Singapore’s urban development journey shows the merits of integrated, long-term planning based on dynamic governance.
Success as a trading port-city in colonial times left Singapore overpopulated. Numbers rose from 10,683 in 1827 to over 200,000 by 1901, resulting in urban slums. The Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) was set up in 1927 to address this but, due to its limited budget and statutory powers, did little to improve the public housing shortage, a problem aggravated subsequently by World War II.
The SIT was dissolved and the Planning Department (PD) and Housing & Development Board (HDB) introduced in 1959. The Land Acquisition Act provided statutory powers to address the problem of fragmented land ownership, allowing the HDB to construct 54,430 housing units from the mid-1960s to 1965. With technical assistance from the United Nations (UN), the Ring City concept of self-contained but connected settlements and the 1971 Concept Plan further set the stage for future development.
Singapore focused not only on economic growth and jobs, but also on social development. Measures such as relocating street hawkers to hawker centres and the adoption of multi-use zoning to create shophouses minimised displacement hardships for residents and businesses. Increasing greenery and reducing pollution further improved living standards.
Concurrently, the government’s Sale of Sites programme harnessed both public and private sector resources by combining a firm hand, particularly in the matter of land acquisitions, with gentle intervention to help private investment navigate market forces.
With most of the city’s basic physical infrastructure in place by the 1980s, the newly constituted Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) focused on reinforcing transportation to support urban growth and a commercial Central Area, setting the stage for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).
The late 1980s and early 1990s saw flexible, market-oriented policies that prioritised economic viability and tourism imperatives with heritage objectives, focusing on both landmark colonial-era buildings and mixed-use shophouses of the early modern era. Further reforms, including creating a detailed island-wide Master Plan, updating and publicising Developmental Charges biannually and amending the Government Land Sales (GLS) system, allowed for excellence in urban design while enhancing transparency and certainty for private investors.
Urban development took on a global dimension in the 2000s, with growth through land reclamation and an emphasis on urban design to produce Marina Bay and Singapore’s signature skyline. Beyond excellent hardware, “heartware” that fosters urban vibrancy with public involvement was nurtured by engaging the public as stakeholders in the development process.
Singapore’s transition has been driven strongly by the evolving role of the State, from purposeful intervention to the facilitation of development. However, fresh challenges have surfaced with the need to embrace globalisation while considering national interests. Balancing identity and development, and managing increasing diversity by ensuring inclusivity, are likely to form the next chapter of Singapore’s urban development story.