THINKING ALOUD / EDITOR'S NOTE
This year, 2021, marks 50 years since the Concept Plan, Singapore's first long-term plan was developed.
50 years on, and what the planners envisioned and charted out in the first long-term plan can still be experienced today, from our expressways and MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) networks to the location of our international airport in Changi.
Imagine planning 20 to 30 years ahead for our own lives and families. How can we predict the future and make decisions today that will ensure we are well prepared for tomorrow?
That was what our pioneer planners, architects and others did. Given our unique conditions as a city-state, we have to allocate many land uses and infrastructure to support the needs of our country and yet cater for diverse and changing needs. Continuous and regular planning is key to ensure we use our land and resources optimally and have the flexibility to embrace new options and possibilities as contexts and challenges evolve.
Because of choices made by our pioneer planners 50 years ago and over time, we can explore and pursue many possibilities. Now, it is our turn to continue to make good choices and decisions that will not only shape our current cityscape but preserve options for future generations, as we embark on a review of our long-term plan in 2021.
In this issue, we speak to a range of experts and citizens, reflecting on shifting lifestyle trends and landscapes and dream of a future that is filled with even more magic, care and love. In the process, we rediscover ourselves again and fall more in love with this city we call home.
Join in the review and shape Singapore's future together: http://go.gov.sg/ltpr
We look at how long-term planning has enabled Singapore to dream big and stay resilient.
Experts and citizens reflect on shifting trends and new aspirations for working and living environments of tomorrow - on working spaces, greenery, living environments and supporting diverse communities.
Designers imagine a tomorrow that is filled with a little more magic and care.
With scarcer resources and the rise of sharing activities, how are people re-negotiating their relationships with urban spaces and each other?
A seminal study is offering a new lens on designing age-friendly neighbourhoods for the future.
Six citizens share their passion for building communities and what creating a more loveable city means to them.
Re-explore our hoods through fresh eyes.
Singapore's pioneers saw beyond immediate challenges to plan for Singapore's future, opening our worlds, creating many possibilities today.
How are good public spaces around and within malls and precincts and the use of data and technology shaping our shopping experience?
Top image: Residents strolling along Pelton Canal. This is one of the spots that photographer Chee Boon Pin loves about his neighbourhood. He is living in the nearby Bendemeer area