Why Singapore Is Insanely Well Designed

Summary

The video contrasts the metro systems of Singapore and Los Angeles, highlighting Singapore's superior public transport design and infrastructure. Singapore's metro efficiently serves high-density areas with frequent trains, while LA's system focuses on city-center travel with less frequent service. The video also explores Singapore's policies to limit car ownership, promote cycling and walking, and develop green spaces and sustainable housing. It showcases Singapore's rapid urban development, land reclamation, and environmental initiatives, emphasizing its transformation into a well-designed, efficient, and green city-state.

Takeaways

• 🚇 Singapore's Metro system efficiently serves 2.1 million passengers daily over 200 kilometers, with frequent trains, unlike LA's less utilized system.
• 📊 Singapore's Metro design is ingenious, covering key areas and high-density population zones, unlike LA's system, which is focused on the city center.
• 🚗 High car ownership costs in Singapore, including a $99,500 price tag for a Toyota Corolla, are by design to limit cars and promote public transport.
• 🌍 Singapore, a small island nation, has designed its infrastructure to maximize limited land, supporting a car-light society.
• 🏡 Singapore's public housing strategy is a success story, with 80% of its citizens living in well-designed, mixed-income housing estates.
• 🚶‍♂️ Singapore is expanding its cycling and walking infrastructure, aiming to add 700 kilometers of cycling paths by 2030 and enhancing covered walkways for pedestrians.
• 🌳 Singapore has focused on environmental sustainability, creating a Garden City with 7,800 hectares of green space and strict green building regulations.
• 🏞️ Singapore's unique approach to land reclamation has added 25% more land to the city, though it has had environmental costs.
• 💧 Singapore's innovative water management includes reservoirs, desalination, and recycling wastewater to meet its water needs.
• 🏗️ Singapore's rapid development and ambitious projects are facilitated by a stable government, which has prioritized long-term planning over short-term politics.

Q & A

How many passengers does Singapore's Metro System serve daily?

Singapore's Metro System serves 2.1 million passengers per day.

What is the approximate length of both Singapore's and Las Metro Systems?

Both Singapore's and Las Metro Systems are roughly 200 kilometers long.

Why does Singapore's Metro System have a higher ridership compared to LA's?

Singapore's Metro System has a higher ridership due to its design that serves all key areas and a ring that goes through nearly every high population area, as well as more frequent train services.

What is unique about Singapore's public transport system design?

Singapore's public transport system design is unique because it includes a ring that serves high population areas, allowing for efficient travel from one side of the city to another without going through the city center.

How does Singapore's master plan for its Metro System include technology for maintenance?

Singapore's master plan includes the installation of imaging sensors and laser scanners on trains to monitor track conditions in real time, which helps in knowing exactly when repairs are necessary and avoiding long delays and downtimes.

Why is owning a car in Singapore so expensive?

Owning a car in Singapore is expensive due to the country's quota system that keeps the number of passenger cars stable, requiring drivers to buy a 10-year certificate of entitlement (Coe) at auction, which is costly, in addition to the high cost of the car itself.

What is the average rush hour speed on Singapore's expressways?

The average rush hour speed on Singapore's expressways is 60 kilometers an hour.

How does Singapore's government plan to increase the cycling infrastructure by 2030?

Singapore plans to increase its cycling infrastructure by adding another 700 kilometers of cycling paths by 2030, assuming the same quality of bike infrastructure is achieved.

What is the significance of the covered walkways in Singapore?

The covered walkways in Singapore are significant as they provide a comfortable way for residents to walk, especially in the tropical climate with monsoon rains and intense sunshine, and are concentrated around public transport to improve connectivity.

How has Singapore managed to achieve high rates of home ownership in public housing?

Singapore has achieved high rates of home ownership in public housing through the Housing and Development Board's approach of selling new apartments to citizens at market rates with a 99-year lease, enforced quotas for income groups and ethnicities, and a renovation program to keep older housing complexes attractive.

What is Singapore's strategy for water management?

Singapore manages its water through four sources: imported water from Malaysia, rainwater catchment, desalination, and 'new water' which is treated wastewater. The city also collects water from two-thirds of its surface area through reservoirs.

How has Singapore's government addressed the issue of environmental degradation?

