Singapore’s master urban planner, Liu Thai Ker, has 2 regrets for the city state’s land-use

Towering skyscrapers, candy-coloured public housing blocks, and lush green spaces – Singapore has long been recognised for its meticulous urban planning.

The city state is home to a population of 5.9 million people despite spanning just 284 square miles, and much of the credit for the city’s layout goes to Liu Thai Ker, 86, an urban planner who’s often considered the architect of modern Singapore.

During his time at the Housing Development Board, (HDB), Liu oversaw the building of 20 new towns and over half a million housing units in the city. In the late 80s and early 90s, he also served as the chief planner of the Urban Redevelopment Authority, where he developed Singapore’s land-use plans.

And yet, Liu has said he has two regrets about how Singapore was planned.

“When I was in the HDB, I raised the issue of planning bicycle paths for citizens,” Liu said.

“At that time, my colleagues and I had several discussions, but eventually decided against it due to Singapore’s tropical climate, which we felt would be too hot for cycling.”

The Singapore government is planning to double the city’s existing cycling network by 2030.

However, the attitudes of Singaporeans and people around the world today have changed, he said.

Liu says he wishes he had developed bike sections for roads and incorporated bicycle paths into streets. “Fortunately, I believe it is still possible to do so,” he added.

In 2023, The Straits Times reported that local authorities are planning to double the city’s existing cycling network from 530km now to 1,300km by 2030.

Integrating more bicycle paths would enhance Singapore’s sustainability efforts, aligning with global trends in urban development seen in cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam, Thomas Schroepfer, a