At a time when more residents are spending extended periods, including working and learning, at home, it has become increasingly important for HDB residents to be good neighbours to one another. Good neighbourliness and simple acts of kindness will go a long way in promoting a pleasant living environment.

Looking Out For One Another

At HDB, the Community Relations Group actively rallies HDB residents to be considerate and to exercise mutual respect and tolerance, through various events and initiatives. In 2020, they digitally crowd-sourced tips on being good neighbours and publicised them widely via digital display panels at void decks, screens at town and community plazas, and on social media.

Community Relations Manager Koh Shu Yi, who worked on the initiative, recalls a heart-warming story: “A resident shared that she gifted cookies to her new neighbours before renovation, to apologise in advance for the noise and inconvenience. When she finally moved in, her neighbours gave her 2 pots of plants in return, as a welcome gift.”

These may be small gestures, Shu Yi says, but they can bring about big and positive change. “Through our public education efforts, I hope residents will be inspired to be more understanding towards one another, as well as take the initiative to help and get to know fellow neighbours, so that stronger bonds can be built over time.”

Creating Our Homes Together

Beyond strengthening neighbourly ties in the HDB heartlands, the Community Relations Group engages residents to enhance the vibrancy of the shared spaces and facilities in their neighbourhoods. During pre-COVID days, Community Relations Manager Lee Si Min and her team relied heavily on face-to-face interactions when interacting with the community. Though safe distancing restrictions threw them a curveball, they quickly realised that digital engagement opened up a world of opportunities.

In the past, the team conducted physical workshops for residents to share aspirations for their town under the Remaking Our Heartland rejuvenation programme. However, Si Min was pleasantly surprised to discover that the switch to virtual workshops did not diminish the level and quality of engagement; if anything, the virtual setting added richness and depth to the conversations.

“The virtual workshops attracted a more diverse group of residents from all walks of life, who felt they could exchange their views and contribute new ideas with their neighbours more freely,” she explains.”

Similarly, digital tools became the conduit for the community to co-create art under HDB’s Community Art Project (CAP), where residents and students were asked to paint their vision of what heartland living could look like in the future. Originally planned to be a large-scale physical art jamming event, the CAP team creatively leveraged a digital painting platform that enabled the community to participate safely, from the comfort of their homes.

“One of my favourite pieces is by a student who imagined a future where greenery is integrated into HDB blocks, to create a ‘city in nature’ and a healthier, more comfortable environment for residents,” says Community Relations Manager Peh Yang Yu. “Their vision of HDB living may well inspire and shape the planning and design of future HDB towns, neighbourhoods and flats.”