The Big Read: Are HDB void decks still the community spaces we know them to be?

SINGAPORE — For several years, residents living on the lower floors of Block 638 Woodlands Ring Road often had to tolerate the loud voices of people chatting late into the night at the void deck's public tables and chairs.

The affected residents rejoiced in 2022 when Sembawang Town Council removed the concrete fixtures where the noisy night owls had tended to gather — but the new open space soon became the preferred venue for school children to play football games in the day.

Almost instantaneously, new seeds of discontent sprouted up in the same soil where the previous ones had been weeded out.

“Some of the residents here work (night) shifts, so they need rest when they come back. When the kids play football, they can whack (the ball) very hard and it’s very loud,” said Mr Harrison Yong, a 62-year-old retiree who lives in an adjacent block.

The town council partially cordoned off the void deck for more than a week in late 2023 in response to complaints about the noise.

This, Mr Yong said, was a “necessary measure” to get the message across to the children that they should not be playing there.

And it has worked. When TODAY visited the block on Monday (Jan 8), the void deck was no longer barricaded, and residents said that the football playing had stopped in recent weeks.

But the town council’s move had sparked much public debate in recent weeks on the appropriate use of common spaces in residential estates and how to manage disputes over their use.

This led to Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Syed Harun Alhabsyi filing an adjournment motion in Parliament on the issue.

“I can understand the challenges of the town councils in moderating complaints and disagreements on the ground. It is not easy,” he told the House on Tuesday.

However, Dr Syed noted that social cohesion between communities would be impacted whenever common areas of play are closed, and “areas of spontaneity” for activities like sports are restricted.

“The common space in residential estates equalises access, cuts across all layers of society and brings people together,” said the NMP.

“And because of the dynamic and spontaneous nature of such interactions, the mix is never constant, and that makes it beautiful for social cohesion.”

In another part of the island, groups of elderly men and women have been gathering around tables at the void decks of Aljunied Crescent for over a decade, playing a variety of card games throughout the day.

Not too far from them, school children like Ms Meena Kumaravel’s eight-year-old daughter can often be found playing catch and other ball games with friends she has made around the estate where she lives.

Ms Meena, a 43-year-old homemaker, said that their neighbours on lower floors do occasionally complain about the noise the children make. But, as she put it, kids “must run… they must play, they cannot sit in the house all the time”.

“(If not) they don’t develop any relationships or friendships.” 

The renewed spotlight on void decks has once again thrown up questions about their role: Is the void deck’s main purpose to facilitate social interactions? If so, should this function be prioritised over inconveniences caused to other residents?

TODAY looks at how this unique architectural feature of the nation’s public housing has evolved over the years, and what the different views people have about its use might reveal about Singapore as a society.

HOW VOID DECKS HAVE EVOLVED  

Since the 1970s, Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats have been constructed on “pillars” to free up ground level spaces. These spaces were then duly termed “void decks” by local newspapers, according to an ebook published by the National Heritage Board in 2013.

Urban planners told TODAY that void decks began with a “functional” motive — the elevated buildings provided for ventilation and flood prevention in dense urban areas.

Void decks have since seen a “significant evolution” in their design, aesthetics and purpose, said Mr Lim Keong Wee, managing director of architectural and urban planning firm Cover Projects.

He said that they have evolved into “vital community spaces” that foster social interaction and strengthen community ties — in line with the Government’s efforts to forge social bonds in HDB estates.

In response to Dr Syed’s adjournment motion, Minister of State for National Development Faishal Ibrahim said that the Government deliberately injects a range of common spaces when planning residential estates.

“This is to create opportunities for Singaporeans to interact with one another on a regular basis,” said Associate Professor Faishal. 

Void decks in older estates, which tend to be longer and more spacious, have regularly hosted a multitude of activities like weddings, funerals, and other festive celebrations over the years. 

But newer void deck designs have evolved through time to meet the community’s needs and desires, said Mr Lim, signalling yet another shift.

During this reporter’s visits to various HDB estates completed after 2018, it was more common to see larger, greenery-filled spaces integrated with amenities such as fitness corners, swings, benches and pavilions of various shapes and sizes in between blocks.

This is in line with the HDB’s Designing for Life Roadmap, which indicates the country’s goals to “build cohesive communities” through integrated developments that provide more spaces for community activities. 

On the ground floors of the blocks though, the void decks appear smaller and sometimes even maze-like, with the task of navigating from one block to another heavily dependent on well-placed signages.

According to Mr Lim, this can be attributed to the structural design of the buildings. 

“The presence of load-bearing walls on the ground floor often interrupts the open space, creating a lack of visual connection through the areas,” he said, adding that features like roof garden terraces and playgrounds are now often located at the upper levels of the HDB blocks.

“This shift in focus towards vertical communal spaces can inadvertently lead to the neglect of the void deck as a primary public space, further contributing to the sense that these ground-level areas are less central to the community experience than they once were,” he added.

