Strengthening Social Networks

Disproportionately on rules, fines and "nannies" to clean up messes instead of cultivating personal responsibility, this leads to superficial maintenance of order.

- Karen Tee

Without emotional involvement like a genuine sense of pride and community duty, shared services will continue to remain vulnerable to neglect and misuse.

So how can we develop this culture of care? Clearly, rules and enforcement aren't enough. One possibility is to strengthen social networks, through community-based models that tap into local pride and foster real connections.

Take the informal but well-organised groups of animal lovers caring for neighbourhood cats in many HDB estates. These networks, born of gentle advocacy and education, have helped shift attitudes dramatically.

It warms my heart to see cats thriving in tidy "homes" at void decks, with carers even drawing up rosters to feed and tidy up after the cats and residents stopping by to share a moment with their furry neighbours.

It's a sense of collective ownership over the space, a reminder that shared resources work best when everyone feels they have a stake in them, rather than leaving it to "someone else".