AY 2017/18

AY1718G20.3 – “Design a Singapore World Water Day outreach campaign to tertiary students”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Water

Siow Lee Xian, Tan Guan Ming, Tan Yi Xuan, Erica, Xia Mian

Academic Advisor: Mr. N Sivasothi
Industry Advisor: PUB

Water conservation is a critical issue globally but city-dwellers with access to cheap water may need reminders about conservation. Most student residents of RVRC agree this is important and would participate in a fun facts poster campaign or competition. We recorded water consumption over two weeks during a “do you know” poster campaign in Block D and the following week; and also at Block E as control. In Block D, the average daily water consumption was 1,670L during the campaign week and 1,430L the week after. At Block E, average water consumption remained at 2,000L/block over two weeks. Meanwhile, the strongest reaction by residents to the water rationing exercise in RVRC was “meaningful”, followed by “Inconvenient”. A longer period of monitoring would provide more reliable data.
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Keywords: water conservation, nudge, poster, reminders, water consumption.

AY1718G20.2 – “Reducing Single-use Disposables in RVRC Dining Hall”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Food

Lai Ying Xian, Prasha Maithani, Tjiu Karuna Bakti Sudarsono, Wee Li Shuen

Academic Advisor: Mr. N Sivasothi
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

Plastic pollution currently poses a serious threat to our natural environments, flora and fauna. A major contributor to this pollution are food service operations, even on tertiary education campuses. In this project, we investigated the reduction in the use of plastic bags used in RVRC dining hall by loaning out lunch boxes. The number of lunchboxes needed was estimated based on a survey conducted and data from the dining hall collected over a period of 6 months. The Lunchbox Rental Programme (LBRP) was executed from 5th to 9th March, and 12th March, between 8 -10:30 am. We found that lunchboxes rental did not effectively reduce plastic bag usage and inconvenience was the primary reason. We concluded that the habit of a convenient lifestyle is accountable for the excessive consumption of single-use plastic disposables. As a future consideration, the convenience that the proposed solution entails should be analysed before its launch.

Keywords: Food, Food Waste, Lunch boxes rental, Plastics waste, Food containers

AY1718G20.1 – “The Door Gift Conundrum”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Chew Yu Ning, Lynn, Lee Wei Bin, Liu Yingnan, Natalie Phang Suet Yee, Toh Yong Jian

Academic Advisor: Mr. N Sivasothi
Industry Advisor: Earthys

Event Organisers provide door gifts as they think that event-goers want and expect it. However, observations of campus events point to disposal without use of many item types. In this project, we investigated the importance of door gifts in attracting event-goers and the possibility of reducing such resource investment and wastage. With an online survey, 169 event goers, aged 18-65, were evaluated for their views and preferences for door gifts. Event Organisers were interviewed to understand why they choose to provide door gifts and if they were willing to accept sustainable solutions. The results suggested door gifts are not a critical factor to event-goers in choosing to attend an event and Event Organisers were willing to consider sustainable solutions. With the trend of receiving door gifts, however, door gifts reduction, first through sustainable alternatives could be attempted gradually over time.

Keywords: Waste, Event waste, Door gifts, Habits survey, Responsible consumption

AY1718G18.3 – “A Nudge Theory – A Step Closer Towards a Sustainable Landscape”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Melisa Lukito, Ng Kai Cong, Ong Yan Zhi, Ooi Jun Wei

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Industry Advisor: UCI

Empowering campus communities to participate in and influence decision-making processes that ultimately affect their lives is critical for sustainability (Cervoni et al. 2008). As NUS is at a strategic phase in setting up a sustainable campus, student input can and should be incorporated in meaningful ways. Our project explored stakeholders’ perception and awareness of ‘WaterSmart’ and sustainable landscapes to test a systematic approach for participatory design solutions on campus. Using the RVRC landscape as our case study, we conducted a quantitative survey to examine residents’ perception and awareness of ‘water smart landscapes’ as a sustainable alternative. Our results highlighted that staff prioritised functionality while students prioritised aesthetics. Sustainability was not a high priority for either stakeholder group. The respondents also scored low on awareness of sustainable alternatives. We recommend information sharing as a key component of the participatory design process for the successful implementation of campus infrastructure improvements.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Green design, Green Spaces

AY1718G18.2 – “Eat Well Live Well: Student willingness to shift to sustainable food options”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Food

Anana Nandakumar Chari, Cheng Yifan, Lim Zi Lin, Tan Xinpei, Tang Kai Qi

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

Getting millenials to adopt sustainable food options, in spite of higher costs, is possible (Gibbs A, 2016). Our project tested this finding in NUS Residential Colleges, with our target audience being RVRC residents. Using a combined methodology of an online survey, a pilot test and an awareness campaign for adopting sustainable food options, we evaluated if consumers’ perceptions and behaviours coincide. Our awareness campaign included digital posters and WhatsApp reminders. Survey results ranked cost and taste of food over sustainability. We also found that between ‘health of food’ and ‘taste and cost of food’, the latter was more valued. This matched the perception survey results. However, the results of our pilot test conducted at the RVRC dining hall by offering sustainable menu options indicated otherwise. This contradiction could be due to many external factors. Our project provides some valuable insight about attitudes of students with regards to sustainable eating but it cannot be considered conclusive. We recommend a more extensive pilot test to obtain more meaningful results.

Keywords: Food, Sustainable diet, Campaign, Eating habits

 

AY1718G18.1 – “Walk The Ridge”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Chua Wei Ting, Hung Ding Liang, Javis Liu, Leong Jin Kai, Pu Ren Wei

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Industry Advisor: UCI

Travelling on the NUS campus can involve riding shuttle buses, walking, cycling etc. However, these options are coupled with the challenges of long distances, uneven terrain and tropical climate variability. Our project aims to study the feasibility of an alternative walking option, an elevated Forest Canopy Walk, around the ridge to promote walking and reduce transportation burden. In particular, our project focuses on determining the most viable access points for such a pedestrian link. Our methodology included field work to measure existing pedestrian travel times, analysis of campus topography and a visual inspection of the proposed access points for the loop. Student willingness to walk was a key criteria that we assessed, and substantiated from the work of our collaborating teams. Our feasibility study ended with positive results and we propose Science Building 4 (S4), Computing Centre 1 (Com 1), Central Library (CLB) and Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) as the four most viable access points for the elevated pedestrian loop.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Urban Design, Car-lite, Walking

AY1718G17.3 – “Measuring the differences in perceptions of wild and manicured green spaces”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Lim Zi Xuan, Ong Jun Jet, Ryan Lee Wei Jie, Shermaine Neo Xuan Min, Tan Jing Hong, Joshua

