PRESERVING SINGAPORE’S ZEITGEIST
In response to a question that was posed to me during the launch of the 2025 draft master plan, I had mentioned that “(w)e want to plan for our future climate needs, our socio-economic needs; but at the same time, we want to preserve some of the spaces that sort of define the zeitgeist of Singapore”.
Like Bell and de-Shalit, I too feel that Singapore’s identity is very much defined by our nation-building efforts. It is therefore important that we conserve some of the spaces that have played key roles in our nation-building story. The NatSteel building that was recently proposed for conservation is a good example of this.
However, Singapore’s national identity is much more than our nation-building journey, important as that may be. It comprises a rich tapestry of cultural practices and lived experiences that have accreted over multiple generations.
This is where the URA’s identity corridors will play an important role in conserving and even enhancing the identity and heritage that already exist in many of our iconic spaces and neighbourhoods.
For instance, the Historic East corridor includes culturally rich and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods such as Geylang Serai, Joo Chiat and Katong. By linking up these neigbourhoods, the Historic East identity corridor provides a more cohesive and integrated experience of these neighbourhoods’ heritage and identity. This can in turn generate greater interactions between visitors and residents and interest in the traditional crafts and food that continue to be found in these neighbourhoods.
