Every day, countless people gather on urban waterfronts around the world, taking in the view while eating, drinking, exercising or simply living life. What they likely aren’t doing is asking themselves what makes for a good waterfront — because they’re too busy enjoying it.
It’s a deceptively simple question with a complicated answer. Many cities offer cautionary tales of what not to do, usually involving large roadways or privatised shorelines off-limits to the public. But even some of the most acclaimed examples are works in progress. Vancouver’s 22-kilometre Seawall is beloved for its spectacular natural vistas but is often criticised for a lack of food and entertainment, a situation exacerbated by upmarket residential development that has imposed a suburban hush over the long promenade. Sydney’s Darling Harbour has suffered the opposite problem, with critics calling it an over-commercialised tourist trap.
The Singapore River manages to find a happy medium. Though modest in scale compared to some other urban waterways — the entire river including Alexandra Canal stretches for less than five kilometres before spilling into Marina Bay — it manages to offer a mix of quiet recreation, lively nightlife, rewarding views of important local landmarks and, of course, the water. The way Singapore has achieved this offers a lesson to other cities trying to strike the right balance.
As Singapore grew into a major port in the 19th century, the Singapore River became the city’s economic heart, lined by warehouses and shophouses but also major financial institutions and Singapore’s Parliament. By the time the city-state gained independence in 1965, however, the river was fetid from years of unrestricted sewage flowing into its waters. President Lee Kuan Yew ordered a clean-up in 1977.
That kick-started a gradual transformation of the river and its surroundings. The 108 shophouses of Boat Quay were gazetted for conservation in 1989, retaining their historic architecture and the grid of small-scale streets that had been built along the water. Another historic area just upriver, Clarke Quay, was awarded the same status, and starting in 2003 was transformed into a entertainment precinct by British architect Will Alsop, who designed a system of playful canopies to shelter the area’s narrow streets.
These conservation projects helped maintain the historic connectivity between the river and areas further inland — unlike in many cities, there are no highways or mega-blocks cutting off access. Major institutions like the National Gallery and Asian Civilisations Museum are within a short walk of the riverbanks, and so are thousands of offices, apartments, hotel rooms, shops and restaurants. Getting to the river doesn’t require a detour — it’s on the way.
None of this would have happened without a co-ordinated effort between many different interests. As is usually the case in Singapore, that came from the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the national urban planning agency, which laid out a framework for the river’s transformation that guided privately funded projects like Clarke Quay, which was redeveloped by local developer CapitaLand.
Since 2012, a not-for-profit company called Singapore River One has been tasked with managing Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and the up-river Robertson Quay, the latter a lesser example of conservation but also a successful mixed-use development. Many of the company’s efforts revolve around placemaking initiatives, including one project that removed street parking from Circular Road — a busy dining destination — in order to create more public gathering spaces. Another project installed a children’s playground at Robertson Quay.
Ultimately, though, it’s a few basic elements that have made the Singapore River the kind of urban waterfront people enjoy without thinking too much about it: good connectivity, a diversity of experiences and an unmistakable sense of place.
