Urban informality and everyday (night)life: a field study in Singapore

Abstract

Urban informality and everyday (night)life: a field study in SingaporeIn recent years, cities at the cusps of postmodernism and cosmopolitanism have begun to recognise the social and economic gains generated by urban nightlife in terms of employment, tourism and civic boosterlsm. One would therefore expect to see from the 'contemporisation', commodification and control of urban nightlife a grodual demise of urban informality on the city streets at night. Taking the global city of Singapore as a departure point for our investigation, we argue that spatial and temporal urban modes of informal practices are not only alive and well but also co-exist alongside the formal night-time economy. Adopting a three-fold ethnographic approach that combines the research methods of flânerie, photography and narration, this field study uncovers everyday |night)life as it unfolds in the Banglodeshi ethnic quarter of Singapore's Little India. In so doing, this paper contributes to wider understandings of urban informality by revealing the significance of informal urban nightscapes on the everyday lives of urban dwellers and discussing their implications for a global city like Singapore. Globalisation and the night-time economyThe night is difTerent, its opposition to day marked by darkness and danger. But its fears are balanced by its freedoms. Night offers escape from the drudgeries of the day, the routines that define humanity in specific duties, obligations, and tasks. (Palmer, 2000,13) New Yorkers throng Times Square for the annual New Year's Eve countdown and remain fixated in the festive atmosphere until the early hours of the morning; Barcelonans stroll along Las Ramblas after a late-night order of tapas and are entertained by an array of quirky buskers; Tokyoites while away the moonlit hours with afterwork drinks in one of the many traditional kissatens (Japanese-style coffeehouses) dotted around the city; while, in the alleyways of Vancouver's most drug-possessed neighbourhood, heroin addicts search for their next fix. The night-time city plays a significant role in the lives of urban dwellers as it represents a time for merriment, socialisation, escapism and transgressive behaviour In a '24-hour city', an ordinary day in the life of an urban dweller need not cease at sundown; rather, cities are likely to be more intensely lived and experienced

The Spatial Pattern and Influencing Factors of China’s Nighttime Economy Utilizing POI and Remote Sensing Data

“…Current research on the NTE has established a vitality index, including indicators such as catering, accommodations, tourism, shopping, entertainment, and fitness; the index has a highly significant correlation with the level of development of the regional economy and the tourism industry [3]. The NTE has brought social and economic benefits to the tourism industry, employment for residents, and citizen propaganda [14,51]. Nighttime economic development needs to promote transportation strategies corresponding to the dimensions of space and time to meet the night transportation needs of residents and tourists [52].…”

“…On the one hand, from the perspective of the functional value of the NTE, innovation in the NTE has promoted improvements in product quality, industrial structure innovation, and supply-side service innovation; moreover, it plays an important role in shaping urban social space and driving urban economic growth [10,13]. Moreover, the social and economic benefits of urban nightlife in employment, tourism, and residents' daily life are highlighted [14]. However, from the perspective of the existing problems of the NTE, although it is highly correlated with the development of cities, it has also caused many disruptions in social, economic, cultural, and other aspects, such as alcohol abuse, disorder, security risks, and other problems caused by nighttime activities [15][16][17][18].…”

Migrant worker recreational centres, accidental diversities and new relationalities in Singapore

“…Subsequent work has focused on the spatial terrain of ‘enclavement, exception and enclosure’ of migrant workers and the governmentality of their spatio-temporal rhythms of work, provision, leisure and rest (Yeoh et al, 2017). Studies centred on Little India and town centres with a high concentration of migrant worker dormitories have found interesting urban informalities persisting against capitalist commodification and state regulation (Su-Jan et al, 2012; Ye, 2013), as well as distressed living conditions, heavy policing and the securitisation of everyday lives (Hamid, 2015; Kornatowksi, 2017; Loong, 2018). These point to what Ong (2006) calls ‘zoning technologies’ employed by Asian developmental states to coordinate urban planning with capitalist market mechanisms to produce spaces of variegated citizenship.…”

Night and the city: Clubs, brothels and politics in Jakarta

“…Looking at the role of street children in Antananarivo, Morelle and Fournet-Guérin (2006) show the different visions city dwellers have of the city at night, and how the absence of physical homes leads to ambivalent relationships with the city. In Singapore, Su-Jan et al (2012) study the role of minimarts at night, analysing how, in a well-controlled global city, night time gives more opportunities for informal practices. These studies point to the role of more or less invisible processes of control and transgression in the city, where the night makes visible these interconnected tensions.…”