The Next Generation of Singapore’s Public Space: The New Downtown

Abstract

“Towards a Tropical City of Excellence” is the slogan for Singapore’s newest urban development drive. Given Singapore’s small size as a compact city-state, the use of her limited land resources thus requires both ingenious and careful planning.1 The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is the national agency responsible for implementing development projects such as Singapore’s New Downtown.2 The URA has prepared the Concept Plan for Singapore, a long-term blueprint which has guided the nation’s physical growth since 1971. Under the Concept Plan, the country is divided into 55 planning areas, with a detailed Development Guide Plan (DGP) prepared for each area. The Concept Plan was revised in 1991, and its updated version is to be fully realized by Year X (Figure 1).3