A City that Cherishes its Past
Find out how we will strengthen the heritage and character of our towns and neighbourhoods by weaving history and vibrancy into our cityscapes.
Last updated 4 June 2026
Supporting many ways of remembering
The Heritage and Identity Plan is an initiative to identify, retain and enhance heritage and identity areas, nodes, corridors and buildings across Singapore. It outlines their potential to contribute to the layered history of our island home, and keeps the meanings and memories of places alive. This will enhance what has been physically kept and help build a collective sense of ownership.
Strategies
Protecting our built heritage
There is growing recognition that significant buildings from Singapore's recent past are emblematic of its progress as an independent nation. Among them are large-scale private modern buildings that are often challenging to conserve. Where there are strong merits, we work with owners and stakeholders to facilitate the conservation process.
Giving old buildings a new lease of life
Old buildings have the potential to be repurposed in a variety of ways, instead of being demolished entirely. This not only reduces the environmental impact but also allows familiar landmarks and places to remain, allowing people to enjoy, appreciate and form new memories.
Developing with care
Public housing estates and town centres form the backdrop of everyday life in Singapore. Through rejuvenation efforts such as Remaking Our Heartland (ROH), Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) and Home Improvement Programme (HIP), the lives of flats are prolonged. Older town centres are also refreshed with familiar features to retain a sense of familiarity and identity.
HDB's Town Design Guides outline the vision, planning and design principles for each town, helping to strengthen the identity of our towns by serving as a useful reference for Town Councils, designers and various agencies that carry out building and rejuvenation works.
Learn what makes each HDB town unique.
Enhancing awareness and appreciation
People will stay connected and feel inspired to care for buildings and sites of heritage significance if they have a deeper understanding of the meanings and values attached to these sites. These stories can be brought out through creative heritage interpretation measures to celebrate their built legacy.
Facilitating placemaking from the ground up
Residents, local communities, civic society groups and other partners provide a vast talent pool, knowledge and dedication in creating places and spaces that are cherished by all.
Telling our stories
The journey of Singapore’s development can be traced through the events and stories embedded in our building fabric. This timeline traces selected sites of heritage and identity which illustrate the nation’s story across different themes of Economy, Housing, Social and Defence.
Woven together, they are the building blocks in Singapore’s progress as an independent nation. We will continue to find ways to recall and celebrate our cherished built heritage and the stories they tell.
The buildings shown in this timeline are a sample of the many buildings that tell the story of Singapore’s development.
