Lianhe Zaobao, 新科大研究：常碰面不等于社会凝聚力强 组屋邻里关系仍须深耕

(Summarised translation)

SUTD’s Project BOND study, involving 65 residents from two HDB estates with different configurations of rental and sold units, found that physical proximity and frequent encounters do not automatically develop into trust or meaningful mutual support, with many interactions remaining brief greetings at places such as lift lobbies, coffee shops and bus stops.

LKYCIC Research Fellow Suhaila Binte Zainal Shah shared that housing layout nevertheless matters: locating rental and sold units within the same block, particularly on the same floor, creates more opportunities for interaction than placing them in separate blocks. Digital platforms such as WhatsApp and group-buy chats can also help residents connect and lead to offline friendships. LKYCIC Professorial Research Fellow Harvey Neo emphasised that stronger social cohesion requires both thoughtful spatial design and sustained social and community efforts to turn everyday encounters into meaningful relationships.