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Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)

Why Conserve?

Learn how conserving Singapore's built heritage adds variety to our streetscapes and protects important reminders of our past, giving our city its distinctive character and identity.

Last updated 17 June 2026

Singapore...

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Is green, modern, unique & historic...

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And a small country...

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With big needs as a sovereign multi-cultural city-state...

Objectives

Our built heritage charts Singapore’s growth from the colonial and post-war period to our nation-building and post-independence years. They form part of our shared identity as a nation.

They also reflect the social history of Singapore – how our early settlers of diverse origins and backgrounds overcame challenging conditions and transformed Singapore over 200 years from a trading post to a bustling city. The legacy they left in heritage buildings collectively represents multi-ethnic and multi-cultural Singapore.

Beyond national identity and social history, our conserved landscape serves as a repository of collective memories. As it is not possible to conserve every place important to a person’s memories, a highly selective approach has been adopted to focus on buildings and spaces significance to a larger community to serve as a link between individuals and strengthen affiliation as a community.