FCL G – DEN

1. Introduction

Sustainable integrated districts are planned to improve the quality of life in high-density cities. They achieve the goal through a ‘socio-spatial integration design’ strategy. As part of the strategy, different land-uses and activities are incorporated into well-connected districts to boost their vibrancy and liveliness. The pedestrian systems in sustainable integrated districts want to provide attractive and accessible circulation. By improving access to services and amenities, the increased connectivity is meant to support a range of activities. People living or working in sustainable integrated districts are provided with more opportunities to interact spontaneously. In addition, well-designed and connected communal green spaces encourage a sense of belonging among diverse populations, thereby promoting overall social integration and inclusion in these districts.

The Social Performance study ventures into the social dimensions of sustainable integrated districts, seeking to understand the interplay between integrative design strategies, such as mixed-use developments, and the tangible outcomes in terms of social performance. The work package asks the research question:

  • Does, and to what extent, the strategy of spatial integration translate into social integration in sustainable integrated districts? This means facilitating the integration of various communities within a sustainable integrated district.

2. Methodology

Methodologically, the relative success of sustainable integrated districts, in terms of social integration, was addressed through case studies. These include one-north and its corresponding control case Kent Ridge. Raw GPS data served as the main source to assess social performance. The GPS data provided geo-proxies that were used for community identification at the scale of individuals by analysing anonymous users’ travel patterns over time allowed for the grouping of users by mobility similarities, the inferencing of a range of social attributes (Figure 1). This research primarily focussed on two types of social attributes – socio-economic groups (income level) and activity groups – which served as aspects of social integrations.

Figure 1. GPS users’ travel pattern

Not all types of interactions are beneficial in terms of achieving higher levels of social integration. A heterophilous interaction describes an instance where individuals seek to associate with those different from themselves in terms of income levels and activities. It contradicts a homophilous interaction which refers to the tendency for two individuals of the same activity or socio-economic background to bond with each other. In fact, heterophilous interactions might improve social integration in a district, but homophilous interactions might only enhance the sense of a space’s exclusivity and potentially intensify socio-spatial segregation. For this reason, the study differentiated heterophilous and homophilous interactions within the two innovation districts. The indicator for assessing socioeconomic and activity integration is the heterophilous interaction opportunities provided by one-north and Kent Ridge.

3. Main Findings

The study revealed a compelling dynamic: both one-north and Kent Ridge excel in terms of activity-based integration yet lag in achieving socio-economic cohesion. Interestingly, one-north has an edge, providing a larger area (an additional 6 m² per 100 m²) specifically designed to encourage interactions among individuals from diverse income levels when compared to Kent Ridge. This attribute positions one-north as a promising model for mitigating socio-economic segregation in urban districts.

Figure 2 offers a visual representation of the social spaces in both one-north and Kent Ridge, using a colour gradient from blue to red to signify the levels of heterophilous interaction. This plot reveals in both activity-based integration and socio-economic integration metrics, one-north outperforms Kent Ridge, signifying a more integrated and socially cohesive urban environment. Notably, areas around Star-vista and Fusionopolis in one-north have the highest concentration of spaces encouraging heterophilous interactions. Both clusters are characterised by integrated functionalities: Star-vista features a strategically placed shopping mall near a transit station, along with residential buildings that have ground-level commercial spaces, while Fusionopolis is a multidimensional hub combining offices, commerce, and transit facilities. This mixed-use planning in one-north translates into a more fertile ground for heterophilous interactions, suggesting an improved framework for social integration as compared to Kent Ridge.

Figure 2. This plot is presented in two rows to delineate the different aspects of integration. The upper row illustrates the intensity of activity-based integration, while the lower row focuses on the intensity of socio-economic integration. In both metrics, one-north outperforms Kent Ridge, signifying a more integrated and socially cohesive urban environment.

Further analysis narrowed the focus to three smaller sites within one-north or ‘subsites’: Biopolis, Fusionopolis, and Mediapolis. Each serves a unique industry—Biopolis specialises in biomedical research, Mediapolis in digital media, and Fusionopolis in science and engineering. Figure 3 maps the spatial distribution of areas promoting heterophilous interactions within these sub-districts. The findings indicated that Fusionopolis offers the most abundant opportunities for heterophilous interactions among diverse socio-economic and activity groups, denoted by red-colored clusters. Biopolis follows closely, displaying a significant prevalence of semi-heterophilous interactions, as indicated by yellow-colored clusters.

Figure 3. This plot highlights the intensity of activity-based integration (left) and the intensity of socio-economic integration in the three selected subsites.

4. Reference Links

Tongchaoran G., & Samson L. (2023). Socio-spatial integration in innovation districts: Singapore’s mixed-use experiment. Cities. Volume 140, 104405, ISSN 0264-2751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104405. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275123002172

 

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