Singapore's government has addressed environmental degradation by cleaning up polluted rivers, building reservoirs for rainwater, implementing desalination and 'new water' treatment, and creating a 'Garden City' with extensive green spaces, nature reserves, and green buildings.

Outlines

00:00

🚇 Comparative Metro System Analysis

This paragraph compares the metro systems of Singapore and Los Angeles, highlighting the significant difference in daily ridership despite similar population sizes. Singapore's metro serves 2.1 million passengers daily over 200 kilometers, while LA's serves 178,000 over 157 kilometers. The difference is attributed to Singapore's superior public transport design, including higher train frequency and a ring system that efficiently connects high population areas without requiring travel through the city center. In contrast, LA's metro is less frequent and less efficient for cross-city travel. Singapore's forward-thinking approach includes plans for real-time track monitoring with imaging sensors and laser scanners to minimize delays.

05:01

🌆 Singapore's Urban Planning and Car Saturation

This paragraph delves into Singapore's urban planning strategies that contribute to its high public transport usage and low car saturation. Singapore's small land area and high population density necessitate efficient infrastructure, which includes a quota system for vehicle ownership and high costs associated with car ownership, such as Certificates of Entitlement and expensive car prices. The government's policies discourage car usage, with congestion charges implemented since the 1970s, leading to well-managed traffic flow even during peak hours. Singapore also promotes alternative transport modes, with extensive cycling paths and covered walkways to enhance pedestrian accessibility, especially in conjunction with public transport nodes.

10:02

🏡 Singapore's Housing and Environmental Initiatives

This paragraph discusses Singapore's approach to public housing and environmental conservation. Since gaining independence in 1965, Singapore has made significant strides in housing, with the Housing and Development Board providing modern amenities in high-rise flats. Unlike failed public housing projects elsewhere, Singapore's mixed-income and ethnically diverse estates have been successful, supported by comprehensive town planning and home ownership incentives. The government also focuses on environmental sustainability, with ambitious projects like the 'Garden City' and 'skyrise greenery', aiming to incorporate green spaces into urban development. However, the rapid development has had environmental costs, including the loss of mangrove forests and the potential impact on remaining natural habitats due to future infrastructure projects.

🏞️ Singapore's Environmental and Architectural Heritage

This paragraph examines Singapore's efforts to balance urban development with environmental and architectural preservation. The city has made strides in cleaning polluted rivers and reducing reliance on imported water through various sources, including rainwater catchment and treated wastewater. Singapore's vision for a 'Garden City' has evolved to include green spaces in new developments, with government incentives for green roofs and walls. Despite the loss of architectural heritage and environmental impacts, the government is making efforts to integrate historical structures into new developments and preserve the cultural identity of the city.

Keywords

💡Singapore Metro System

The Singapore Metro System is a highly efficient public transportation network serving 2.1 million passengers daily. The video highlights its design, which optimally covers high-density population areas and provides frequent service, contributing to its high ridership. The system's success is attributed to strategic urban planning and infrastructure investment.

💡Los Angeles Metro System

The Los Angeles Metro System serves significantly fewer passengers—178,000 daily—despite the city's large population. The video contrasts LA's system with Singapore's, noting that LA's design primarily connects the city center rather than serving the broader urban area, which limits its effectiveness and ridership.

💡Public Transport Design

Public Transport Design refers to how transportation systems are structured and optimized for efficiency and coverage. The video showcases how Singapore's thoughtful design, including frequent trains and comprehensive route coverage, maximizes ridership, unlike LA’s system, which lacks connectivity across the city’s periphery.

💡Certificate of Entitlement (COE)

The Certificate of Entitlement (COE) is a policy in Singapore requiring drivers to bid for the right to own a car. This high-cost mechanism helps control the number of vehicles on the road, encouraging the use of public transport and contributing to Singapore's goal of becoming a car-light society.

💡Land Reclamation

Land Reclamation in Singapore involves creating new land from the sea. The video describes how Singapore has expanded its territory by 25% since colonial times through this process, which is central to its urban development strategy. However, it also notes the environmental costs, such as the loss of mangrove forests.

💡Garden City Vision

The Garden City Vision is Singapore’s long-term strategy to integrate nature into urban spaces. Launched in 1967, it initially focused on tree planting but has since expanded to include extensive green spaces, parks, and green buildings. This vision supports Singapore’s environmental sustainability goals and enhances residents' quality of life.

