Search
Vocabularying
Listening
Reading
1. Academic
2. General
Writing
1. IELTSWriting Checker
2. IELTS Writing Samples
Speaking

Do you want to improve your writing? Try our new evaluation service and get detailed feedback.

Urban planning in Singapore

Urban planning in Singapore GMyRQ

British merchants established a trading post in Singapore in the early nineteenth century, and for more than a century trading interests dominated. However, in 1965 the newly independent island state was cut off from its hinterland, and so it set about pursuing a survival strategy. The good international communications it already enjoyed provided a useful base, but it was decided that if Singapore was to secure its economic future, it must develop its industry. To this end, new institutional structures were needed to facilitate, develop, and control foreign investment. One of the most important of these was the Economic Development Board (EDB), an arm of government that developed strategies for attracting investment. Thus from the outset, the Singaporean government was involved in city promotion. Towards the end of the twentieth century, the government realised that, due to limits on both the size of the country’s workforce and its land area, its labour-intensive industries were becoming increasingly uncompetitive. So an economic committee was established which concluded that Singapore should focus on developing as a service centre, and seek to attract company headquarters to serve South East Asia, and develop tourism, banking, and offshore activities. The land required for this service-sector orientation had been acquired in the early 1970s, when the government realised that it lacked the banking infrastructure for a modern economy. So a new banking and corporate district, known as the ‘Golden Shoe’, was planned, incorporating the historic commercial area. This district now houses all the major companies and various government financial agencies. Singapore’s current economic strategy is closely linked to land use and development planning. Although it is already a major city, the current development plan seeks to ensure Singapore’s continued economic growth through restructuring, to ensure that the facilities needed by future business are planned now. These include transport and telecommunication infrastructure, land, and environmental quality. A major concern is to avoid congestion in the central area, and so the latest plan deviates from previous plans by having a strong decentralisation policy. The plan makes provision for four major regional centres, each serving 800, 000 people, but this does not mean that the existing central business district will not also grow. A major extension planned around Marina Bay draws on examples of other ‘world cities’, especially those with waterside central areas such as Sydney and San Francisco. The project involves major land reclamation of 667 hectares in total. Part of this has already been developed as a conference and exhibition zone, and the rest will be used for other facilities. However the need for vitality has been recognised and a mixed zoning approach has been adopted, to include housing and entertainment.

British merchants established a trading post in Singapore in the early nineteenth century, and for more than a century trading interests dominated. However
, in 1965 the newly
 independent island state was This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :minimize
cut
 off from its hinterland, and This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:consequently
so
 it set about pursuing a survival strategy. The This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :beneficialproduct
good
 international communications it already enjoyed provided a useful base, This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:on the contrary
but
 it was decided
 that if Singapore was to secure its You use this word too often, consider replacing it withfiscalindustrialcommercialmonetarybudgetary
economic
 future, it This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :require
must
 develop its industry. To this This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :expiration
end
, new institutional structures were needed
 to facilitate, develop, and control foreign investment. One of the most This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:vitalcriticalessential
important
 of these was the You use this word too often, consider replacing it withfiscalindustrialcommercialmonetarybudgetary
Economic
 Development Board (Possible spelling mistake found.dBEdsEMBESBHDBDDB
EDB
), an arm of You use this word too often, consider replacing it withpowerministryunionauthoritystaterule
government
 that developed strategies for attracting investment. Did you forget a comma after a conjunctive/linking adverb?Thus,
Thus
 from the outset, the Singaporean You use this word too often, consider replacing it withpowerministryunionauthoritystaterule
government
was involved
 in city promotion.

