Uploaded on 2015-10-13 by purrinsky

My top 5 livability criteria are as follows: - Sanitation - Culture - Safety - Environment - International connectivity **2. Why do we live where we live?** ![Where I live][1] I live at Keppel Bay, in a waterfront condominium estate on the south of Singapore, near Sentosa, a popular island getaway for tourists and locals. I live where I live because: - Family: My mother was one who chose and purchased the apartment. In Singapore, both rental and property prices are high. With the exception of married couples, it is difficult for young adults to afford their own place. Hence I live where I live because it is where my family chose to live. - Accessibility: Our family chose the location mainly due to is accessibility. There is a bus stop directly outside our estate with direct buses to town and the CBD along with other major neighbourhoods in Singapore. The subway station (or MRT as it is called in Singapore) is a 15 minute walk away, with service for the North-East Line and Circle Line, which covers not only the CBD but also many upcoming neighbourhoods, most of which are around a 30 minute train ride away. By car, the CBD is a maximum 15 minute drive, and a 30 minute drive to our respective workplaces. Singapore's largest shopping center and the cruise center (which has ferries to local and foreign island getaways) is also a 15minutes walk away. Our family also frequently visits Sentosa, which is a 5 minute drive and 20 min walk away. In short, where I live is incredibly accessible. ![enter image description here][2] ![5min walk to train station and mall][3] - Recreation possibilities: Living near a major tourist attraction has its perks and recreation possibilities is one. The nearby mall (Vivo City) has a Yoga Studio, a games arcade and a large cinema. At Sentosa Island, there's the beach, world's current largest oceanarium, a water theme park, Universal studios and many other tourist attractions. In addition to that, Gillman Barracks (a collection of art galleries), Hort Park and Labrador park are also nearby. ![Vivo City image by Chris Chrissss][4] ![Sentosa][5] - Environment: As stated previously, I live in a waterfront estate that is within walking distance of two parks and a nature trial. So not only is the place close to nature, it also offers fantastic views, which is one of the main reasons why we chose to buy the house. ![View from my balcony][6] ![Photo by William Cho][7] - Safety: Singapore in general is an extremely safe country, but some places are arguably grittier than others. Keppel Bay is an extremely clean (in all sense of the word) area, and as a young woman, I can walk home alone at 3am in the morning with absolutely no fear for my safety. **3. To what extend does your own place of residence fulfill your ideal livability criteria?** I would rate my place of residence, based on the livability criteria I selected in question one, a score of 90. I would give Singapore a livability score of 83 using the same scale. **4. What would you change?** The biggest change I would make to my place of residence and Singapore in general (seeing as Singapore is quite small), is to improve mobility. Despite its size, Singapore is planned around cars and is not ideal for walking or cycling. For example, where I live, it is not possible to walk to Tanjong Pagar, which is 4km away from my house as the road for pedestrians is literally cut off halfway. In fact, there is no direct road for pedestrians leading to a hawker centre that is 2km away from where I love. In addition, walkways for pedestrians are extremely narrow and can barely accommodate cyclists. Ironically, there are no bicycle lanes in Singapore and cyclists are forced to brave the open roads. Taking into account the rising car prices, increasing traffic jams and delays in the subway, providing more options for personal mobility seems to be the solution. To improve personal mobility, I will first legalize personal transporters (such as Segways and electric scooters) which are currently officially 'illegal' to ride outside of private estates. I will then widen walkways and introduce bike lanes by closing down one car lane if necessary. This will both encourage more residents to either travel via walking, bicycle or using other personal transporters and thus reduce car ownership and traffic. Taking into account Singapore's incredibly hot and humid weather, the walkways will be sheltered. To compliment the bicycle/personal transporter lanes, a bike share program will also be introduced. If possible, showering stations will also be placed at the main bike share stations to allow cyclists or pedestrians to freshen up before going into the office. **5. Why do we move?** The top three places I would like to move to are: - Tokyo - Taipei - Melbourne The 5 qualities that these three places share that led me to consider them as potential residences are: 1. Safety: as a single young woman, safety is a priority to me wherever I live. Not only are crime rates low in these three places, they also *feel* safe, which is just as important as being actually safe. 2. Strong cultural presence: Tokyo, Taipei and Melbourne are all very cultural places. Buskers, artworks , exhibitions, boutique cafes and eateries can be found everywhere. Furthermore, active local communities can be found in all of these 3 cities, leading to frequent local markets and other activities. Also, strong Asian culture can be found in these three places, which for an Asian such as myself, is comforting. 3. Transport: public transport is well developed in all of these three cities, making it convenient to get around 4. International connectivity: All 3 cities are metropolises in their own right. While local culture remains prominent, many international trade and events too take place in these cities. One would not be cut off from the rest of the world while living in any of these three places. 5. Environment: Although these three places are all metropolises, two of which are capitals of their country, they are not claustrophobic and full of nothing but tall buildings. Pockets of open public spaces and greenery can be found throughout the city. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1444765056788719.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14447653279723796.jpg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14447654539319634.jpg [4]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14447653956620322.jpg [5]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14447655324873076.jpg [6]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1444765554303620.jpg [7]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14447655723894912.jpg