The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is Singapore’s national land-use planning and conservation authority. It was formed in 1974, though it has its roots in the Urban Renewal Department set up by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in the 1960s. Its mission ...
Urban planning in Singapore began in the 1820s when Stamford Raffles implemented a land-use plan later known as the Raffles Town Plan. However, for most of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, Singapore’s physical growth was haphazard and largely ...
Urban planning in Singapore aims to optimise the use of the country’s scarce land resources for the diverse needs of both current and future generations of residents. It involves allocating land for competing uses such as housing, commerce, industry, parks, transport, ...
William Lim Siew Wai (b. 19 July 1932, Hong Kong– d. 6 January 2023) was an architect, urban theorist and activist. The Singapore citizen was involved in the design of many iconic buildings in the country, including the former Singapore Conference Hall and Trade ...
Woodlands is a planning area in the north of Singapore. During the early colonial period, Woodlands was an agricultural area with plantation estates. It then became a major transport link between Singapore and Johor, and in the 1970s, the area was developed as ...
Located in the northwestern part of Singapore, Bukit Panjang is considered a planning area under the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Master Plan 2014. It comprises seven subzones: Senja, Saujana, Fajar, Bangkit, Jelebu, Dairy Farm and Nature Reserve. The area is ...
Tay Bak Koi (b. 1939, Singapore–d. 12 December 2003, Singapore) was an artist renowned for his portrayals of fishing villages, kampung (village) scenes and urban landscapes. He specialised in oil and watercolour. Tay's works have been exhibited extensively in Singapore ...
The Brahminy kite (Haliastur indus) is a medium-sized raptor or bird of prey. Nicknamed the “Singapore Bald Eagle”, it is one of the commonest raptors in Singapore, and is frequently seen in flight over urban areas and suitable sites such as Jurong Lake. Large ...
Formally established in 1927, the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) was initially tasked with improving the infrastructure of Singapore. This involved work such as drawing up general improvement plans, condemning insanitary buildings and constructing back lanes. ...
The Development Bank of Singapore Ltd (DBS) was established on 16 July 1968 as a public limited company to take over the industrial financing responsibilities of the Economic Development Board (EDB) and began operations on 1 September 1968. Its main function upon ...
Yio Chu Kang Road is a major road in the north of Singapore that connects Upper Thomson Road to Upper Serangoon Road. Asociated with gambier and pepper plantations and kampongs in the 19th century, the road today reflects the urban development of 20th-century Singapore. ...
Fast food is an American term referring to “foods [that] are kept hot and ready to serve, or [are] partially prepared so that they can be served quickly.” 19th century pushcart vendors developed into urban diners, which then developed into the modern fast-food ...
Punggol is an estate situated in the northeast of Singapore, bordered by the Tampines Expressway, Sungei Punggol, Strait of Johor, Serangoon Harbour and Sungei Serangoon. The Punggol planning area as outlined by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore also ...
Golden Mile Complex is a residential and commercial development, situated between Nicoll Highway and Beach Road. Formerly known as Woh Hup Complex, it was developed as part of the Urban Renewal Department’s goal to redevelop Singapore’s central area in the 1960s. ...
An estate with architectural, cultural and historic significance, Tiong Bahru was developed in the 1920s as Singapore’s first public housing estate by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), the colonial predecessor of the Housing Development Board. In 2003, 20 ...
The Housing and Urban Development Company (HUDC) was set up in 1974 to provide housing for middle-income households in Singapore. At the time, middle-income families did not qualify for Housing and Development Board (HDB) units but yet could not afford private ...
The former Custom House building located on Maxwell Road served as the headquarters of the Department of Customs and Excise (now Singapore Customs) from June 1932 to August 1989. The building was designed by Frank Dorrington Ward, who was the chief architect of ...
Located off Serangoon Road, Bendemeer House was formerly called the House of Whampoa or Whampoa House. It was a mansion designed and built in 1840 by Hoo Ah Kay (better known as Whampoa), a Kapitan China (“leader of the Chinese people”) of Singapore. In 1964, the ...
Kampung Lorong Buangkok, located off Sengkang East Avenue, is the last rural village on mainland Singapore. Originally a swamp, the land was bought in 1956 by Sng Teow Koon, then a traditional Chinese medicine seller, who rented the space to Malay and Chinese families ...
Liu Thai Ker (b. 23 February 1938 Muar, Johor, Malaysia –) is noted for his influence on Singapore's urban landscape as the former chief executive officer of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Trained as an architect, ...