💡Public Housing (HDB)

Public Housing in Singapore, managed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), is a key component of the city’s urban strategy. The video explains how HDB provides affordable housing for the majority of Singapore’s population, fostering social stability through a mix of income groups and home ownership policies, which contrasts with public housing failures in other countries.

💡Environmental Sustainability

Environmental Sustainability in Singapore is a major focus, seen in its policies on water management, green space development, and land reclamation. The video details efforts to clean rivers, develop reservoirs, and integrate green infrastructure, all of which aim to balance urban growth with environmental preservation.

💡Cycling and Walking Infrastructure

Cycling and Walking Infrastructure in Singapore is part of the city's strategy to promote alternative modes of transport. The video highlights plans to expand cycling paths and create covered walkways to encourage walking, especially in the tropical climate, further supporting the car-light society vision.

💡Urban Planning

Urban Planning in Singapore is marked by long-term, strategic decisions that integrate housing, transport, and green spaces. The video emphasizes how Singapore’s centralized planning, facilitated by a stable government, has allowed for the successful implementation of ambitious infrastructure projects that meet the needs of its growing population.

Highlights

Singapore's Metro System serves 2.1 million passengers daily over 200 kilometers, significantly higher ridership compared to LA's Metro.

Singapore's Metro trains run every 2-3 minutes during rush hour and every 5-7 minutes during off-peak times, contrasting with LA's less frequent service.

The design of Singapore's Metro System includes a ring that connects nearly every high-population area, improving connectivity across the city.

LA's Metro System primarily focuses on moving people to and from the city center, limiting its usefulness for cross-city travel.

Singapore plans to install imaging sensors and laser scanners on trains to monitor track conditions in real-time, enhancing maintenance efficiency.

A Toyota Corolla costs $99,500 in Singapore, highlighting the country's strategy to control car ownership through high upfront costs and a quota system.

Singapore's unique approach includes a 10-year certificate of entitlement (COE) for car ownership, contributing to a car-light society.

Singapore has 120 kilometers of cycling paths and plans to add 700 more by 2030, surpassing Amsterdam and Copenhagen in bike infrastructure.

The city has developed a 200-kilometer network of covered walkways, making walking an attractive option despite the tropical climate.

Singapore's public housing program, initiated in the 1960s, has led to over 80% of the population living in government-built homes.

Unlike other countries' public housing failures, Singapore's projects are successful due to mixed-income communities and continuous renovation programs.

Changi Airport, often rated the best in the world, was built on reclaimed land and is set to double in size by 2035.

Singapore has increased its landmass by 25% through land reclamation, a larger proportion than the Netherlands.

Singapore's Garden City vision includes 7,800 hectares of green space, with a goal for all residents to live within 10 minutes of a park by 2030.

Singapore's rapid development has come at an environmental cost, but the government is replanting mangrove forests and focusing on sustainability.