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

Green spaces are varied, ranging from manicured gardens in urban towns to untouched primary forests. More importantly, wild greenery in unprotected areas are planned to be removed to make space for developments, destroying habitats and endangering many species of wildlife. Comparing between different perceptions of wild and manicured spaces, the lack of objection to such plans might be because wild greenery and its importance is not well appreciated. Hence, the project aims to raise the level of appreciation using a walking tour conducted around NUS. The appreciation level generally increased by 10% and carries potential as part of a curriculum.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, Green spaces, Human Nature Conflict

AY1718G17.2 – “Trends in Single-use plastic bottled water amongst tourists in Singapore”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Waste Management

Lee Hong Wei, Liu Yiyang, Low Ci Hao, Gabriel, Seow Song-en, Latasha, Wee Yingsheng, Benjamin

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: X-hebit

Single-use water bottles are extremely common in the tourism industry, although there are alternatives such as water dispensers and water coolers. Our project seeks to understand the extent of plastic bottled water consumption amongst tourists as well as the factors which tourists take into account when making a decision.

Keywords: Waste, Plastic waste, Tourism, Bottled Water

AY1718G17.1 – “Optimising spent coffee grounds for mushroom growth”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Food, Waste Management

Bai Sin Yeou, Huo Lushuang, Khoo Han Sheng, Marcus, Sew Wen Xin

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

Singapore alone consumes about 2.1kg coffee per capita and the spent coffee grounds (SCGs) produced brings about significant waste disposal issues. By tapping on its high nutrient and energy content, SCGs can be added into composts and be used to promote plant or fungi growth. To further minimise household waste, the group investigates the idea of creating modular mushroom growth kits using SCG and growing in containers made from household wastes (plastic bottles and milk cartons). The team also plans to find out optimum conditions for mushroom growth to occur indoors and share it with households.

Keywords: Waste, Coffee grounds, Food waste, Urban farming, Recycling

AY1718G16.3 – “Water Conservation Awareness Workshop”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Water

Chin Shan Ling Rachel, James Pang Mun Wai, Le Huu Gia Nghi, Remus Josiah Wee Sheng Yuan

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: PUB

Water security has always been Singapore’s priority due to its lack of natural resources. This project focuses on re-emphasizing the importance of water conservation by spreading awareness through the use of education materials. Literature has shown that water conservation habits should be cultivated early, and that children learn better with hands-on activities as compared to structured teaching. As such, we have narrowed down our target audience to pre-school children, and chosen the approach of an interactive workshop. The 30-minute interactive workshop comprises the of 1. a Pre-workshop, Post-workshop and Review Survey, 2. Water Saving Demonstration, 3. a Maze game, and 4. a Poster Pledge. Our review survey tested the effectiveness of our workshop by measuring the knowledge retention rate of the pre-schoolers, while our poster pledge will serve as a constant reminder for them after the workshop ends.

Keywords: Water conservation, interactive educational materials, young children, kindergarten, children game

AY1718G16.2 – “Lettucebesustainable”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Food

Chee Yun Ting, Cheryl Lee Xue Leng, Lin Xuan Ting, Neha Saini

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

While the most recent Nielsen survey said that consumers in APAC were more willing to pay for a sustainable good/service as compared to those in North America and Europe, it is debatable if the willingness translates into actual buying by consumers, especially in Singapore. We conducted a study on whether students are willingness to pay a higher cost for sustainable as well as healthier menu options. Sustainable food options, could be low carbon, such as more plant based or reducing frequency of animal protein intake, supporting animal welfare, locally grown or raised, certified sustainable, and at the same time provide a well-balanced nutritional intake.

Keywords: sustainable food, dining hall menu, healthier food, vegetarian, food workshop

AY1718G16.1 – “A Price on Ugly”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Heng Zhang Min, Lee Si Xian, Rupanshi Chugh, Toh Huang En, Yeo Ying De

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

Whenever we go shopping for groceries, we place enormous amounts of emphasis on the appearance of food products, completely neglecting ugly fruits and vegetables, as though they are not nutritious. This behaviour is not only observed in consumers, but even food importers who reject food based on appearances. Our project examines the current state of ugly produce in Singapore and attempts to understand the general perceptions of wholesalers and consumers towards them. Through the use of surveys, observational studies and interviews, we aim to investigate the perceptions of Singaporean wholesalers and consumers towards ugly produce, as well as the possible effectiveness of pricing to influence consumers’ purchasing habits. From our study, we question the assumption that ugly fruits and vegetables are present in Singapore and emphasise that “ugly” is a highly subjective concept.

Keywords: Food waste, ugly food, cosmetic filtering, pasir panjang wholesales market, consumer perception

 

AY1718G15.3 – “Are RVRC students aware of greenwashing?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Goh Peng Wai, Shin Han Wei Kenny, Siew Hui Xin, Ruth, Tan Jerry, Tan Jiaqing

Academic Advisor: Ms. Wong Kah Wei
Industry Advisor: Earthys

Greenwashing is the practice of making a misleading claim about the environmental benefits of a product, service, technology or company practice. A company may appear to be more environmentally friendly and advocate for sustainability, but all these may just be a façade. Greenwashing can do more harm than good if consumers purchase products that are not genuinely green, misleading them from supporting businesses or products that are actually environmentally sustainable. Are notebooks promoted as eco-friendly made from recycled paper? What is the source of this “recycled” paper? This project aims to identify the extent greenwashing among RVRC students and develop a campaign to educate students on the phenomenon of greenwashing. The project seeks to gauge students’ awareness of greenwashing, the different forms of greenwashing and to determine if students are able to link these to the impacts of greenwashing on the environment, consumer behaviour, and so on.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle, Responsible Consumption, Green business

AY1718G15.2 – “Are you looking for an eco-label?: Apathy and ignorance among consumers”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Goh Si Jie, Joshua Goh Yong Sheng, Pereira Yip Ding Xian, Teo Zhi Yi, Ting Shou Teck

Academic Advisor: Ms. Wong Kah Wei

There is an estimated 450 eco-labels across 25 industry categories, labels indicating that a product is environmentally-friendlier compared to similar products in the market. However, how effective are these eco-labels in influencing consumers to purchase a product? This project aims to determine whether the presence of an eco-label on a product would influence NUS students to purchase it over a similar product without an eco-label. If so, how much more are students willing to pay for the eco-friendlier option? Do they even know what the eco-labels mean? Before these questions are answered, how many of them even bother looking for eco-labels on the products they buy? This project seeks to understand how the demographics of different students affect their purchasing behaviour and to create awareness to reduce apathy and ignorance among consumers. This is done to maximise the influence the eco-label has on increasing consumer’s purchasing behaviour.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle, Responsible Consumption, Greenwashing