Agreeing with Mr Lim, several HDB residents told TODAY that they had observed fewer tables and chairs at the ground-level void decks in newer estates for people to mingle.

“I think it’s good in a sense that after 10pm it won’t be so noisy, but the bad thing is that there are less interactions,” said Mr Zim Ridwan, a 25-year-old Woodlands resident who was visiting a friend who lived in a newer estate in Yishun.

“You might not even know who stays in your block.”

VOID DECK USAGE — WHO’S RIGHT OR WRONG?

Singapore’s void decks are unique because they “opportunistically” combine several different functions all within a tight, built-up area, said assistant professor Tan Shin Bin of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

“For instance, void decks double up as ‘circulation space’ for people to walk around, making the HDB estates more pedestrian friendly than if we didn’t have them,” Asst Prof Tan said.

But trying to fit different and potentially conflicting functions into one space harmoniously is an uphill task, she added, citing the clash of opinions among residents over the years.

Back in 2016, following public criticism, the Marine Parade Town Council made a U-turn in its decision to ban residents from playing chess in common areas after long-standing complaints of players blocking covered walkways. Instead, it put up posters urging people to “please be considerate”.

In the recent case of the void deck at Woodlands Ring Road however, the inconveniences to the residents living above have been deemed, twice, to outweigh the social benefits for those who had caused them.

Similarly, a video posted on TikTok last week by sport and lifestyle blog TMSG showed a multi-purpose hall in Pasir Ris with nails stuck on its walls — purportedly serving to puncture balls. The video garnered over 65,000 views and over 200 comments in six days.

When TODAY visited the hall on Tuesday, there were also wide, knee-level barricades that can be moved either outwards — to create temporary partitions to prevent the free-playing of ball games — or inwards to free up space for other activities.

The hall serves as a link between the surrounding HDB blocks and Pasir Ris West Plaza and has relatively high foot traffic throughout the day.

TODAY understands that there have been past complaints of errant balls hitting and injuring passers-by.

Residents in the surrounding blocks said that both the nails and the barricades have been in place for several years, and agreed that the measures were effective in reducing the frequency in which school children played there.

However, they had mixed opinions on whether the measures were necessary.

“I think it’s a good measure so they won’t kick so hard. When they play, they’re not so violent because they know there are nails,” said 57-year-old driver Roger Ng, who lives in a HDB block beside the multi-purpose hall. 

Still, Mr Ng has no problems with children using the space to play in general. 

“As kids, we all like to play. As long as they’re not out doing bad things, it’s good for them to get together, pass time and grow up. It’s healthy,” he said.

Another Pasir Ris resident who wanted to be known only as Ms Diana said that she feels “sad” about the town council discouraging kids to play there, as they might not have other options near their homes for such activities. 

The 32-year-old who works in the education sector pointed to the cost of booking “proper” courts for games like football, adding that the booking process on these platforms can be competitive too.

“I feel like it’s just part of community living. I don’t mind (the hall) being a bit dirty or noisy — just let people play, it’s a shared space,” she said.

IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO SETTLE DISPUTES?

The tendency for conflicts to arise is a natural outcome of high-density living, said sociologist Shannon Ang of Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

“The more people you put together, the more likely practices from one neighbour will conflict with the needs of another,” he said.

But, Dr Ang observed, the ways in which Singaporeans choose to handle disputes are not ideal — like the common pattern of relegating the resolution of community conflicts to the state by submitting complaints to MPs or taking legal action, for instance.

Agreeing, Ms Suzanah Murad, who lives in an older HDB estate in Jurong, told TODAY that she believes Singaporeans can be “very rigid” in their approach to resolving disputes.

“Maybe it’s the way we’ve been educated or how we grew up. Our mindset is to complain about anything — the town council is first, then we go to our MP, then we go to the ministry,” said the 53-year-old executive assistant.

“Instead of thinking out of the box or finding other avenues to solve the issue, we’ll go to the town council… and it’ll be their fault if the problem isn’t solved.”

Indeed, in response to TODAY's queries, MP for Mountbatten Lim Biow Chuan said that in his experience, most residents are "generally tolerant" of noise at common areas, but they would file a complaint to the town council if the situation "becomes excessive".

In such cases, the town council will engage the parties involved to try to resolve the matter amicably. “A lot will depend on parties willingness to give and take. After all, many of them are fellow residents and neighbours,” said Mr Lim.

Assoc Prof Faishal had said in Parliament that certain interventions brought about by town councils in order to resolve disputes “may seem harsh”, but they are “necessary to balance the interests of all residents”.

Dr Ang added that due to society's strong emphasis on self-reliance over the years, people tend to be primarily concerned about improving themselves and their immediate families, seldom extending their efforts to the wider community.

