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  Channel NewsAsia 12 Nov 05
Singaporeans generally satisfied with their living environment: URA survey
 By Dominique Loh

Singaporeans have given the thumbs-up to their living environment, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

More than 4,000 people took part in the survey which was carried out over a period of two years.

The participants also revealed some of the things they want to see in Singapore. Whether it is the public transportation system, shopping or entertainment facilities, more than 80 percent of those interviewed either said they were satisfied or very satisfied. But some also felt Singapore lacked the buzz of a city like London, New York or Tokyo when it came to shopping variety and richness. They also want to see more niche shopping areas that offer street level or themed shopping districts.

A large number of those surveyed were satisfied with how close they live to school and work.

About two-thirds also felt that the variety of housing available met their needs and more than half hope to afford public housing in the next 5 years. More than 93 percent of the respondents wanted home ownership versus renting.

Public transportation also topped the list and was voted the most important facility to have, with 55 percent relying on it.

A younger focus group felt that getting to parks and beaches proved difficult and it wanted to see more soccer pitches and hard surface courts and cycling paths.

About a third felt these offerings are insufficient, saying that they wanted more shopping, entertainment and 24-hour outlets.

The survey is also aimed at identifying trends on the lifestyle needs of Singaporeans. Feedback from the survey will be used to help the URA with its strategic and physical planning. - CNA /ch

URA website 11 Nov 05
URA LIFESTYLE SURVEY 2002-2004 FINDS HIGH PUBLIC SATISFACTION WITH SINGAPORE’S LIVING ENVIRONMENT

Extracts

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) conducted its first Lifestyle Survey over a period of two years from 2002 to 2004 on Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs). The Institute of Policy Studies was appointed to conduct the survey. The analysis on the data has been completed and the key findings are summarised below.

Satisfaction Levels

The Lifestyle Survey showed that Singaporeans and PRs were satisfied with key facilities that are important to their lifestyle needs.

Over 80% of all respondents indicated that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with public transport, shopping and entertainment facilities found in Singapore. However, some mentioned that they would prefer to see more shopping variety and felt that the shopping scene in Singapore lacked the richness of those found in cities like London, New York and Tokyo. Among those surveyed, about 80% were satisfied with the close proximity of their homes to schools and work. Besides that, about 67% of the respondents said there is sufficient housing variety to fulfil their needs.

Leisure Activities

Youths and Young Adults

The youths and young adults enjoyed on average 19.1 and 16.4 hours of leisure per week respectively. The leisure activities most popular with the youths were the more sedentary ones like watching TV/ reading (93.4%) and internet surfing (86.7%), although a fair proportion took up active sports like football and other ball games (46.5%) and indulge in indoor entertainment, eg. bowling, snooker, games arcade (46.0%).

For the young adults, the findings were similar. About 87.8% of the respondents watched television or read. 76.2% liked going to the movies or shopping while another 68.2% like surfing the internet. Other pursuits included swimming (40.9%) and hanging out at cafes (35.5%).

Young Families, Matured Adults & the Elderly

The young families, matured adults and the elderly spend 8.1, 7.8 and 10.3 hours per week on leisure respectively. Most of the respondents from these three groups spent their pastime eating out at hawker centres (81.4%) and shopping (73.5%). A social network of family and friends was also important to the matured adults with 49.6% visiting their parents or children during their free time. Visiting libraries was also popular among the young families with 51.8% engaging in the activity.

Generally, the survey revealed that people were more likely to spend their leisure time near their homes or town centres and only make longer trips to the city centre for the occasional concert or museum exhibition.

Facilities

Most of the respondents viewed parks and open spaces as fairly important, and outdoor activities linked to park usage like walking, jogging and cycling were popular leisure activities especially among the young families, matured adults and the elderly. The study indicated that about 67.4% of the respondents visited a park#2 at least once in the past year.

Youths and Young Adults

Shopping and entertainment centres and 24-hour places are the two most sought after facilities for young Singaporeans.

Young Families, Matured Adults and the Elderly

Facilities for the elderly and nature areas were perceived as lacking by the young families, matured adults and the elderly. More than 50% of the elderly and matured adults wanted more facilities for the elderly (eg. eldercare centres), while about 50% of them wanted more nature areas to be provided. Places with history, and arts and cultural facilities also featured quite highly on their list of wants.

The detailed findings of the Lifestyle Survey 2002-2004 can be purchased online at http://www.ura.gov.sg. A full set of the report costs $50 (inclusive of GST).
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