Community preparedness and resilience in neighbourhoods

Abstract

The focus of this project is to study and gather insights of the Singaporean community on their perception towards public security and how it could be shaped into building social preparedness. Peace and stability in Singapore has allowed the people here to focus on living their daily lives with minimal concerns on security issues. Throughout the years of peace, citizens has developed a sense of security, leaving the weight of such concerns onto the shoulders of civil services and authorities. The hectic lifestyle and dependence on social media have slowly diminished the effectiveness of community involvement efforts. This project also aims to integrate the community into having a role to play in the build up of resilience through unconventional practices. There is also the consideration on the inclusion of technology as part of this project with the intention of using connectivity and accessibility. The Helpout system, a digital hub for developing neighbourhood cohesion and preparedness is the conceptual outcome for this project. It consists of a physical product and a mobile application which compliments each other. The Helpout system aims to accustom the neighbourhood community into helping each other despite their unfamiliarity. Helpout is a visual notification system that subtly notifies and directs help to neighbours based on the respective individual’s capability. Helpout also centralizes information for residents as it pulls data from existing mobile apps to provide updates on situations happening in affected neighbourhoods.