AY1718G15.1 – “Why are NUS students not buying sustainable palm oil food products?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Chua Min Jun Luke, Devarajan Preethi, Johnson Ho Chong Xiang, Liow Zhi Xin ,sherlyn, Xia Runze

Academic Advisor: Ms. Wong Kah Wei

In 2015, Southeast Asian countries suffered one the worst haze. Since then, are Singapore consumers buying sustainable palm oil products to mitigate the haze?  This project aims to investigate if NUS students are purchasing sustainable palm oil products (SPOP). The project seeks to examine the reasons why NUS students may not actively decide to purchase SPOP. The project also aims to suggest ways to improve knowledge on the sustainable palm oil issue. To achieve these aims, we conducted a survey to assess students’ knowledge on the issue. Half of the participants have good knowledge but they do not actively decide to purchase SPOP. We then conducted a focus group discussion to investigate the reasons behind this lack of action. The results show that participants do not think their consumption of SPOP will alleviate the negative impacts of consuming non-SPOP.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle, Responsible Consumption

AY1718G14.3 – “Trends in Events within NUS: Identify Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Environmental Sustainability”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Waste Management

Chua Ru Min Stacy, Du Sibo, Lim Kai Wei, Loo Shu Hui, Serene, Teh Hian Yong Thaddaeus

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: X-hebit

The aim of our project is to understand how events are being organized in NUS and whether there is sufficient action to incorporate sustainability in events. Thereafter, a sustainable guideline will be crafted to help event organizers introduce the element of sustainability in future events. Both event organizers and event participants were interviewed to obtain a reasonable and balanced viewpoint on potential sustainability guidelines that will benefit both parties, as well as to assess their willingness and perception on events being more sustainable in the future.

Keywords: Waste, Event waste, paper waste, Surveys, Green guidelines

AY1718G14.2 – “Reducing visitorship in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Awe Wan Qi, Valencia, Chen Shuqing, Chen Sinuo, Peh Hao Lun

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

Consistently high visitorship to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) is more than the capacity it allows. This proved to disrupt the wildlife and erode pathways at BTNR. Hence, our project aims to reduce visitorship among all demographics. However, it might be difficult to implement our project. Using data from research papers and visit history from NParks, we adjusted the visitor quota depending on the time and the day. Analysing our survey results, 54% of those surveyed were open to the idea of a quota on visitors. Our results offer a viable option for the consideration the management of BTNR.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems., Human Nature Conflict, Habits Survey, Green spaces

AY1718G14.1 – “Mitigating the Anthropological Impact on Bukit Timah Nature Reserve through increasing accessibility to hiking support sticks”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Brittney Foo Joy-anne, Marcus Ong Wei Ming, Ng Min Yu, Sin Qiwen, Clement, Tan Yuxuan

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

Using tree branches as hiking support endangers users and the environment. Sharestix aims to provide an alternative for tree vandals to rent our hiking sticks instead of using branches from trees as hiking support. In order to test its feasibility, we rented hiking sticks for free during 2 weekends at BTNR and gathered their opinions. All 20 users resoundingly agreed that visitors will be discouraged from vandalism with the implementation of Sharestix and it had improved their climbing experience. While we cannot completely prevent vandals, the convenience of our stick sharing system can serve as a disincentive for vandalism.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, Human Nature Conflict, Green Spaces, Hiking

AY1718G13.3 – “Want Not, Waste Not”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Food, Responsible Consumption

Brandon Gwee Jin Ern, Kay Chan Yun Wen, Sulaiman Azim B Mohamad Daud, Yong Pei Si, Beatrice, Zhu Shiyao

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

Want Not, Waste Not is a project focused on establishing the causal relationship between aggressive marketing in supermarkets and food waste amongst Singaporeans aged 19 to 25 years old. Through researching extensive literature and our methodology, a positive association between products that are aggressively marketed, and products subsequently wasted by consumers is apparent. Our project aims to reduce the wastage of food by educating the consumers about aggressive marketing and its link to food waste in hopes that they don’t fall prey to these strategies. Through a simulation pilot study, we evaluated the effectiveness of our methods; gauging our respondent’s response to aggressive marketing techniques after implementing our education campaign.

Keywords: Food, grocery shop, aggressive marketing strategy, advertising stickers, responsible consumption

AY1718G13.2 – “Cycling on Campus: A Measured Decision”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Energy, Transport

Isaac Hong Wei En, Peter Sidajaya, Qu Haoxuan, Serene Soon Hoi Leng

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: UCI

The main mode of transport in NUS is the NUS Internal Bus Service, which some 69% of the campus community rely on to commute in campus. High passenger load/overcrowding during peak hours is problematic and difficult to resolve. The culmulative carbon emission from the estimated 31,200 trips per school semester is also significant. One approach to alleviate the situation is to encourage commuters to cycle as a means of getting around campus. However previous studies also show that implementing such schemes can be challenging. This project aims to assist University Campus Infrastructure in collating crucial information, namely time and elevation changes, on various possible cycling routes, which could be used as alternatives to buses or walking.

Keywords: Transport, Energy and climate, elevation gradient, bicycling route

AY1718G13.1 – “Is it hot here or is it just me? Relationship between microclimate of different manicured areas and user thermal comfort in Singapore Botanic Gardens”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Mobility and Air Quality, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Chong Sui Jeen, Dora Tay Hui Xuan, Ng Zhi Yuan, Tay Chun Jiang, Yoo Sungjoon

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: NParks

Despite losing almost 90% of the original vegetation, about 50% of Singapore today is still vegetated. This in part is due to Singapore’s efforts in promoting manicured parks. Manicured areas serve ecosystem functions such as lowering surrounding temperatures and also provide recreational facilities for park users. Our project examined how manicured areas in Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG) affect human thermal comfort. We examined how relative humidity and air temperatures of two manicured areas that are 1. elevated, 2. close to water bodies, compare to a control that is an open manicured area with minimal shading. Our data came from datalogger installed at the three areas. We also conducted survey on thermal comfort of park users at the same sites and analyzed the correlations between the data with the user comfort data. Our results help to determine key factors influencing microclimate within the urban park and direct in future planting designs.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, urban park microclimate, human thermal comfort, temperature and humdity datalogger, elevated walkway

AY1718G12.3 – “Bridge Across the Ridge”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Mobility and Air Quality

