Conservation and Development : A Singapore Perspective

Abstract

               This paper looks at the transformation of the built heritage in Singapore in the context of the intense contest for land use by development forces. It looks at the works of the planning authority and the engagement of stakeholders in heritage conservation. It also looks at the dynamism between conservation, tourism and development.

               Historical buildings are physical links to the past, acting as signposts and repositories for the shared memories of the community. Built heritage give meaning and identity to a place and its people, providing the common bond necessary for social cohesion. Place identity is important in this rapidly changing world where urbanisation and globalisation has erased traces of the past and eroded the richness and diversity of our culture.

               The built heritage of a city is increasingly seen as providing competitive advantage in the global competition for investment and tourism. It gives cities their unique and distinctive character that attract foreign talents, investment and tourism. Heritage conservation has found its economic value.

               Singapore is a small city state without natural resources and a limited land space. It has long been held up as a miracle economy for its rapid advance from a trading outpost to become one of the most developed nation in Asia. Urban planning played a critical role in the successful transformation of the physical and social landscape of the island into one of Asia’s most modern and cosmopolitan city with one of the highest standard of living.

               Known for its methodical focus on planning and development in relentless pursuit of economic growth at the expense of its historical urban heritage, the state authority suddenly focused its attention on heritage conservation in the mid 1980s.

               The popular belief is that the state’s new found enthusiasm for heritage conservation comes from the realisation that heritage conservation is an effective policy tool in the pursuit of economic and tourism development. The study show that the motive for conservation of the historic districts was to enable heritage to rekindle tourist interest in Singapore. Developing the tourism industry was part of the strategy to focus on the service industry for growth at a time when the economy was facing a slowdown because of the loss of competitiveness in the manufacturing sector.