise that every liveable neighbourhood has to be shaped by its own unique set of users, contexts, and conditions. Through innovation and deep understanding, this in turn informs the kinds of interventions that can be most appropriately applied, and subsequently creates its own unique perceptions (Fleury-Bahi et al., 2017; & Pasanen et al., 2024).

REFERENCES:

Cervero, R. (2000) ‘Growing Smart by Linking Transportation and Urban Development’, Virginia Environmental Law Journal, Vol.19, No. 03 [Online] JSTOR, pp. 357-374. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24787295 (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Disabled People’s Association. (2013) ‘Green Man+’, Announcements [Online] Available at: https://dpa.org.sg/green-man/#:~:text=Green%20Man%20%2B%20allows%20elderly%20pedestrians,on%20the%20traffic%20light%20pole.  (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Elmahdy, M. N.; Kamel, R. R.; & Nasreldin, R. (2021) ‘Urban Liveability Indicators to Create Liveable Neighbourhoods, International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 01 [Online] International Research Publication House, pp. 56-68. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350801418_Contextualizing_Urban_Liveability_indicators_to_create_liveable_Neighbourhoods (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Farrell Centre (2024) What’s Happening with Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Newcastle? [Online] Newcastle University. Available at: https://www.farrellcentre.org.uk/whats-on/whats-happening-with-low-traffic-neighbourhoods-in-newcastle/ (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Fleury-Bahi, G., Pol, E. & Navarro, O. (2017) ‘Introduction: Environmental psychology and Quality of Life’, Handbook of Environmental Psychology and Quality of Life Research, International Handbooks of Quality of Life [Online] Springer, Cham, pp. 01-08. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31416-7_1 (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Historic England (n.d.) ‘Understanding Suburban Heritage’, Urban and Public Realm Heritage [Online] Historic England. Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/research/current/discover-and-understand/urban-public-realm/suburbs/  (accessed 16^th December 2024)

Holland, D. (2024) New Plan to Replace Scrapped Traffic Scheme [Online] BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3g3jgveelgo  (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Liow, M.; & Sam, C. Y. (2023) ‘Walkability in Singapore’, Sustainable Urban Development in Singapore, Sustainable Development Goals [Online] Palgrave Macmillan, pp.31-52. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5451-3_3 (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Nechyba, T. J.; & Walsh, R. P.  (2004) ‘Urban Sprawl’, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 18, No. 04 [Online] pp. 177-200. Available at: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/0895330042632681 (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Pasanen, T.; Lanki, T.; Siponen, T.; Turunen, A.; Tiittanen, P.; Heikinheimo, V.; Tiitu, M.; Viinikka, A.; & Halonen, J. (2024) ‘What Makes a Liveable Neighborhood? Role of Socio-Demographic, Dwelling, and Environmental Factors and Participation in Finnish Urban and Suburban Areas’, Journal of Urban Health, Vol. 101 [Online] Springer, pp. 1207-1220. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-024-00927-y (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Sisson, B. (2021) Vision 2050 Living Spaces Pathway: We Can Make the World Feel at Home [Online] WBCSD. Available at: https://www.wbcsd.org/news/vision-2050-living-spaces-pathway/#:~:text=Living%20spaces%20are%20the%20areas,the%20quality%20of%20their%20work.  (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Statistics Singapore (n.d.) ‘Population’, eBook of Statistics [Online] Department of Statistics Singapore. Available at: https://www.singstat.gov.sg/publications/reference/ebook/population/population (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Statistics Singapore (n.d.) ‘Environment’, eBook of Statistics [Online] Department of Statistics Singapore. Available at: https://www.singstat.gov.sg/publications/reference/ebook/society/environment (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Tickle, L. (2021) Without A Radical Overhaul of Transport, UK Suburbs Face Poverty [Online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2016/jul/25/uk-suburbs-need-radical-transport-solutions-ease-poverty (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Zhang, Y.; Azzali, S.; Janssen, P.; & Stouffs, R. (2018) ‘Design For Walkable Neighbourhoods In Singapore Using Form-Based Codes’, Reframing Urban Resilience Implementation: Aligning Sustainability and Resilience [Online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329910161_Design_for_walkable_neighbourhoods_in_Singapore_using_Form-based_Codes (accessed 4^th January 2025)

LIST OF FIGURES:

Figure 01: Bradely, A. (2022) ‘New Low Traffic Measures Installed in Heaton’, City Life [Online Photograph] Newcastle City Council. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329910161_Design_for_walkable_neighbourhoods_in_Singapore_using_Form-based_Codes (accessed 4^th January 2025)

Figure 02: JTC (2024) Building A Pedestrian Overhead Bridge? Here Are Four Key Insights [Online Photograph] Available at: https://www.jtc.gov.sg/about-jtc/news-and-stories/feature-stories/building-an-overhead-bridge—insights-to-know  (accessed 4^th January 2025)