Chen Juan, Hubert Halim, James Yong Jun Wei, Melina Jingting Binti Laimon

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

The sprawling NUS campus can be traversed using a combination of internal shuttle buses, bicycles and covered walkways. However, the steep forested ridge cutting lengthwise across the NUS campus increases travel time for pedestrian movement. Our project explored this limitation as an opportunity for a creative pedestrian solution by proposing a Canopy Walk across the ridge. Of the many variables that needed to be evaluated, we chose to focus on three – existing terrain, tree distribution and minimising disturbance to the ecology. We began work with generating a detailed terrain map for the campus using the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS). This was coupled with field visits to confirm the accuracy of the topography model as well as the tree locations and sizes. Using secondary data to extrapolate our findings, we finalised one potential route for the elevated pathway, and represented it using a physical model. Our design also assessed inevitable ecological/practical challenges, which would benefit from a more detailed study.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Green Design, Walking, Car-lite

AY1718G12.2 – “Meta-Analysis of Student-Implemented Sustainability Projects”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Andrew Tan Jin Shen, Cao Jiahui, Kang Yuxing, Lim Li Ting, Teo Wei Zheng

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Industry Advisor: UCI

Recent research (Cairo, A. 2011; Mcmillin, J., & Dyball, R. 2009) shows that student-participation in driving campus sustainability endeavours leads to dynamic projects and increases overall campus commitment towards sustainability. Our team decided to verify if these findings were applicable to the context of the RVRC module GEQ1917. We explored past and current student projects for the module to identify key advantages and constraints faced by the students in the implementation of their sustainability projects. We constructed survey questions based on research literature regarding this topic, and deployed them to both students and industry advisors involved in GEQ1917 projects. We analyzed the results to obtain an overview of these projects, as well as chart trends in student commitment towards sustainability and key benefits and constraints within student implemented sustainability projects. Overall, our secondary research and primary data both corroborated that the main advantage of student involvement in sustainability projects is increased awareness towards sustainability, while the constraints of these projects ranged from a lack of interest to time limitations. We also noted that most projects led to an increase in overall student sustainable behaviour and commitment.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Sustainability projects

AY1718G12.1 – “Make Walking Cool Again: Measuring thermal comfort across NUS campus walking routes”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Transport

Marcia Lee Tjie Yi, Ong Jing Xiang, Tan Jia Yih Tiffany, Yeo Guo Hong, Zhang Ruichun

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

For thousands of pedestrians, undulating topography and less than ideal thermal conditions make walking along the roadside and sheltered walkways at NUS undesirable. Considering that the university is at a strategic phase in setting up a sustainable campus, increasing walkability would contribute significantly to that goal. Our project investigated thermal comfort on a variety of existing campus pathways. We measured airflow, temperature and humidity along the vehicle route and the ‘yellow corridor’. We mapped and compared this data to conditions in the Kent Ridge Forest to ascertain if the tree canopy significantly mitigates/changes the pedestrian experience with respect to thermal comfort. In our assessment, the forested ridge located lengthwise across the campus could provide a viable alternative walking solution, allowing users to travel on a route that significantly reduces walking distance and commute time. Based on our findings, we recommend that campus improvements for walkability should explore this potential solution in greater detail.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Walking, Car-lite, Green transport, Thermal comfort

AY1718G11.3 – “Measuring human Nature relationship in campus”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Chan Fong Yung Judith, Chan Guan Hao, Daniel Chan Chong Weng, Michael Tang, Sanika Anil Khurana

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

With increasing wildlife encounters due to rapid urbanisation, our project aims to increase awareness on the wildlife in campus so as to reduce human-wildlife conflicts. A ground survey was conducted to learn whether residents have seen or know the names of the animals around them. Our findings showed an appalling lack of awareness for them. Our campaign solution was to personify these animals, create infographics and engage RVRC residents with the iSpy Challenge. Our campaign showed a marked increase in awareness level, testifying the efficacy of integrative and personable strategies in bridging the gap between humans and wildlife.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, Human Nature Conflict, Infographics, Education

AY1718G11.2 – “Grab-Y-Bike: Encouraging Cycling in NUS”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Transport

Chen Yan Ming, Oh Qi Yuan, Quek Jing Xuan, Tan Sze Yuan, Gabriel

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: UCI

Our project seeks to identify the incentives that encourage individuals in NUS to travel via cycling. We conducted a general survey on 276 respondents in NUS to identify the difficulties and incentives raised by the NUS community. Based on the preliminary results, we proceeded to carry out our Grab-Y-Bike (grab your bike) campaign emphasising on convenience and monetary rewards respectively. The campaign was a positive one, with a greater proportion having a preference for saving time as an incentive for cycling. Hence, rather than having an overarching biking campaign, a targeted campaign with emphasis on convenience is recommended for better results.

Keywords: Transport, Bike Sharing, Behaviour studies, Green Transport, Campaigns

AY1718G10.3 – “Marketing and Food Waste”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Waste Management

Gao Jingyi, Phua Jia Hao, Tay Lu Chi Louisa, Wang Mo Shu, Zhang Yihan

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

Food waste occurs in many stages of the food supply chain. Our project focuses on marketing practices in supermarkets in Singapore, and its relation to food waste. Focusing on marketing practices on non-perishable food items in supermarkets, we look to answer the following questions: Is there a relationship between marketing and food waste? Do the marketing practices spur consumers to purchase more than needed, and therefore result in food waste? Are there differences in responses across different age groups? We zoomed in to three marketing practices: (1) tags on price displays, (2) “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” promotions, and (3) large packaging.

Keywords: Waste, supermarket, on-site survey, marketing strategies

AY1718G10.2 – “Green spaces as potential carbon sinks: Investigating the relationship between vegetation and soil carbon”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Hoe Feng Guang, Ivan, Ivan Teo Si Jian, Nehemiah Lui En Sheng-li, Ng Kai Lin, Felicia, Seah Sze Hao

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: UCI

Soil is one of the biggest terrestrial carbon sinks in the world. Knowledge on factors that contribute to the success of soil carbon storage has far reaching benefits for the environment in terms of mitigating the imbalance of atmospheric CO2. Our project seeks to contribute data to this emerging field by studying the relationships between the varying types of vegetation and the differences in levels of soil carbon beneath these vegetation.  Soils are sampled from various green spaces on campus, and analysed for total organic carbon and total inorganic carbon levels. Through the findings of our project, we hope to recommend the types of urban vegetation that are more efficient in sequestrating soil carbon to urban developers and planners, thereby maximizing the carbon storing potential of future green spaces in cities.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, carbon sequestration, soil organic and inorganic carbon, vegetation types, urban design

