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Views, being a qualitative and subjective variable, are difficult to measure and quantify for valuation purposes. In order to quantify view in a variable, there is a need to reflect the influence of the height of surrounding buildings, the surrounding topography, and the height and orientation of the subject property itself. Such influences could be captured only through the use of 3D modeling techniques. Few studies have explored the use of 3D modeling for valuation and mass-appraisal purposes. In this paper we demonstrate the use of 3D geographic information systems and regression analysis to estimate the value of views in high-rise apartments. We focus on the value of sea views in private high-rise residential properties located near the eastern coast of Singapore. Our results show that an unobstructed sea view will add an average premium of 15% to the property price. In addition, we further illustrate the application of our model in a simulation exercise to maximize the sea view of a redevelopment project in the same neighbourhood. We further suggest the implications of pricing strategies of private developers in preconstruction sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial decentralization is a common measure used by public planners to redistribute urban social and economic activities in order to resolve escalating problems such as crowdedness, pollution, and high cost of living in the central cities. Findings from studies assessing the changing rent gradient of cities, and probability of development around suburban centers, provide insights to the various impacts of spatial decentralization policies. The author makes use of global and local spatial auto-correlation statistics and seeks to explore the spatial clustering of property values in the context of polycentric urban development. Data were collected from the property sales transaction database in Singapore and analyzed employing geographic information systems and spatial statistics. Empirical results suggest that there was a remarkable redistribution among the planning regions as regards the number of condominium projects in the 1990s, which was in line with the polycentric urban development policy. A decline in the global Moran's I indicates a change from a strong to a relatively weak positive clustering. However, the local Moran statistics show that a spatial pattern of property-value dusters continued during the study period. Findings of this research capture a market signal indicating that the spatial distribution of property values may not readily follow planning guidelines, at least in a given short time frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors examine the relevance of public participation geographic information systems (PPGISs) to housing-estate management in Singapore. Formal interviews were conducted with five key informants to collect data. A mock-up PPGIS was developed and evaluated. Informal interviews with property managers and secondary data also contributed to the discussions. Findings suggest that the current level of information technology applications and the mandate to build a 'People's Town' in Singapore's public housing estate have laid a solid base for introducing PPGIS to housing-estate management. The existing channels of public participation in town council management also pointed to a collective form, based on the Residents' Committees, for accessing and using the PPGIS. It is hoped that this study contributes to PPGIS research by extending explorations to a new cultural context and to a new application area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]