Abstract
Adaptive reuse has been touted as an effective solution to the problem of building obsolescence, with its benefits firmly established within the context of sustainable development. Increased awareness for the need to reduce global emissions and new global trends in transportation such as vehicle-sharing services and the push for car-lite cities may render significant amounts of parking space obsolete. Therein lies an opportunity to explore how such spaces, particularly in multi-storey carparks (MSCPs), can be converted for other uses. However, there is little within the existing literature that discusses adaptive reuse of MSCPs. This study aimed to explore the concept by focusing on inputs from end-users, which had rarely been considered in existing research on adaptive reuse. This was explored through a study of residents’ perceptions on the adaptive reuse of MSCPs within Singapore’s public housing developments for community use. An explanatory mixed methods study consisting of a structured survey, followed by focus group discussion, was conducted to collect and analyze responses from residents within a public housing development in Singapore. The study found a high level of support for adaptive reuse of the MSCP among research participants and identified their priorities in terms of the type of uses and improvements to make the space more conducive for community use. Common themes were derived that could be applied to future adaptive reuse projects in other public housing developments in Singapore.