AY1718G10.1 – “Impacts of canopy cover density on regeneration of secondary forest plants”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Tan Yong Hao, Ju Yuting, Wang Yibo, Yoon Ki Hyun, Zhang Ziyu

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Nparks

Our research investigated the relationship between the density of the canopy cover and the recruitment of three secondary forest species in Singapore. We propose that the density of the canopy cover and the growth of secondary forest species is likely to be related, as the density of the canopy cover would affect the microclimatic variables of temperature and relative humidity, which in turn would affect the growth of the secondary forest species that we are interested in. We hypothesize that a denser canopy cover would result in a weaker understory regeneration of the secondary species. A better understanding of this research topic could be of significance to Singapore’s urban planners planning to incorporate natural growth and regeneration of secondary forest in new development and conservation plans.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Singapore Botanic Gardens, natural regeneration, canopy foliage, plant survey

AY1718G09.3 – “Fridgeventory: App to Reduce Refrigerator Food Waste in Households”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Food, Responsible Consumption

Chew Xin Yi, Mancie Lim, Ng Rui Xin, Elen, Tan Wei Liang, Tan Yoke Boon

Academic Advisor: Prof. Adekunle Adeyeye
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

Food waste is a growing concern in Singapore. In fact, food from households amounting to 200 million dollars is wasted annually. In addition, based on a survey by NEA, one of the top two reasons for household food waste is due to forgotten refrigerated food. Hence, we propose a phone app which comprises of five different features, which aim to specifically reduce refrigerator food waste in households. After conducting pilot tests using a prototype app, we gathered data on the perceived effectiveness and likelihood of usage of each individual feature through our survey. Furthermore, we conducted an interview with a senior representative from Cold Storage to gain insights about the food industry and to validate the feasibility of our app. With the favourable responses and feedback gathered, we have created a working and marketable Android app.

Keywords: Food, Responsible Consumption, Mobile application, Food Waste, Mobile Applications, Refrigerator

AY1718G09.2 – “Biogas Digester”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Food, Responsible Consumption

Edward Low Zhen Yu, Goh Kai Rong, Henry Lee Yit Loong, Lim Ting Hui, Tan Yong Jun

Academic Advisor: Prof. Adekunle Adeyeye
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

Food waste has become a prevalent topic of sustainability, having caused high levels of economic and environmental damage. Food waste occurs when edible food is intentionally discarded by consumers after they fail to plan their meals properly and store food till it spoils or goes past the expiry date. The biogas digestion machine was widely used in other countries such as the United States, India and Israel, as part of their local sustainability programs the concept was hardly known nor utilized in Singapore. Hence, We provide a solution to the increasing amounts of food waste in Singapore, by building a low cost Biogas Digestion machine. This machine could be installed within households to recycle food waste into usable biogas that could be used for cooking.

Keywords: Food, Responsible Consumption, Prototypes, Food waste, Biogas

AY1718G09.1 – “Using a Chatbot to reduce plate waste”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Chen Jiahao, Chew Yu Cheng, Lee Yi De, Madeline Ng Qi Xuan, Ng U – Hui Gideon

Academic Advisor: Prof. Adekunle Adeyeye
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

There is a significant economic and sustainable opportunity in reducing food waste by consumers. The aim of this project is to go beyond posters to make the consumer feel they are actively contributing to this reduction. Our group has created a Telegram Chatbot to encourage students to reduce food waste. This Chatbot helps to track data of each person such that they are able to view their personal and group statistics. It is hoped that by making participants more aware about the amount of food waste they generate, they will make a conscious effort to reduce their food waste. The food waste was manually measured, with avoidable food waste being separated from unavoidable, and the data was uploaded to a spreadsheet. Our group set a benchmark of 100g of daily food waste per participant and after 3 weeks of pilot testing, we hope that every participant will achieve this goal.

Keywords: Waste management, Responsible Consumption, Chatbot, Apps, Food waste

AY1718G08.3 – “The Door Gift Conundrum”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Waste Management

Chanda Akshaykumar Veersain, Cheryl Soh, Cyrus Lim Lek Wee, Dominic Frank Quek Ci Hao, Lee Yi Wei, Joel

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: X-hebit

Tradeshows and events have a trend of giving out goodie bags and door gifts to the event goers. The production of the items found inside these goodie bags require significant amount of energy and resources. Their subsequent disposal also poses another significant environmental problem. Our project aims to inquire event goers whether the goodie bags are useful and preferable by them. The project also aims to evaluate the reasons why event organisers are giving out door gifts and find more environmentally friendly alternatives. This data can be presented to event organisers to effect greener door gifts.

Keywords: Waste, Door Gifts, Paper Waste, Conferences

AY1718G08.2 – “Using Signage to Cultivate a Better Bicycle Sharing Culture”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Energy, Transport

Fu Ying Qi Nicole, Koh Poh Chuan, Tan Zhe Hao, Tay Yong Sheng

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: UCI

Since the arrival of dockless bicycle sharing systems in NUS, indiscriminate bicycle parking has become a nascent problem, posing potential safety hazards and aggravating clutter on campus. Currently, the onus has been on operators to remove indiscriminately parked bicycles. Our group’s review of current literature revealed a paucity of user-focused methods to reduce the likelihood of indiscriminate parking. We conducted a survey identifying lack of awareness of bicycle parking zone locations, and lack of motivation to park responsibility as key factors in users choosing to park indiscriminately. Thereafter, we designed two types of prototype signages to determine its effect on creating proper bicycle parking behaviour.

Keywords: Transport, Bicycling Parking, Cycling, Green Transport, Energy

AY1718G07.3 – “Knowing Green, before Going Green”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Blythe Neo, Natasha Hoong Cheng Yi, Pan Yongjing, Vishvak Manikandan Vairalingam, Zhang Jiawei

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Singapore is well known as a Garden City because of our intensive urban greening efforts. Green spaces in Singapore range from manicured parks such as Singapore Botanic Gardens, to nature reserves such as Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Each of these green spaces serve different functions, often with the users in mind. Often neglected is the ecosystem functions of these green spaces, which include mitigating urban heat island effect, storing carbon, regulating hydrologic processes and improving air quality. Unfortunately, the ecosystem functions of these green spaces might not be understood and hence under-valued by the public. Using Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Botanic Garden as specific examples of natural and manicured landscapes respectively, this project seeks determine the public’s perception towards these green spaces, and their awareness of the different ecosystem functions provided by the two examples. Our findings reveal the public’s misconception on ecological functions and highlight the need to educate them on this.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, ecosystem services, green landscape, rainforests, Singapore Botanic Gardens

