History Urban planning in Singapore

1 history

1.1 initial planning
1.2 post-raffles
1.3 public housing

history
initial planning

the founding of modern singapore in 1819 sir stamford raffles arguably planning event in itself, involved search deep, sheltered harbour suitable establish pivotal maritime base british interests in far east. location needed keep britain s maritime trading routes on east-west axis protected. british allowed chinese labourers migrate in large numbers island make immigrant majority country safeguard trade in far east. settlers found waters of keppel harbour suitable, , entourage of 8 ships anchored off mouth of small river on 28 january 1819. raffles made landing on north bank of river , discovered favourable conditions setting of colony. area on side of river s north bank level , firm, southern bank swampy. settlers found abundant fresh water, , river sheltered body of water protected curved river mouth. river become nexus new colony thrive, , immediate surrounding areas form core of island s business , civic areas.

upon formal establishment signing of treaty on 6 february same year, raffles left settlement, leaving colonel william farquhar first resident of singapore. end of may, raffles returned, , while noting rapid development of city, realised need formal urban plan guide otherwise disorganised physical expansion. left colony again, instructing farquhar designate residential, commercial, , governmental land uses colony.

when returned more 2 years later in october 1822, however, raffles dismayed way colony had grown. therefore formed town committee headed lieutenant philip jackson draw formal plan colony, came known jackson plan. plan first detailed city plan singapore. laid groundwork of city s street , zonal layout, essence of continues today. example, allocation of civic institutions on north bank of singapore river , creation of main commercial area in known commercial square on south bank have today evolved civic district , cbd on either side of river. grid-like street patterns continue exist. while ethnically segregated residential zones largely depopulated now, continue ethnic enclaves chinatown, little india, , kampong glam, attracting attention of tourists.

post-raffles

raffles s foresight , well-intended efforts maintain orderliness in city s growth started spiral out of control 8 years after jackson plan drawn up. no updates , no new plans drawn british, city outgrew itself, , plan proved inadequate. when raffles arrived in 1819, population numbered 150. 1911, figure had mushroomed 185,000, resulting in severe overcrowding, particularly in chinatown area. road system, planned travel foot , horse carts, not handle exploding traffic, particularly when motorised vehicles came singapore en masse in 1910s. 842 private cars in 1915 had multiplied 3,506 1920.

with severe overcrowding in city centre, population, particularly better-off, started move suburbs. better-off families moved east coast, operated plantations , maintained large sea-side homes near beach @ katong. several wealthy muslim families leave legacy in area through family names, including of aljunied , eunos. less well-off families tended move southern parts of island natural extension of chinatown area. subsequently, however, moved other areas, including east coast, spreading problems of overpopulation suburbs creation of squatters. growth resulted in suburban roads becoming congested traffic, particularly along geylang road leads east coast.

public housing

in 1927, colonial government attempted arrest situation setting singapore improvement trust (sit), main aims of alleviating urban congestion , provision , upgrading of public infrastructure, particularly in widening of roads accommodate rising , modernising traffic. efforts evident in localised areas, body did not have legislative power produce comprehensive plans or control urban development. second world war disrupted efforts during japanese occupation 1941 1945.

singapore emerged war in physical ruins , large number of homeless residents. housing committee formed in 1947, , reported acute housing shortage facing city, population had reached million 1950. 25% of population living in 1% of land area, , shophouses housing on 100 people, sit s efforts inadequate in attempts rehouse population new multi-story apartment blocks.

under people s action party, came power when won 1959 elections of singapore, housing development board founded in 1960, replacing singapore improvement trust. proved turning point in history of modern singapore. within 5 years, hdb had constructed more 50,000 housing units, several times more sit had constructed within time span of more 20 years. within 1970s, of population had found adequate housing. of current urban planning policy derived practices of hdb.

flats 10–15 storeys high built. time, reached on twenty , thirty storeys, , @ present, fifty-story housing complexes available.