Land Supply in Singapore

E-Learning @ home
18th August 2010
 Learning Objectives

• Explain the landfill method as a way to increase

land supply
• Explain the advantage and disadvantage of the
landfill method
• Explain how Singapore maximizes its urban landuse
• Explain the advantage and disadvantage of
maximizing landuse method
Rising demand for land
in Singapore
Why does Singapore needs more land?
Why do we need more land?
Land Scarcity
o Population is about 4.8 million
o Population density is about 6000
persons per square kilometers
Singapore’s populatoin hit 4.84 million in June this year, marking a 5.5 per cent
increase from a year before. The number of non-residents grew by 19 per cent,
while the resident population went up by a mere one per cent. In other words, non-
residents are ¼ portion of Singapore population.
Why do we need more land?
Population growth
o Results in growing industries and
businesses
o Spatial constraints = problem of
not having enough space
Creating more land

…the Landfill Method

 Landfill method

• Landfill method is used to create dry land

from waterlogged areas by filling them
with sand to form dry land.

Waterlogged area = area that is soft

and watery
5 stages in total
 Stage 1: Piles are forced into the
seabed to make it stable

Stage 2: Sand wall is built around the area to be

reclaimed to keep the sea water out. Sand is
also stored into the sea just outside the sand
wall until it is needed.
Stage 3: Sand is sucked
up and pumped into the
enclose area.
Stage 4: Sand is compressed and granite
wall is built on the side facing the sea to
prevent waves erosion.

Stage 5: Vegetation are grown on the

reclaimed land to prevent soil erosion
and the land is left to rest.
The shaded parts represent areas that are reclaimed.
Singapore has increased its land supply!
Is the landfill method effective?

What are the advantages and

disadvantages?
 Effectiveness of Land Reclamation

• Successful way of • Can only reclaim

increasing countries’ land up to 15m in
land area. depth as more sand
will be needed
• Limit to the amount
of land that can be
reclaimed
• Coastal habitat
affected
 Landfill method in Singapore

• In recent years, sea sand

obtained from the seabed
is the main source of fill
materials for reclamation.
Sand is imported from
the neighbouring countries
such as Indonesia.
Maximize use of existing land

…using our land as much as

possible
Maximizing URBAN landuse
1) Mixed landuse
• Mixed landuse means having
shopping malls, offices,
houses and hotels in one area
– linked by pedestrian
walkways
• Landuse planning is the
process whereby different
areas on a piece of land are
assigned for different
landuses (i.e. malls, houses,
schools)
 Effectiveness of Mixed Landuse

• Mixed landuse requires

• Convenience of construction and
having homes, jobs reconstruction of new
and wide range of and old buildings as
services in the same well as transport
area networks
We do not need • Places near industries
to travel far! may encounter traffic
congestion
• Air and noise pollution
in housing area
 Maximizing URBAN landuse
2) High Density Building: Building that consists
of many living or working people per unit area

Pinnacle@Duxton is a 50-
storey HDB’s first 50-
storey integrated public
housing development
from HDB.

There are many people

living on this piece of land!
 Effectiveness of High Density Building

• With more people • Crowded

on a small piece of environment, traffic
land, more land are congestion – may
freed for other increase stress
purposes. levels among
people
Future of Singapore?
 Future of Singapore?
Limitations of technology
• Current technology only
allows us to reclaim
land from waters up to
15 metres in depth
Expensive
• Not enough sand from
within Singapore
• Importing sand is costly
 Future of Singapore?
Territorial constraints
• Need to keep certain amount of sea space for
shipping activities
• To maintain good relationships with neighbours
without infringing
on neighbours’
territories

We cannot keep reclaiming on

the northern part of Singapore
because of the land of Malaysia.
…Malaysia’s concern.
 Future of Singapore?

• We will carry on with landuse planning and

build high-density buildings to cope with the
increasing population.
The End. :)