Transcripts

this is Singapore's Metro System it

serves 2.1 million passengers per day

and stretches 200 kilometers and this is

a Las Metro System it saves 178 000

passengers per day and is 157 kilometers

in dank which doesn't make sense I mean

how can two places with population sizes

that are so similar have so different

ridership on their Metro systems well it

has to do with Singapore's amazing

design and incredible public transport

you see while these two systems are

roughly the same length train frequency

is very different Singapore's Metro

trains come every two to three minutes

during rush hour and every five to seven

minutes at off-peak times in La it's a

different story here they come every 5

to 10 minutes depending on the time

which isn't great but that's just

because people aren't using them so why

are so many people using Singapore's

Metro system and not Las well this is

where we get into the ingenious design

of sync course Metro to show you what I

mean here is the map of Singapore's

Metro System I just showed you but

overlaid on a map of the population

density of the city and as you can see

the Metro System serves all the key

areas but most importantly has a ring

that goes through nearly every High

population area serving people who want

to go from one side of the city to

another rather than having to go through

the city center which isn't the case

with LA's Metro system as you can see

from this map where I've done this same

thing overlaying the Metro System on top

of a population density map clearly this

system is good at moving people to and

from the city center but not from one

edge of the city to another which could

very well be the explanation for the

much lower ridership of the LA Metro and

just to highlight how much further ahead

Singapore is than La their official

master plan states that they will

install Imaging sensors and laser

scanners although trains to monitor

track conditions in real time to know

exactly when repairs are necessary

avoiding necessarily long delays and

down times but I think it's time we

discuss the fascinating car saturation

in Singapore see here a Toyota Corolla

costs 99 and a half thousand dollars

which admittedly is very expensive but

that is by Design and to understand why

a Toyota Corolla is so expensive and how

it contributes to the insanely good

design of Singapore you just have to

look at this map see Singapore is an

Island located here between Malaysia and

Indonesia the country is home to over 5

million people on just 719 square

kilometers of hand to put that into

perspective that's half the size of Los

Angeles but with 1.7 million more people

this just goes to show that Singapore is

designed its infrastructure to make the

most of its small Footprints making it

one of the best assigned cities in the

world but of course with such limited

land available the city has taken a

unique approach to achieve such success

as Singapore uses a a quota to keep the

number of Passenger cars on the roads

stable at around 600 000 vehicles to

enforce this quota drivers must buy a

10-year certificate of entitlement also

known as a Coe for the right to use the

country's roads at auction the Coe

currently runs around 58 000 for a small

car or nearly eighty thousand dollars

for a larger one that means drivers pay

a lot more for the car up front but

there are still more as the total cost

of owning a Toyota Corolla over a

10-year period is nearly a hundred and

fifty thousand dollars which is of

course achieved by having the car itself

cost about 99.5 thousand dollars as well

as insurance repairs parking road tolls

and petrol comparing this to a Corolla

in the United States that starts at

around twenty thousand dollars the price

seems exorbitant so it's quite a bit

more expensive in Singapore to own a car

and this is without taking congestion

charging into account see Singapore

began charting vehicles to enter the

city center in the 1970s well before

European cities like London or Rome did

it the result is that traffic flows very

well even at rush hour the average rush

hour speed on Singapore's expressways is

still 60 kilometers an hour just a bit

lower than the 90 kilometers an hour

speed limit and interestingly New York

City will soon follow their leads and

become the first U.S city to charge

vehicles to enter paying 23 dollars to

access parts of manhassen which goes to

show that this system must work and

while car enthusiasts might call these

anti-car policies Singapore's government

claims it doesn't want to ban cars but

just move towards a car light Society

another way they are incentivizing the

use of different modes of Transport is

their cycling and walking infrastructure

as Singapore is planning a future with

lots of ways to get around the city

already has 120 kilometers of cycling

paths and it plans to add another 700

kilometers by 2030. assuming the same

quality of bike infrastructure is

achieved that's actually longer than

Amsterdam or Copenhagen even if their

cities have much smaller populations

Singapore's plan even includes 21.5

kilometers of continuous bike and bus

lanes running north to south by 2026 but

their walking infrastructure is a Marvel

in and of itself and it might be even

more impressive as the city has

developed a 200 kilometer long network

of covered walkways in a city with a

tropical climate Monsoon rains and

intense sunshine this is a genius way to

make walking an attractive option for

its residents the walkways are

especially concentrated around public

transport to improve the walk between

Metro LRT and bus stops it really goes

to show how much Singapore cares about

its population further emphasized by

their unique approach to housing and

this is where things really start to get

interesting what's incredible is how

much of what I'm about to tell you has

happened in such a short time frame

since Singapore became an independent

nation in 1965. all right so when the

Housing and Development board was

created in 1960 many residents of the

quickly growing city-state lived in

overcrowded and unclean housing so the

hdb got to work and quickly started

building high-rise Flats Forest

residents with modern amenities like

electricity and running water by 1976

probably a decade after Independence

more than half of singaporeans were

living in public housing during the same

era Europe and the U.S infamously