 

AY1718G07.2 – “Greenery: The Ultimate Air-Conditioning?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Energy

Ang Hui Ru, Ang Jie Liang, Cassell Chew Sheng Yi, Lim Lee Hwee, Arabelle, Wan Hazimah Binte Mohammad Salemi

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: UCI

The projected increase in global energy demand for decades to come has been a great concern for many, and it shows no signs of cessation. One possible explanation for this is the link to greater demand for air-conditioning for cooling of buildings. However, plants can be greener alternatives that also provide cooling effect to the surroundings. By taking temperature readings and comparing it across different proximities between building and greenery, our project aims to assess the extent of cooling effect greenery has on indoor temperatures. We aim to study the effectiveness of cooling on two types of greenery – green wall installation and natural forest. Our data from four locations across NUS generally show that the closer the greenery is to the building, the lower the temperature. Our findings fit in nicely with our expected outcome of proving that greenery nearby buildings can be a good substitute for air-conditioning.

Keywords: Energy and climate, transpiration cooling, green installations, air-conditioner, temperature and relative humidity datalogger

AY1718G07.1 – “Design a Singapore World Water Day Campaign to tertiary students”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Water

Choo Er Wen, Eugene Pang Yuan Jing, Ng Shi Ni, Aretha, Tham Shi Ning, Wu Lingyi

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: PUB

The project focused on designing a World Water Day campaign to re-emphasize the importance of water to tertiary students staying on campus, with the tagline: “Make Every Drop Count”. Targeting students staying in Ridge View Residential College (RVRC), the project monitored the water usage between different blocks in RVRC, to determine the effectiveness of different campaign methods. We compared three methods: posters, instant and delayed feedback regarding students’ water consumption. Our project spanned across February to March 2018. We hypothesised that instant feedback will be the most effective campaign method as residents will receive timely feedbacks about their personal water usage, and this was reflected in our findings. After our project in RVRC, we hope to be able to introduce the best survey method to other Residential Colleges and Halls to promote water conservation in all NUS campus.

Keywords: Water, water meter, instant and delayed feedback, daily water use, university students

AY1718G06.3 – “Sustainability and Walkability: A case study of thermal comfort”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Eng Keng Yu Ivan, Liu Jiawen, Tan Junjie, Yong Xin Shen, Zhou Kai Jing

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

For a tropical setting such as NUS, ‘Thermal Comfort’ is the most important criteria that impacts student behaviour and perception of walking on campus. Adopting a quantitative framework of assessment, we measured trends in the airflow, temperature and humidity for three different ‘design conditions’. Two of these conditions exist currently – the uncovered pedestrian pathways along roads and the sheltered Yellow Corridor. This data was compared to conditions along an elevated forested setting – measured at the Kent Ridge Forest on campus and at the Hort Park Tree Top Walk. We analysed the data to determine trends – with a focus to ascertain if the tree canopy significantly mitigates/changes the pedestrian experience with respect to thermal comfort. Our results indicate some meaningful trends for temperature, while there were mixed results for humidity and wind speeds. Based on this, we recommend the undertaking of a broader study with greater variation in weather patterns to confirm our initial findings.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Urban Design, Green Spaces, Walking, Car-lite

AY1718G06.2 – “Lovers’ Park, Useful Park”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Alyson Michelle Lee Zi-ying, Ho Mun Yee, Mindy, Lau Seow Boon Damien, Sia Chi Hon, Tan Ying Ling Cheryl Ann

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Industry Advisor: UCI

The NUS campus has several high maintenance low-use landscaped areas. Our project, a case study of Lovers Park (CLB, NUS), was aimed at identifying key design elements that can assist in transforming such spaces to high-value landscapes that are more relevant to user needs. Our field work used timelapse videos, to identify and evaluate space use patterns. Our initial results indicated that the park is under-utilised, possibly due to location and limited flexibility in its use. This was corroborated in an interview with a long-serving staff in CLB. Next, we quantitatively measured and analysed user perception of the park, and their receptiveness to alternative design solutions, through a survey. Results indicated weather variability, poor maintenance, and pests as key deterrents in the existing design. Our analysis also indicated that value-added functionality plays the determining role in the use of open spaces from a student perspective. We recommend that the design and purpose of outdoor spaces on campus should be re-directed flexibly to cater to evolving stakeholders needs.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Green spaces, Urban Design

AY1718G06.1 – “What Makes a Campus Walkable? A NUS Student Perspective”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Muhammad Redha Bin Ahmad Razif, Tan Chun Boon, V R Chandra, Valavan Rajarajan, Voleti Vyshnavi

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

Student requests for increased frequency of NUS shuttle-buses have been common in recent years, as evidenced in previously conducted GEQ projects. In line with NUS’s plans to create a sustainable campus, it is crucial to explore ‘greener’ alternatives to transportation, such as walking. Our project assessed the potential impact of improved connectivity and access to nature on increasing campus walkability. Our research identified three key criteria; 1) student perception towards walking on campus, 2) key determinants for campus walkability, and 3) students’ preferences for walking in nature as compared to built spaces. Data was collated through an online survey targeted at a convenience sample of NUS students. The survey also mapped students’ preference for transport around campus, current walking habits and willingness to increase walking on campus. This data provided a comprehensive overview and one of our key findings was that improved pedestrian network connectivity predicted longer walking distances and an increased likelihood of walking as a means of transportation.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Green Transport, Car-lite, Walking

AY1718G05.3 – “Educating NUS students on the proper behaviour when encountering wildlife”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Chua Shu Yu, Joreen, Chung Zhi Li, Denzel, Jeffery Koh Wei Heng, Lim Guek Hoon, Yu Bi Feng

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

Educating NUS students on the proper behaviour when encountering wildlife on the NUS campus through a workshop. The goal of the workshop is to increase students’ knowledge and raise awareness on the importance of three groups of wildlife (snakes, insects, birds) through interactive and engaging activities. Approximately 60% of the participants who attended the workshop learnt more about interactions with wildlife on campus. It is thus recommended to implement the workshop as part of the RVRC Programme, and possibly other residential colleges, to allow students to instil correct behaviours and responses when interacting with wildlife.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, Education, Human Nature Conflict, Workshops

AY1718G05.2 – “Composting as a means of reducing spent coffee grounds (SCG) waste”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Waste Management

Andy Lim Chau Sheen, Justin Chia Yi Pin, Leong Wai Ying, Neo Siao Eng, Kym, Samuel Ong Keng Cheong

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

Coffee consumption generates significant waste as spent coffee grounds (SCG) are often incinerated and discarded in landfills. Little has been done to address the waste issue in Singapore, despite rising coffee consumption. Our project seeks to use composting as a means to reuse SCG. A group of home gardeners were surveyed and a majority (>70%) have open attitudes and knowledge about SCG composting. An experiment was also conducted using kang kong (Ipomoea aquatica) to determine the effect of SCG compost on plant growth. The results demonstrated the possibility of using SCG compost to grow plants.

