Nowhere else in the world does a city district have as much of an influence on its nation as the Beach Road has on Singapore. Over the last half century, the larger Golden Mile district—the area between Nicoll Highway and Beach Road—has defined the Singapore cityscape. On September 24, 2024, ULI held a panel discussion, “Transforming Spaces, Sustaining Futures: A Journey Through Singapore’s Urban Metamorphosis,” that brought together stakeholders to talk about the district’s evolution from the post-independence urban renewal era. Chan Hui Min—director, DP Architects, and the panel moderator—posed a question: “What can the urban transformation teach us about innovation, sustainability, and social impact in real estate?”
For the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), balancing the need for growth while addressing the pressing issues of the day defined its approach so that it could support the different stages of Singapore’s development. In the 1960s, overcrowding and limited housing characterized the area. With support from the United Nations, a plan was drawn up to guide urban renewal of the Central Area. Land acquisition proved pivotal, allowing for the first government sale of sites program that leveraged private sector innovation and led to such developments as the Golden Mile Complex, which introduced high-rise mixed-use buildings. Built in 1973, this building was one of the first to integrate offices, shops, and residences in one structure, thus contributing to the vision for a high-rise mixed-use corridor along the Golden Mile.
By the 1980s, as housing pressures eased, the focus shifted to enhancing urban character and conserving Singapore’s heritage, which gave rise to the conservation of our historic districts such as Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and Little India with the formulation of the 1989 Conservation Master Plan. Since then, several historic buildings along Beach Road, such as the former Beach Road Camp and former Beach Road Police Station, have been conserved and integrated in new mixed-use developments through the government sale of sites program. In 2021, the URA reported that the Golden Mile Complex was gazetted for conservation, making it the first modern, large-scale strata-title development conserved in Singapore.
At the panel, Mei Chou —group director for conservation and urban design, URA—said, “The transformation of Beach Road over the decades reflects the broader Singapore journey—moving from a time [when] the emphasis was on urban renewal, clearance, rebuilding, to today, [when] there’s increasing appreciation on how incorporating heritage and identity can contribute to social life, enhance livability and [a] sense of belonging as we continue to evolve in our city transformation.”
Gruffudd ab Owain—global principal, Aedas—spoke about the challenges and lessons faced in accommodating historical assets and land reclamation while building a new central business district. He drew upon examples that Aedas had worked on, including the executive architecture for Marina Bay Sands and designing key mass transit projects across the city. He said, “I think what we found when we started to work on projects in this area was that by adding these major pieces of real estate to an existing city fabric, you redefine the center of gravity. And I think, when we started to work on the first project, which was the first Metro there—Esplanade—we found that we needed to heal and connect these parts of the city together.”
Even though Beach Road is a bustling commercial area, balancing residential real estate with public spaces and conservation is tricky. Cheng Hsing Yao—group chief executive officer, GuocoLand—drew on the experiences of Guoco Midtown, which the organization built on Beach Road, to explain how mixed-use development could define the identity of the district. He said, “Beach Road, or the Bugis area, is a very vibrant, exciting place, but it does not have a uniform identity. When we looked at cities around the world, the [Bugis] area [reminded] us of Midtown Manhattan, where it’s a bit mixed, with entertainment and the arts. We want to strengthen the business aspect of it. We also introduced public spaces for community activities.”
In a city that constantly reinvents itself, adaptive reuse has become central in an urban strategy to integrate heritage and modernity while keeping people at the center. The approach is also critical to understand how adaptive reuse strategies can be brought to Beach Road specifically. The identity of Beach Road as a composite entity represents an interesting challenge owing to the piecemeal efforts of different stakeholders. Issues of scalability and connectivity are also critical for placemaking and attractiveness, particularly because they require decades for implementation.
David Hutton—senior development advisor of development, Lendlease—is working with the Shaw Foundation on the renewal of Shaw Tower on Beach Road. He said, “When I think about Beach Road, I see enormous opportunity. It’s a microcosm of Singapore and the great transformation that Singapore continues to go through. As a custodian, [with that job] comes the responsibility of what we transform assets into—as assets always contribute to neighborhoods, which contribute to districts, which make up great cities.”
As Beach Road continues to thrive, it serves as a compelling model for cities globally, showcasing how the interplay of tradition and innovation can create vibrant, inclusive urban spaces that celebrate both the past and the future through close collaboration between the public and private sectors.
