036_five-foot way

Five-foot ways are colonnaded walkways in front of shophouses. Sir Stamford Raffles stipulated this as part of his Town Plan of 1822 to provide shelter for pedestrians from sun and rain. It is one magical space that blurs the boundary between public and private. The ownership right belongs to the owner of the unit so various decorations and floor finishes can be found on the same stretch of the walkway. It is also an extension of what happening inside the shophouse. Coffee shops and eateries use this space as their alfresco dining area, which still allow people to walk through. It’s a nice experience eating there trying to avoid people walking right into you and also, the other way around, walking through meandering pathway crated by leftover space from dining tables.