Abstract
At a time where neighbourhood ties seem to be declining, society’s expectations remain high that such local relations can be mobilized to manage a range of social issues. From a policy perspective, can the neighbourhood do more? Analyzing five waves of pooled cross-sectional data from Singapore between 2001 and 2009, we observe significant variations in neighbouring activity across residential contexts (e.g. public vs. private) as well as across time. By using the exceptional case of Singapore (small country, strong administrative capacity and high levels of public housing ownership), our study highlights the importance of public housing allocation and provision policies in fostering higher rates of neighbouring and neighbourly sentiments (compared to private housing estates); the positive connection between neighbourhood sentiment and national sentiment; and the sustainability of such effects over time.
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