Cultural Connections Vol. 4

Cultural Connections Vol. 4

Article Title
Place-making and Identity in Singapore: The Role of Integrated Planning and Our Built Heritage

Authors
Centre for Liveable Cities (Elaine Tan and Tan Xin Wei Andy)

Synopsis
From the early days of identifying national monuments to the conservation of districts and historic sites, the emphasis on identity and conservation of our built heritage has been an integral part of urban planning. In the journey of conservation and the search for identity, there are key decision points, tradeoffs, players and enabling factors that pave the way for systemic innovation to make conservation an integral part of planning and a significant part of the Singaporean consciousness. A unique built environment and the community’s attachment and memories of places are reflective of the history of the nation and the love it engenders in its people, which in turn are distinguishing contributors to identity. Today, the public’s dialogue and active involvement in conservation and identity issues reflects a shift in how the public can be engaged, the rising importance of public knowledge about the buildings and sites that are close to their hearts, and reveals how site history and social memory — beyond architectural significance — is a key element of redevelopment plans.

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