"Placemaking" is the process of proactively managing a place to make it better. When placemaking is done well, it leads to vibrancy of a place. It also creates more delightful destinations for all and is especially meaningful when created and shaped by communities who use the space.
A city's architecture and infrastructure make it liveable. However, it is the vibrancy of its streets and public spaces that make it lovable. In business precincts, placemaking and the vibrancy it brings leads to the exchange and flow of ideas and has become an essential part of the innovation economy. Developers and business owners all over the world are now focusing more on the value placemaking brings.
Placemaking efforts in Singapore began in the 1990s, and have gained momentum especially in the last 15 years with a confluence of government and ground-up efforts.
Find out more about the evolution of URA’s placemaking journey.
Read about our placemaking book
Learn more about the evolution of Singapore's placemaking efforts through the lens of individuals, designers, architects and precinct stakeholders in our placemaking book 'How to make a great place'.
Download the book here (PDF, 12.9MB)
A well-managed place with a high level of stakeholder participation and commitment is generally more responsive to changes on the ground. We have observed that when local communities, business operators and property owners take greater ownership of their neighbourhood, they are better able to implement ideas and solutions that meet their needs and benefit the neighbourhood, in turn injecting greater vibrancy into their precincts.
Through initiatives such as Streets for People and the Lively Places Programme, we have supported a wide range of stakeholder-led projects to create more attractive streets and public spaces for visitors and the community.
The Streets for People programme was launched to support ground-up initiatives to transform roads into meaningful public spaces, filled with activities that encourage interaction and bonding amongst members of the community.
A Streets for People event held at Holland Village, which saw the streets come alive with outdoor yoga sessions.
A joint initiative by URA and HDB to support community-led efforts in enlivening Singapore’s public spaces, such as through activities or installations that bring a sense of delight.
Woody Loopy, previously located at Duxton Plain Park, was inspired by rocking horses of yesteryear and added some fun to the space.
PARK(ing) Day is an international movement and annual event that encourages people to re-imagine their urban landscape by transforming parking spots into vibrant public spaces.
Car park lots in Bugis and Kampong Glam were transformed into creative public spaces for PARK(ing) Day 2018. One example was this installation named ‘Balloons Of Happyness’ where visitors could stamp on foot pumps to inflate colourful balloons.
With growing interest in placemaking and the need for long term sustainability for precincts, a more formal placemaking model is being tested through the pilot Business Improvement District (BID) programme to determine the feasibility of implementing a formalised BID model in future. So far, 10 precincts have expressed interest to form pilot BIDs, with the first forming in 2017 and four others forming between 2019 and 2020.
The pilot BID programme empowers property owners and businesses to take greater ownership and work together to tailor solutions and enhancements specific to their precincts. The placemaking journey in Singapore continues to evolve, as communities, stakeholders and place champions work together to create engaging, thriving and sustainable places for the future.
To encourage community place champions to kickstart and drive placemaking initiatives within their developments and precincts, there is a need to build up capabilities within the community through offering formalised training, such as placemaking seminars and courses.
URA organises an annual Place Management Seminar to encourage the sharing of peer-to-peer insights related to placemaking. The seminar strengthens capabilities and provides a hands-on experience for the local placemaking community.
Here are ongoing courses to support the development of placemaking competencies.
Professional Certificate in Placemaking