On The Waterfront: Globalization and Urbanization in Singapore

Chang, T.C.; Huang, Shirlena; Savage, Victor R.

doi:10.2747/0272-3638.25.5.413

Cited by 33 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(12 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It has been suggested that the uniformity of adaptive reuse projects modelled after foreign projects (such as Boston's Faneuil Market Place) has provoked public sentiment for local heritage (Chang et al, 2004). However, rather than a sense of dislocation among locals, the residents of Singapore have been flexible in the way they have responded to the internationalisation process.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reclaiming the City

Chang¹,

Huang²

2010

Urban Studies

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In its quest to be a world city, many of Singapore's urban spaces have been subjected to constant redevelopment. Derelict waterfronts and ageing neighbourhoods have been given new life, enjoying their reincarnation as landscapes of economy and leisure. A prevalent theme in Singapore's transformation has been the reclamation of landscapes to cater to new users, activities and agendas. Adopting a case study of the Singapore River waterfront, this paper analyses three forms of urban reclamation. They include reclaiming functionality, aimed at infusing the waterfront with new land uses; reclaiming access, as a way of opening up the landscape to more people; and reclaiming the local, as a way to commemorate local cultures and histories. While government planners and private enterprise are intent on developing a world-class environment, Singaporeans and visitors respond to this urban vision in different ways with some praising the dynamism of worldly transformations and others criticising them as a prelude to a soulless city. While some degree of worldliness is essential in any redevelopment, a fine balance has to be sought between the excesses of global urbanism and the parochialism of vernacular concerns. and western cultures. ... I would like to capture the magic of Paris and the majesty of Rome for Singapore, but not their traffic conditions (Singapore's then Prime Minister at the World Conference on Model Cities 2000).These two quotes, by two very different persons-one by a Singaporean, the other a foreigner; one in a position of power, and the other a dispassionate observer-are

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reclaiming the City

Chang¹,

Huang²

2010

Urban Studies

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Urban development is a result of an urban economic and institutional process at a given spatial‐temporal scale (Knox, 1994). Recent work on urban development in developing countries has suggested that urban development can be viewed as ‘a complex interplay of processes and agencies operating at different scales’ (Chang et al. , 2004: 415).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building knowledge city in transformation era: Knowledge‐based urban development in Beijing in the context of globalisation and decentralisation

Zhao¹

2010

Asia Pacific Viewpoint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study examines knowledge‐based urban development in Beijing with the objective of revealing the impact of the ‘synergetic’ forces of globalisation and local government intervention on knowledge‐based urban development in the context of the coexisting processes of globalisation and decentralisation. The findings in this paper show that due to the rapid growth of the cultural industry sector, knowledge‐based urban development has created various kinds of ‘cultural industry clustered areas’, which were recently promoted by the 2008 Olympic Games. ‘Synergetic’ global and local forces are leading knowledge‐based urban development, with the emergence of a local coalition regime in which local government manages local development, considered as ‘enterprises’ in the decentralisation process, while the State retains a significant influence on knowledge‐based urban development. The central and municipal governments tend to emphasise strategies to ‘facilitate the climate for growth’ rather than the centrally planned control they exerted prior to the 1980s.

show abstract

“…This has spurred local scholars to question the significance of globalisation for Singapore's urban landscape (see Heng and Chan, 2000;Chang, Huang and Savage, 2004;Hee, 2005a;Soh and Yuen, 2011). Such studies argue that, in the process of internationalising, industrialising and innovating, much of the intangible 'heartware' embedded in local places and practices are being replaced by modern hardware capable of usurping place identities and social memories.…”

Section: Urban Informality In a Global Citymentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban informality and everyday (night)life: a field study in Singapore

Yeo

Limin²,

Kiang

2012

International Development Planning Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Urban informality and everyday (night)life: a field study in SingaporeIn recent years, cities at the cusps of postmodernism and cosmopolitanism have begun to recognise the social and economic gains generated by urban nightlife in terms of employment, tourism and civic boosterlsm. One would therefore expect to see from the 'contemporisation', commodification and control of urban nightlife a grodual demise of urban informality on the city streets at night. Taking the global city of Singapore as a departure point for our investigation, we argue that spatial and temporal urban modes of informal practices are not only alive and well but also co-exist alongside the formal night-time economy. Adopting a three-fold ethnographic approach that combines the research methods of flânerie, photography and narration, this field study uncovers everyday |night)life as it unfolds in the Banglodeshi ethnic quarter of Singapore's Little India. In so doing, this paper contributes to wider understandings of urban informality by revealing the significance of informal urban nightscapes on the everyday lives of urban dwellers and discussing their implications for a global city like Singapore. Globalisation and the night-time economyThe night is difTerent, its opposition to day marked by darkness and danger. But its fears are balanced by its freedoms. Night offers escape from the drudgeries of the day, the routines that define humanity in specific duties, obligations, and tasks. (Palmer, 2000,13) New Yorkers throng Times Square for the annual New Year's Eve countdown and remain fixated in the festive atmosphere until the early hours of the morning; Barcelonans stroll along Las Ramblas after a late-night order of tapas and are entertained by an array of quirky buskers; Tokyoites while away the moonlit hours with afterwork drinks in one of the many traditional kissatens (Japanese-style coffeehouses) dotted around the city; while, in the alleyways of Vancouver's most drug-possessed neighbourhood, heroin addicts search for their next fix. The night-time city plays a significant role in the lives of urban dwellers as it represents a time for merriment, socialisation, escapism and transgressive behaviour In a '24-hour city', an ordinary day in the life of an urban dweller need not cease at sundown; rather, cities are likely to be more intensely lived and experienced

show abstract

On The Waterfront: Globalization and Urbanization in Singapore

Cited by 33 publications

References 17 publications

Reclaiming the City

Reclaiming the City

Building knowledge city in transformation era: Knowledge‐based urban development in Beijing in the context of globalisation and decentralisation

Urban informality and everyday (night)life: a field study in Singapore

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About