Shrinking HDB flats due to need to maximise land and to adapt
But some say smaller apartments do not square with needs of a developed nation
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The average HDB flat has shrunk over the years, but this is due to the need to maximise Singapore's limited land and to adapt to changing household sizes, the Housing Board said on Friday.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, it said that these needs meant sizes of each flat type had to be made slightly smaller over time, and the agency's architects have compensated by increasing the use of internal space through better flat layouts.
It added that HDB regularly reviews flat sizes, taking into account factors such as changes in demographic trends and lifestyle habits.
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HDB's comments come after a debate erupted over earlier remarks made by its chief executive Cheong Koon Hean that smaller flats do not have to mean a lower quality of living.
