Urban development in Singapore

Urban development in Singapore

Housing styles and prices

• ​HDB housing are flats in buildings which are subsidised by the government.

• Condos are more luxurious apartments which have a wide range in pricing.

• Landed refers to homes on property the way we know homes in NZ.

​

https://www.valuechampion.sg/average-cost-housing-singapore

Land reclamation

• In order to gain more usable land dirt or sand is dumped in large quantities into the Singapore and Johor Straits

• This practice often requires upkeep due to higher rates of erosion and is in danger of sea-level rise

• Land reclamation was originally ​a naturally process often as a result of seismic activity which has been seen in places like Napier and Kaikoura

Green spaces

• As of 2020 46.5% of Singapore is considered to be covered in green space with 30% canopy cover.

• ​Due the importance of public transport and limited roading a major focus for walkways and infrastructure was to build around/through/under green spaces

• The LUSH (Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High Rises) programme requires new high rises and urban buildings to have green cover

• Covering buildings with green spaces limits the need for air-con

• These green spaces also creates aesthetically ​pleasing spaces for locals happiness and tourism.

Cultural districts and heritage sites

• Cultural districts and places of worship remain in the central areas of Singapore, e.g., Chinatown and Little India

• ​Kranji War Memorial remains with 4,400 graves and 4 memorials for soldiers from Britain, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, India, Malaya, the Netherlands and New Zealand

• Despite limited land area for housing and business these areas still remain.

  ​

Building up and down

• ​Due to limited land area Singapore was forced to build into the sky and below ground to accommodate a growing population and a thriving economy

• ​Vertical farming is a burgeoning industry in Singapore

• ​Very little of the rail lines in Singapore are at ground level

• ​Due to limited space walkways and rail lines ae built underground so a large number of stores are located underground in these areas.

Malls and shopping

• In 2020 the list of malls in Singapore featured ​171 malls

• Some of these malls are so large that they have a train station below them in the underground section of the mall