Why Singapore Is Insanely Well Designed

Why Singapore Is Insanely Well Designed

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Video by:
Oliver Franke
Research and writing:
Charles Street, Oliver Franke
Editing & Animation:
Mustafa Jasim

[OBFYT]

This video has been in the works for so long, we've made many revisions and I've wanted to make this video for months. I hope you enjoy it, it's taken a lot of work by me and the team!

[rowanlocke]

The population density issue is very important. Housing is 99% apartments in Singapore, but LA is sprawling single family homes.

[zyoom]

I was born in a third world country and I remember how crowded the train was, how loud everything was and being super hot all the time. When my family came to Singapore when I was 9, I remember being amazed by how comfortable both the mrt and the bus were. The fact that both keep on improving is something I appreciate since we’ve never owned a car.

[the_person_]

As a singaporean i personally enjoy the train system (MRT) in singapore. Its pretty quick and can take you almost everywhere you want to go. Its also pretty efficient and the train frequency is also not too bad :)

[branddransnothing]

Fun fact, every tree in Singapore has a “name” or tag, it is usually for the government agency to keep track of trees and their health. Nparks is the agency that usually carries out all the greens in Singapore, checking and keeping the greenery’s scattered around the land safe and protected.

For building projects, every tree they cut is billed, every tree they move is also billed. Cutting a tree is more expensive than changing a tree location.

Cutting a tree can cost about 5-7k depending on its size! So builders who choose to cut instead of moving the tree will pay a hefty price!

[cupcake]

As a Singaporean, I used to hate Singapore because I didn't do well in school and was very stressed out due to the intense competition. As I grew older and learned about economics and politics etc., I realised that Singapore is rly one of the best places (when you take everything like safety etc. into consideration) to live in the world. Super grateful rn :)

[joltng]

Am a Singaporean and even though we complain alot about every little thing, I (along with the majority I assume) feel really really lucky to see how Singapore has progress from a "slum" to one of the best countries to live in. Excited to see what the future holds, Majulah Singapura! 🇸🇬

[weishuen]

Malaysian here and I can only say bravo Singapore, I'm happy for you guys but also envious at the same time. Happy for the fact that you guys are one of the best cities in the world even after all the shit we put you through, and envious because you guys actually have a functioning government that cares for the people without being corrupted and crazy over power!

After our recent General Election, I can only foresee that Malaysia will go further into the trenches while SIngapore keeps advancing further and further away from us... If only we had a government like you guys do, things would definitely be so much different. Whatever it may be, keep going Singapore, Majulah Singapura!

[stephenc]

Metros in Asia are just way more efficient than US. Not just Singapore, just go to Taipei, HK, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing etc. the dense populations of the urban areas makes metro systems a priority for the government.

[grapejuice]

Everyone talks about trains but I also want to give a huge shoutout to improvements in our bus system - did you know that every single bus stop in Singapore comes with a updated board that tells you 1) the bus numbers that arrive at this stop 2) the FULL list of stops that EACH bus number goes to?

As a local, this is something really amazing to me; when I use google maps and they tell me where to get off, I just go to the bus stop board and check if I'm headed the right direction. I've travelled to other major cities in Asia and I really feel our bus system, down to our bus stop experiences, are so thoughtfully planned! I've not seen another city where the bus stops are so informative and clean!

Every bus stop has a city bin that's been emptied often by city cleaners.

[porygon]

“Changi” is pronounced “CHANG-ee”, not “chang-EYE”.

As a Singaporean who is unable to drive, I’m extremely grateful for our efficient public transport, especially having taken public transport in the US. For all our complaints about our country and government, we can’t deny that they have done many good things.

[JVnite_Jury]

As a Singaporean, The MRT system is such a big part of my life which I often use in my lifetime alongside our Public Bus transportation which I use more frequently every day.

[ProfessorJayTee]

Love Singapore. I've been there 4 times, always have a good visit. Like here in Japan, public transportation actually WORKS! They also have tremendously large underground shopping areas (again like Japan) which can double as public shelters in bad weather or other dangerous conditions. The city where I live, Kobe, Japan, is also undertaking new projects to 'green' it and improve our city with more parks, walking-only streets leading through downtown areas, etc. for natural comfort and long-term livability. The designers may have based their ideas on Singapore's changes over the years...

[konkeydong]

People can complain and say that the government is authoritarian and it is very expensive to live in Singapore. But no country is perfect, and as a Singaporean, you can live quite happily even if you're not wealthy. The stable government with one ruling party for over 50 years, with the ultimate goal of success, proved that governments around the world needed to work towards a single goal, and not just opposing one another just for the sake of it. Other parties challenge them so that they can be kept on their toes. Other than that, some rules such as the COE and high cost of living are just sacrifices we as Singaporeans accept, in exchange for efficient traffic flow, higher standards of living, higher minimum wages, etc. We love to complain about our life here, but honestly, its just because we have nothing else to complain about.

[jeems]

Singaporean here. What the govt did and has always been doing for a long time, is going to different cities to learn and these ideas feed into a Singapore-centric matrix where certain ideas are implemented. So basically we learn the good and the bad and we took what was beneficial and urban planning is huge here.

[obesereleaseasia]

As a Singaporean, all I can say is this video is very accurate. I've lived in multiple countries and travelled to far more, but Singapore is unique. It is truly an amazing place to live. Yes it's incredibly expensive, but I have never lived in such a convenient and safe place in my life. Much love SG 💖

[QzSG]

Just a fun fact that I love to share, NEWater or treated waste water is so much purer compared to tap water that it is used mostly in industries where high purity clean water is required such as in chip and wafer manufacturing.

[neanderthal]

As an american currently living in singapore for studying the metro surprised me. I don't take a taxis and I rarely take the buses. The metro is always my go to! Makes me want to stay here after my study and live here for the rest of my life!

[LeonSKennedy]

The value of those covered walkways throughout the city can’t be underestimated. They’re similar to those in Hong Kong which are a modern marvel.

Instead of finding your way by-foot on sidewalks, the walkways are like mini-highways that connect all major areas of the city & seemlessly blend into & through buildings, parks, malls, metro & ship stations, and the air-conditioned subterranean shopping & transport systems.

[RobertoCarlosM]

Simple, the US hasn't cared nor does care about public transportation. It's all about cars, cars, cars. Metro sucks, trains suck, buses suck. It's the difference between designing a city with a focus on public transportation Vs doing it with a focus on oil profits.