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| Holland Village MRT Station |
Holland Village is going through urban renewal again, with the newly erected Circle Line MRT station and plans to build a Community Park. The new Circle Line MRT has definitely made Holland Village more accessible to people, increasing crowd numbers especially during evenings and on weekends. A recent newspaper article mentioned that in the first 2 weeks of the opening of the MRT station, visitor numbers increased so much that regular customers were scared off, not wanting to jostle with the large crowd.
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Artist’s Impression of community park |
While the Community Park may seem like a good idea to maximize common space in Holland Village since residents and visitors can gather together and relax in the ‘green space’, there are more underlying implications. This park will result in a great change to the physical landscape of Holland Village. Over time, the old charm of Holland Village that was what made it stood out from other shopping streets in Singapore will be lost, eroding its identity even further.
It is clear that changing Holland Village’s image will cause a change in the place identity, the people who visit and the memories they have of Holland Village that, in the end, form the Holland Village identity. Holland Village itself has its own unique identity because of its rich history, and by deliberately creating a culture in Holland Village, we are in fact eroding its true identity.
Thus, my suggestion to enhance identity would be to conserve Holland Village instead of adding drastic changes. Restoring and conserving the shophouses, and preserving several businesses that have been there for more than 30 years, will help to preserve its old charm and nostalgia that brings back good memories. While Holland Village may lose some of its economic potential, preserving its old identity will naturally attract people and tourists to relax in this timeless place. Trying to commercialize the place and turn it into a tourist attraction will only leave behind memories of its charm that will soon be erased with time.
To enhance commonality, more eateries in Holland Village should sell local fare that is both cheap and good. This will ensure that the needs of both locals and expatriates are catered for, making it less exclusive for the expatriates. After all, Singapore is known for being a ‘food haven’, and having more of such eating-places will become a common space for both locals and expatriates to interact. The food should also be sold cheaply so that more locals would patronize the stall.
As for residents, a historical walk/tour of the Holland Village could be organised. This will allow them to better appreciate the uniqueness of Holland Village and they will be able to bond on this shared knowledge, serving as a common space for them.