embarked on public housing projects as

well but the end result couldn't be more

different take for example the period

iGo housing project which was built in

St Louis in 1954. it aimed to provide

proper accommodation to people living in

slums but in less than 10 years it

became one itself and the massive 30

building complex was demolished after

less than 20 years so how come the

results was so different in Singapore

well there are a few different reasons

unlike fruit I go Singapore's public

housing Estates include a mix of income

groups and ethnicities which is enforced

by quotas but even just did a sign of

Singapore's public housing is radically

different major projects are built

around quote New Towns or a Hobbs with

schools restaurants shops and Transit

within walking distance many housing

Estates have Hawker centers which

feature Singapore's world famous street

food next Singapore's government has a

renovation program to keep older housing

complexes attractive places to live but

the most important factor I think is

home ownership the Housing and

Development board sells new apartments

to Citizens for both their Market rates

but there is a catch you must keep the

flat for more than five years and

technically speaking you don't own it

you have a 99-year lease which I know

sounds annoying but are you really going

to live beyond 130 anyway the results of

the hdbs approach is that more than 80

of singaporeans live in public housing

today and 95 of that is owner occupied

Singapore really has a knack for

ambitious construction projects one of

those being the country's chiangai

airport that is regularly rated the best

in the world with its eye-catching Jewel

Fountain and Gardens and the airport is

even said to double in size by around

2035 with the addition of Terminal 5

which is designed for an additional 50

million passengers per year it's truly

astonishing but what's most amazing is

that the Apple was built on land that

used to be underwater which leads us to

the most fascinating aspects of

Singapore if you ask me see since

colonial times Singapore has added over

14 000 hectares of land through land

reclamation adding nearly 25 percent

more land than before the British

arrival in 1819. just look at this map

to see the land added so far and then

what may be added in the future

Singapore actually he has a larger

percentage of the land claimed than the

Netherlands which is crazy to think

about but still no country is perfect

and land reclamation has come at a cost

for the environment an example of the

mangrove tree forests that dropped from

75 square kilometers in size in 1819 to

just 6.6 square kilometers a day and

this is quite sad because these mangrove

trees aren't used any type of trees as

they have almost magical properties like

surviving in salt water soaking up huge

amounts of carbon and protecting the

coast from Storm Coast flooding and

erosion and with most of Singapore less

than 15 meters above sea level it's no

surprise the government has tried to

replant some Mangrove forests

Singapore's rapid continued development

has come with other environments that

cost though with only two square

kilometers left of what was once 400

square kilometers of tropical forests

what's alarming is that some of these

remaining forests could be threatened by

Future rail projects since Independence

in 1965 though the city has made an

effort to reverse environmental

degradation from the beginning one major

goal they wanted to achieve was to clean

up the city's polluted rivers to reduce

its Reliance on imported water in case

tensions flared up with Malaysia so

they've built reservoirs to catch

rainwater and they now collect their

water from two-thirds of the

city-state's entire surface today

Singapore gets its water from four

different sources imported water from

Malaysia rainwater catchment

desalination and what it calls quote new

water and if you're wondering what new

water is it's just a fancy term for

treated Wastewater the reservoirs

include Marina Bay which alone can

provide for 10 of the city's water needs

but the city's focus on the environment

goes beyond just water in 1967

Singapore's first prime minister

announced his vision for a Garden City

at first this was mostly planting trees

but the idea has expanded over time

today the city boasts 7 800 hectares of

Green Space including four nature

reserves and since 2009 developers have

been required to replace the land that

they take up with green spaces this

requirement has set to Green buildings

across the city like the 340 meter long

Sky Park on top of Marina Bay Sands the

city's skyrise Greenery project aims to

add 200 hectares of green Walls and

roofs to buildings in the city by 2030.

the government is providing incentives

too offering developers up to half of

the installation cost for green roofs

and Walls by 2030 the city's green plan

aims for all residents to live 10

minutes or less from a Park which is

great news I mean I know first hand how

much joy I get from living close to a

park here in Copenhagen but anyway most

amazingly of all this is how Singapore

has managed to accomplish it all in less

than 60 years and there for this might

be its peculiar government see while

Singapore is a democracy the people's

action party has maintained a monopoly

on ruling the island city-state giving

them the time to plan long-term projects

without worrying much about opposition

this situation has allowed for this

massive construction of infrastructure

and housing of course progress has come

at a cost beyond the environmental

damage much of Singapore's architectural

Heritage has been lost to development

seeing the city used to be dotted by

these kampongs which are small villages

with a unique architecture and Rural

lifestyle today only two Camp homes

survive still since the 1980s huge

effort has been put into preserving the

city's iconic Chinese top houses with

over 7 000 buildings now legally

protected but the government is now

prioritizing incorporating historical

structures into new developments like

the great mattress hotel which was built

as one of the city's first public

housing projects in 1840s so yeah

Singapore isn't perfect but its

solutions for transport housing and

green spaces are a huge inspiration and

there's no doubt an insanely

well-designed place but that's it for

this video thank you for watching and

I'll see you in the next one