5. compArAtIve cAse study: downtown sIngApore

CHAPTER 05

5. Comparative case study: Downtown Singapore

Singapore or the republic of Singapore is a sovereign, tropical island city-state in Southeast Asia off the tip of the Malaysian peninsula. Expanding over 700 square kilometres, it consists of a diamond-shaped island with more than 50 natural inlets and inhabited by multiple international communities, it shapes policies in education, housing and politics while focusing on multi-racialism. It gained self-governance in 1959 from Great Britain and became an independent country in 1965 after being expelled from the Malaysian federation due to ideological differences.

Also known as a city in a garden because the metropolis is situated in the south of the island that is about 50 per cent greenery. Despite insufficient natural resources and being a hinterland, the city-state rapidly developed and is ranked ninth on the UN human development index and has the second-highest GDP per capita in the world (International monetary fund imf.org).

It is currently a thriving metropolis offering world-class infrastructure,

Location map of Singapore Downtown (Source: Author, Mariette Robin) a fully integrated transport network, a dynamic business environment, vibrant living spaces and a rich culture largely influenced by the four major communities in Singapore with each offering a different perspective of life in Singapore in terms of culture, religion, food, language, and history (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore).