IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of rapid urbanisation on place attachment in Sembawang, a residential district in northern Singapore. Positioned within the field of emotional geography, it explores how emotional bonds to place are formed, challenged, and reshaped through lived experiences amid urban transformation. Sembawang’s layered histories and evolving landscape provide a rich context for examining how development influences residents’ sense of connection to their environment. Engaging critically with Singapore’s “Loveable City” initiative, the study interrogates prevailing definitions of lovability by foregrounding street-level narratives. It argues that cultivating a truly loveable city requires attention to diverse voices, everyday encounters, and the emotional textures of place. Storytelling is employed as a creative and methodological approach to surface the layered dimensions of lived experience. Storytelling makes visible residents’ emotional and affective ties with their environment. It articulates the forms of attachment with place. Informed by affective theories, the research breaks down the emotional connections in subtle, everyday practices. It highlights the significance and acknowledges the tensions and pluralities in residents’ narratives. Through this lens, the study seeks to surface the nuanced ways individuals negotiate their attachments, navigate urban transformation, and construct meaning within Sembawang. In essence, this study emphasises that fostering a loveable Sembawang involves recognising the interconnected stories that inhabit its spaces—stories that cultivate and sustain attachments, and inspire affection for place.