Keywords: Waste, Composting, Coffee Grounds, Food Waste, Urban Farming

AY1718G05.1 –“Determination of effectiveness of bicycle sharing parking zones within NUS”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Transport

Chan Sian Wen, Jeffrey Widjaja Lowardi, Neo Yu Xuan, Sin Yu Ang, Desmond, Tang Haoyang, Hubert

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: UCI

Bike-sharing programmes is a relatively new programme in NUS. To ensure its success, adequate resource allocation is required to support the bike-sharing scheme in NUS, one aspect being the implementation and positioning of additional bicycle stations. Our project aims to re-evaluate existing and proposed bicycle parking zones and propose additional suitable parking zones. To achieve this, our team worked on designing a matrix based on survey data obtained, and tested the matrix on UCI’s two newest stations to ascertain its effectiveness. We hope for this matrix to be a useful tool for UCI, and other organisations, in installing effective bike parking spaces.

Keywords: Transport, Cycling, Bike-sharing, Bicycling parking zones, Space usage evaluation

AY1718G04.3 –“Determining the distance and foliage required for effective buffers between forests and urban areas”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Benn Tay Guobin, Leong Siew Leng, Li Jingrou, Sin Melia, Yip Seng Yeun

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Urban development tends to come at a high cost to the natural ecosystems, often resulting in loss of forests, biodiversity and ecosystem functions. One example of this is the disruption of the environment due to anthropogenic sound pollution. In this project, we determine the extent noise pollution is mitigated by surrounding vegetation and determine a suitable buffer distance between natural and man-made environments. Using Rifle Range Road as the experiment site, the noise level is measured at different distances from the main road into the surrounding forest, at different levels of forest densities. Comparing the findings to existing literature on the acceptable noise levels for wildlife, the project will attempt to determine a minimum buffer distance for sparse, medium, and dense vegetation, such that the anthropogenic impact on the surrounding ecosystem is minimized.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, urban landscape, urban forest, vegetation buffer, sound pollution

AY1718G04.2 –“Young little warriors”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Water

Elaine Tiong Pei Ying, Goh Kai En Andrew, Joel Siaoman, Ooi Hui Ying, Wang Zi Rui

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: PUB

Water security has always been Singapore’s priority because of the lack of natural water resources. Our project aims to emphasize the importance of saving water in Singapore to children aged 5-6 years old. We will target this population in pre-schools, where children will be taught the importance of water in their daily lives as well as several methods in which they can conserve water at home. Our group has chosen to convey this message through a storybook, in which activities are included in it to allow students to have a more interactive learning. We have also come up with a teaching guide, to facilitate the teachers when using the storybook and activities during their lessons.

Keywords: Water, pre-schoolers, educational material, interactive play, storytelling

AY1718G04.1 – “Living and Working closer to nature: Investigating the amount of foliage/greenery needed in ecocentric landscape designs to achieve optimum light conditions for wildlife protection”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Chan De Quan, Deanna Kho Li Ting, Fong Yew Peng, Lim Jin Ming, Jeremy Denzel, Xie Rong

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Urban development has contributed to a loss of forests, biodiversity and ecosystem functions. In Singapore, green spaces form half of the vegetation cover, whilst secondary forests form the other half. Researchers highlighted potential socio-cultural, socio-political and biodiversity impacts from the loss of secondary forests and how Integration of it into future landscape designs might reconcile development and forest conservation. Natural foliage is barely integrated in ecocentric landscape design. We shall investigate the amount of foliage/greenery needed to achieve optimum light conditions for wildlife protection. Previous study calculated that optimal night lighting level experienced by wildlife ranges from around 1×10^-4 on a moonless starry night, to 0.1-0.3 lux around full moon. However, in Singapore, light intensity of shopping malls is 10-20 lux. Results collected could be used to help landscape designers integrate secondary forests into future designs to protect nocturnal wildlife.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, urban forest, fauna and flora diversity, night lighting, light pollution

AY1718G03.3 – “Investigating Student Perceptions and Use of Landscaped Spaces in NUS”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Jeevan Neralakere Somashekhar, Kong Zijin, Lee Wei Hao, Joel, Lin Xingting, Zhao Zichao

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Industry Advisor: UCI

Research has established that campus landscapes can have significant psychological appeal and health benefits for students (Mascarelli 2009). The NUS Kent Ridge Campus is located amidst a dense urban setting and faces severe land constraints. Our project evaluated stakeholder use and values about the existing campus landscape to identify potential improvements. Using a literature survey, we narrowed the assessment criteria to three main factors: convenience of use, natural elements in the landscape and user-designer mismatch. Primary data was collected from a convenience sample of students in a two-step user survey, with a selection of campus photographs for three case studies. The first survey gathered insights on students’ attitudes and use patterns. The second survey gathered targeted feedback on improvement options using results of the first survey and are framed as recommendations for campus planning. Future research could explore differences across age, gender and field of study to develop a stratified understanding of stakeholder values.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Green Spaces, Urban design, Urban planning

 

AY1718G03.2 – “Impact of the Built Environment on Campus Walkability”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Charmaine Wee Shimin, Gerald Yap Jie Ge, Gong Chaeeun, Pearlyn Ee Su Yen, Wang An Jie

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

The relationship between the built environment and walking behavior is well-researched through several empirical studies (Erwing R, 2010), especially due to its significance for creating sustainable urban solutions. Our project assessed built-environment criteria such as amenities, shelter, connectivity, distance and aesthetics with students as the target group. This is because they have higher walking needs and frequencies than staff, and form the largest fraction of stakeholders on campus. We identified two routes for our study based on their student traffic numbers. Both quantitative and qualitative responses were obtained by means of online and on-site surveys. Our results indicated that shelter was the most significant determinant, followed by the duration of walking and the presence of stairs. Among students who preferred the unsheltered routes, terrain and shorter travel distance were key criteria. Based on our findings, future campus improvements should assess student preference for shelter, level terrain and shorter walking distances for more impactful solutions.

Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Green Transport, Walking, Car-Lite, Urban transport

AY1718G03.1 – “Marketing Sustainability to Millennials: A Case Study of Food Waste in Dining Halls”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Beh Jing Yi, Chew Yong Soon, Khoo Wu Zhe, Samuel, Sin Kah Kek Kelly, Yeo Zhang Yi

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Industry Advisor: MEWR

Global awareness of sustainability has risen in recent years, but the uptake of sustainable behavior is lagging behind. More needs to be done in the field of sustainability marketing, with regards to understanding people’s motivations for adopting sustainable behavior. The millennial generation, who show high levels of environmental concern and form a large part of society, are prime for such marketing. Our project examined three core values that drive millennials to adopt sustainable behavior, using the platform of food waste at RVRC. First, we identified three critical millennial values as part of our literature review. We evaluated these criteria with a quantitative survey of students’ opinions on marketing techniques. Then, to test and verify our findings, we launched a marketing campaign at the RVRC Dining Hall, and measured the food waste levels before, during, and after our campaign. Lastly, we followed up with a post-campaign survey to ascertain students’ reception to our campaign. We have assimilated our findings into a meaningful understanding, to be shared with MEWR.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle, Responsible Consumption, Food Waste, Sustainable Behaviour, RC Dining

AY1718G02.3 – “Measuring psychological benefits of green spaces”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Foo Zhi Jie, Joseline Erika, Ng Joo Yong Emmalene, Seah Wei Quan, Wu Puyue

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

Singapore is a highly urbanised country with 100% of her population living in urban areas. Despite this, there is still about 47% green coverage and primary forest and wetlands gazetted as nature reserves. We have a rich assemblage of flora and fauna, with still new discoveries made; more than 480 new species of plants and animals have been discovered in Singapore over the last five years (Lin 2017)!  This greenery was no accident. Besides its aesthetics and ecological benefits, green spaces have been touted to improve the psychological well-being of its users (Muscara and Saegert 2007). Yet green spaces are not uniform, they range from untouched primary forests to manicured parks and gardens found in urban towns. This project aims to measure how undergraduate college residents perceive green spaces around them and the extent to which the students are comfortable with ‘wild greenery’ as opposed to ‘manicured greenery’.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, Human Nature conflict, Education, Green spaces

AY1718G02.2 – “Save Our Skies”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Cheryl Leow Hwei Hwei, Jiang Yixing, Kevin Sun, Toh Jia Yue, Toh Xin Le

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

Urban spaces play a significant role in causing injuries and death to wild birds. The proliferation of highly reflective glass facades and extensive light pollution all contribute towards resident and migratory bird casualties worldwide.  Singapore, a highly urbanised metropolis, is located beneath the East Asia-Australasia Flyway, a major migratory route for over 3 billion birds. The impact of the city on the survivability of wild birds poses a significant threat to its populations. Understanding and mitigating the sources of urban bird mortalities is thus a critical component of maintaining urban sustainability. Save Our Skies is a citizen science programme designed to help with data collection on the issue of bird and building collision. The programme hopes to ultimately produce a robust set of data on the state of bird/building collision in Singapore, thus providing convincing arguments and useful observations in the push for bird-safe building design regulations.

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, Bird collision, Sustainable urban building, Education

AY1718G02.1 – “Identifying sources of marine debris”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Evangelyn Ng Ling Ying, Karan Haresh Mirpuri, Kumaraesh Haridas, Ong Yan Lun, Su Yunfan Eva

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

This project aims determine the sources of marine litter in Singapore’s shores. In this study, by surveying a sample of Pasir Ris Beach, located on the east coast of Singapore, we were able to identify various origins of marine debris from January to March. Our data suggests land-based sources, such as convenience stores and supermarkets, as the main origins of the marine debris found along this stretch of the beach. This projects marks one of the first steps into a new method of tackling marine debris throughout Singapore’s shores

Keywords: Natural Environment & Ecosystems, ICCS, Marine debris, Shoreline surveys

AY1718G01.3 – “Ugly Food Waste”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Food

Joseph Joju, Liu Zhaoyu, Man Gurshaaran Kaur

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Sodexo

Food wastage has always been a problem worldwide but what we have come to realise is that Ugly Food is being wasted unnecessarily. Due to cosmetic reasons, imperfect fruits and vegetables do not reach the hands of customers and even if they do, consumers are afraid of how they look ‘abnormal’. Our team aims to tackle this problem at the consumer level, changing their mindset and showing them that these fruits and vegetables are perfectly edible although physically imperfect. By doing so, there will be a cascading effect on the supply chain, where the different middlemen would be more willing to not throw these fruits and vegetables away as there is consumer demand for it. We have done this by reaching out to a local farm in Singapore and working with them on a campaign.

Keywords: Food, local vegetable farm, cosmetic filter, consumer choice

AY1718G01.2 – “People come and go but the plastic bottle stays”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Waste Management

Nam Gimin, Phoebe Yap Xiou Ching, Yogusvi Tewari, Zhang Cheng

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: X-hebit

This project aims to find out the trends in plastic bottled water usage among tourists in Singapore through a better understanding of their mindsets. From street surveys at tourist locations, we found out that convenience was a major factor motivating tourists to buy plastic bottled water instead of bringing their own water bottles to refill. The results also revealed that age was another major factor which affected water consuming habits. Surprisingly, the country of origin of the tourists had little impact on their behaviour towards plastic bottle consumption. Eager to find out more? Join us in discovering the reasons behind the behaviour of tourists which can hopefully provide us with potential solutions to reduce plastic bottle usage in Singapore!

Keywords: Waste reduction, plastic bottle, tourists, Cultural and Lifestyle Trends, street survey

AY1718G01.1 – “Marketing sustainability to millennials”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2017/18, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Andy Chan Wai Yee, Eng Yu Ting, Evelyn, Lee Yi-fei Sophia, Sin Huiwen Cheryl

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: MEWR

The motivation of our project is to propose the best way to encourage awareness and behavioural change in millennials. Our project aims to investigate the effectiveness of existing sustainability campaigns in marketing sustainability to millennials, and to propose recommendations on the type of marketing strategies which will appeal to millennials. To do this, we decided to zoom in on raising the awareness of climate change in millennials, in line with the Year of Climate Action 2018, and more specifically on reducing plastic and paper waste. Based on our analysis of past and existing campaigns on sustainability, we came up with several initiatives targeted at RVRC students, namely posters, website, social media account, and a waste reduction challenge. From the feedback and data gathered from our campaign, we are able to conclude that the most effective marketing strategy points to direct engagement and peer influence, rather than social media.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle, Responsible Consumption, direct engagement, social media, Year of Climate Action

 

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