Urban imprints of a networked society : belonging in neighbourhoods with international schools

With an increasing number of international schools setting up to cater to expatriates in Singapore, having international schools in neighbourhoods may become common place. As the neighbourhood is an important site for socialisation and belonging, changes to the neighbourhood brought about by international schools needs to be studied. This study will analyse the socio-spatial effect of international schools on neighbourhood to understand if residents’ sense of belonging is affected. This study found that the physical and social space has a significant effect on perceptions of neighbourhood. Both of which are essential for residents’ sense of familiarity and belonging. Physical changes are most salient to residents making international schools with purpose-built campuses more distinct. Since expatriate families tend to live in private housing estates, spatial segregation exists between expatriates and a majority of locals. Thus, despite living in the same neighbourhood, expatriates may live parallel lives from most localsBachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Global Affair