Abstract
The rapid pace of urbanisation in the tropics is astounding. By 2050, 2.5 billion people will be added to the world’s urban population, with nearly 90% of this increase taking place in tropical Asia and Africa. Cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Manila, Lagos, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jakarta and Singapore have witnessed sharp increases in their populations. Housing this population is a critical concern of contemporary cities of the tropics. This paper highlights the case of Singapore, which has managed to provide housing to almost every person in the country through its public housing policy. Singapore’s public residential concept illustrates a successful approach to executing an urban development concept plan that optimises the use of limited land in a small country. Although such an achievement may not be easily replicated, this paper highlights three lessons that may be applicable to tropical urbanisation: implementing a sustainable housing development and urban planning policy; creating social cohesion through a public housing program; and potentially, enhancing social mobility through home ownership.
Highlights
The rapid pace of urbanisation in the tropics is astounding
The intention of this paper is to review artefacts and historical data of the post-war period in order to analyse the stance adopted by the government and society regarding the development of public housing in Singapore
6 The Ethnic Integration Policy was implemented on 1 March 1989 to promote racial integration and harmony in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/d8fea656-d86e-4658-9509974225951607#3. This coordination restricted the freedom of sales of HDB leases; with such coordination aided by the government, Singapore has managed to solve its housing problems and racial cohesion issues within a few decades
Summary
The tropics (150N to 150S) are home to 40% of the world’s population, or more than 2.8 billion people The latter figure represents an increase of more than 2 billion people since 1950 and equates to a growth rate of 2.2% per annum, considerably higher than the growth of 1.4% per annum in the rest of the world.. Asia’s urban population growth is unprecedented and will double in size to reach 3.2 billion by 2050 (Marcotullio, 2001; Sandhu & Singru, 2014). This growth is equivalent to an additional 100,000 urban residents each day. The challenge is to manage the rapid expansion of cities, especially in the low- and lower-middleincome nations (Glaeser, 2014)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
