Tropical Urbanisation and the Life of Public Housing in Singapore

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.17.1.2018.3641

Keywords:

urbanisation, urban planning, public housing, Singapore

Abstract

The rapid pace of urbanisation in the tropics is astounding. By 2050, 2.5 billion people will be added to the world’s urban population, with nearly 90% of this increase taking place in tropical Asia and Africa. Cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Manila, Lagos, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jakarta and Singapore have witnessed sharp increases in their populations. Housing this population is a critical concern of contemporary cities of the tropics. This paper highlights the case of Singapore, which has managed to provide housing to almost every person in the country through its public housing policy. Singapore’s public residential concept illustrates a successful approach to executing an urban development concept plan that optimises the use of limited land in a small country. Although such an achievement may not be easily replicated, this paper highlights three lessons that may be applicable to tropical urbanisation: implementing a sustainable housing development and urban planning policy; creating social cohesion through a public housing program; and potentially, enhancing social mobility through home ownership.

Author Biography

Adrian T.H. Kuah, James Cook University Singapore

Adrian T. H. Kuah is Associate Professor of Business at James Cook University, Singapore campus. Previously he was the MBA Director at Nottingham Business School and Director of UG Business Studies at the University of Bradford. Called a leading expert on the value chain and recognized for theorizing the principle of globality and proximity, A/Prof Kuah has advised governments and companies on competitiveness. He is also an award-winning management scholar interviewed by the Financial Times in 2013 and Xinhua News Agency in both 2015 and 2016. His works have appeared in the European Journal of Marketing, European Business Review, Thunderbird International Business Review, and R&D Management. A/Prof Kuah received his PhD from the Manchester Business School and is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute in the United Kingdom.

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Published

2018-04-25

How to Cite

Kuah, A. T. (2018). Tropical Urbanisation and the Life of Public Housing in Singapore. ETropic: Electronic Journal of Studies in the Tropics, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.17.1.2018.3641