This leads Singaporeans to “generally keep to themselves unless they are being inconvenienced in some way” he said.

“This means that community organising is often not front-of-mind for most people as a potential solution to most things in Singapore.

“Without regular and considered interaction in the community, it is little wonder that conflicts tend to escalate when they arise.”

Last year, Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong announced that disputing neighbours in some cases, such as those involving noise, will be required to go for mandatory mediation — with penalties imposed on them if they fail to show up.

“But this doesn’t really address the fact that neighbours don’t know how to deal with each other directly and (have to) rely on external parties,” said Dr Ang.

One way to work out a common solution amid communal friction is by taking an educational approach to the matter, said Assistant Prof Tan of NUS.

“Residents could be engaged in workshops to build consensus around which types of uses should be supported or restricted in void decks — and to brainstorm possible solutions to deconflict different functions,” she said.

Doing so could have multiple benefits of building community through engagement processes, she added.

For instance, the final outcome would be one that residents more or less agree with and are invested in upholding. 

“If residents are more engaged, void decks could present an opportunity to become active sites for community empowerment than they currently are.” 

MORE COMMUNITY-LED SPONTANEITY IN VOID DECKS

While void decks may have had their share of bad publicity, there are also those which have become repositories of well-received community initiatives.

Take the Yishun Superhero Library, a popular and thriving community library. It started out with a mere shoe rack in 2019, but has since grown with shelves, tables and adornments to take up half of the entire void deck.

Its primary caretaker, 69-year-old retiree Chia Kam Poi, told TODAY that a not-insignificant number of passers-by often come by to drop off books, toys and clothes, with an equal number taking away things with them. 

Its visitors cut across the age spectrum since the library is located underneath a block comprising HDB rental flats. It is also beside an active ageing centre and is a five-minute walk from a nearby kindergarten.

All of its books are donated by people far and near and cater to most demographics, but the library’s main purpose is to serve as an inspiration and equaliser to less privileged children — much like a superhero.

Such a community library is not unique in Singapore, but many do not last very long. Notably, one man who decided to start his own community library in Boon Lay last year had its shelves stolen less than a day after he spent months setting it up.

When TODAY visited another such library in Anchorvale in Sengkang, this reporter observed several primary school children throwing books out of its shelves and onto the floor, without any apparent reason.

But such instances are to be “expected”, said Mr Chia, and it is up to the community to call out such bad etiquette and use it as an opportunity to teach younger people on the right way to act in shared spaces.

The former engineer added that his library’s success comes down to the dedication shown by a small group of senior citizens who treat the library like their own.

“The community also needs to feel that they have ownership of this place, and care what happens to the place,” he said.

Still, not everyone had been happy with its existence, ironically because the users of a supposedly quiet space were causing noise disturbances to the residents upstairs — a familiar tale.

Having brought in comfortable seats for its users sometime in 2021, the Superhero Library became an ideal place for people to sit and talk late into the night.

Since then, the library has implemented a no-chair policy and late night noise is no longer an issue.  

Mr Chia even quips that he is now friends with the residents who initially made those complaints — an example of how disagreements can lead to a mutual understanding in the wider community. 

HDB residents around the country told TODAY that such community initiatives can make neighbourhoods more vibrant and give people a reason to spend time with their neighbours.

In 2016, the HDB launched the Lively Places Programme to support community-led efforts to enliven public spaces in Singapore. 

The programme includes a fund which can provide Singapore citizens and permanent residents with reimbursements of up to S$20,000, and requires projects to meet four key criteria:

• Strengthen bonds in the local community
• Reach out to diverse community groups
• Contribute volunteering hours or resources that make up at least 30 per cent of the approved funds
• Offer volunteering opportunities for the community

As of 2021, according to HDB, more than 180 residents and schools have initiated a variety of projects — including a lego-inspired workshop space at a void deck on Tah Ching Road and the painting of “Instagram-worthy” 3D wall murals on void deck walls in Woodlands Drive 62.

Still, some long-time HDB flat dwellers, like 61-year-old Marsiling resident Tong Ping Heng, believe that there needs to be fewer regulations for void decks and the holding of various activities in order for these common spaces to truly fulfil the function of community bonding.

“It is in our human DNA to be a community being. Void decks give us a sense of community, belonging, identity, language that is unique to our culture and country.

“I think if the HDB or town councils put up too many rules and regulations on void decks, that may have the unintended consequence of making it really like a deck void of people,” said Mr Tong, who is also the managing director and co-founder of SmartRx, a healthcare technology company which produces vending machines containing medications placed around Singapore.

For sociologist Dr Ang, void decks present a unique opportunity for communities to express what they are about and how they negotiate communal living with each other.

“It gives communities a chance to fill the space with their imagination of how they want to live together.

“If void decks end up being more of a source of conflict instead of a place of possibility and promise — that’s on us.”