Haha…. I can tell that you are the anti-thesis of marketing and other gobbledygook which disguises itself as guru speak. Or gahmen speak. Well, I guess there is a certain effect which mainstream media does to a quiet and rustic neighbourhood.

(Yes, I’m biased.)

Addendum to the general discussion: the other problem is that the “branding” of neighbourhoods in Singapore tends to happen after the mainstream media runs some glowing story about what a nice place the neighbourhood is turning out to be — which then leads some kaypoh government agency to immediately swoop in and tinker with the mix, which was doing fine by itself in the first place, thereby ruining it entirely. Having one’s neighbourhood written up in the Straits Times is starting to turn into a death knell …

Good points raised there. Personally, I feel that any kind of brand should have strong sense of belonging in order to succeed. Of course, the dilemma (which I have faced myself) is when the multiple stakeholders don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye.

Maybe what tym highlighted is valid on identifying neighbourhood “best practices” that can be transplanted from one to another. Of course, these have to be subject to factors that are comparatively equal from one estate to another.

Also I think that a lot of neighbourhoods in Singapore already have their individual character or personality. Bottling it in a brand might kill it, really (exhibit A: Holland Village or Dempsey, even though the latter isn’t residential). The more important role a government can play is to see what factors worked well in a particular neighbourhood (e.g. low rent, certain existing demographics, certain mix of commercial and residential appeal) to make it flourish in the first place — and then LEAVE IT ALONE, but maybe try to replicate those factors in, say, new housing estates (not existing neighbourhoods that are doing just fine without government tinkering).

Personally, I’ve been thinking more and more that the whole model of strictly separating commercial use from residential purposes is at odds with building lively neighbourhoods and creating of viable alternatives to Orchard Road 😛

But then again, will the branding be what the residents want? Or what the Government wants?

Agree with you on that. I think any successful branding exercise must first look deep within, and the same applies to neighbourhoods. What I have in mind is something more organic and driven from within as opposed to something that is influenced by external factors. Of course, different people may have different interpretations of what their neighbourhood is about and finding that middle ground could be a challenge.

Haha… I guess I was trying to suggest something more bottoms-up in a bright-eyed bushy tailed manner. Am certainly aware of the realities of the situation, and the immense difficulty in getting everybody to think in one direction. At the back of my mind, I am sure that such a concept of place identity exists in the various neighbourhoods in Singapore, but somehow it doesn’t quite get crystallised.

Sigh… I guess you are right about the uncivic-minded neighbour, who still exist in droves in the different estates in Singapore. I suppose I was inspired by how States and cities in Australia like Melbourne, Sydney and Perth have marketed and positioned themselves so well, and how we can have a little bit of that “zonal consciousness”.

Speaking of which the Peranakan Museum will be opening next Friday, with a carnival over the whole of next weekend (Saturday and Sunday). Let me know if you are keen to pop by and I’ll try to arrange something. 🙂

the residents are so now divided over basic issues of who puts the plants where/who feeds the animals/cull everything in sight.

i honestly don’t think singaporeans are ready for it.

most of the town councils are just sterile. they jump to the tune of who complains loudest and try to match that to their strict guidelines without flexibility.

then, there’s the tiny issue of property prices. those in the ‘branded estates’ might get inflated yet again. not that it isn’t already.