Towards the This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :expiration
end
 of the twentieth century, the You use this word too often, consider replacing it withpowerministryunionauthoritystaterule
government
Possible spelling mistake. 'realised' is British English.realized
realised
 that, due to limits on both the size of the country’s workforce and its You use this word too often, consider replacing it withestatesoilterrainhomeearthcontinent
land
You use this word too often, consider replacing it withfieldoperationrangespace
area
, its Possible spelling mistake found.
labour-intensive
 industries were becoming increasingly
Possible spelling mistake found.competitivenoncompetitive
uncompetitive
. This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:consequently
So
 an You use this word too often, consider replacing it withfiscalindustrialcommercialmonetarybudgetary
economic
 committee was established
 which concluded that Singapore should focus on developing as a service Possible spelling mistake. 'centre' is British English.center
centre
, and seek to attract This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :enterprisecorporation
company
 headquarters to serve South East Asia, and develop tourism, banking, and offshore activities. The You use this word too often, consider replacing it withestatesoilterrainhomeearthcontinent
land
 required for this service-sector orientation had been acquired
 in the early 1970s, when the You use this word too often, consider replacing it withpowerministryunionauthoritystaterule
government
Possible spelling mistake. 'realised' is British English.realized
realised
 that it lacked the banking infrastructure for a modern economy. This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:consequently
So
 a new banking and corporate district, known as the ‘Golden Shoe’, was planned
, incorporating the historic commercial You use this word too often, consider replacing it withfieldoperationrangespace
area
. This district This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :nowadays
now
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :residences
houses
 all the You use this word too often, consider replacing it withdominantlarge-scalebigprimarylargesizable
major
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :enterprisescorporations
companies
 and various You use this word too often, consider replacing it withpowerministryunionauthoritystaterule
government
 financial agencies.

Singapore’s This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :contemporarymodern
current
You use this word too often, consider replacing it withfiscalindustrialcommercialmonetarybudgetary
economic
 strategy is closely
 linked to You use this word too often, consider replacing it withestatesoilterrainhomeearthcontinent
land
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :exploit
use
 and development planning. Although it is already a You use this word too often, consider replacing it withdominantlarge-scalebigprimarylargesizable
major
 city, the This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :contemporarymodern
current
 development You use this word too often, consider replacing it withideadealsystemstrategyprojectintention
plan
 seeks to ensure Singapore’s continued You use this word too often, consider replacing it withfiscalindustrialcommercialmonetarybudgetary
economic
 growth through restructuring, to ensure that the facilities needed by future business are planned
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :nowadays
now
. These include transport and telecommunication infrastructure, You use this word too often, consider replacing it withestatesoilterrainhomeearthcontinent
land
, and environmental quality. A You use this word too often, consider replacing it withdominantlarge-scalebigprimarylargesizable
major
 concern is to avoid congestion in the central You use this word too often, consider replacing it withfieldoperationrangespace
area
, and This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:consequently
so
 the latest You use this word too often, consider replacing it withideadealsystemstrategyprojectintention
plan
 deviates from previous You use this word too often, consider replacing it withideadealsystemstrategyprojectintention
plans
 by having a strong Possible spelling mistake. 'decentralisation' is British English.decentralization
decentralisation
 policy. The You use this word too often, consider replacing it withideadealsystemstrategyprojectintention
plan
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :createsconstructsmanufacturesproduces
makes
 provision for four You use this word too often, consider replacing it withdominantlarge-scalebigprimarylargesizable
major
 regional Possible spelling mistake. 'centres' is British English.centers
centres
, each serving 800, 000 This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :individualsnationsociety
people
, This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:on the contrary
but
 this does not mean that the existing central business district will not also
 grow. A You use this word too often, consider replacing it withdominantlarge-scalebigprimarylargesizable
major
 extension planned around Marina Bay draws on examples of other ‘world cities’, especially
 those with waterside central You use this word too often, consider replacing it withfieldoperationrangespace
areas
 such as Sydney and San Francisco. The project involves You use this word too often, consider replacing it withdominantlarge-scalebigprimarylargesizable
major
You use this word too often, consider replacing it withestatesoilterrainhomeearthcontinent
land
 reclamation of 667 hectares in total. Part of this has already been developed
 as a conference and exhibition zone, and the rest will be This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :exploited
used
 for other facilities. Did you forget a comma after a conjunctive/linking adverb?However,
However
 the need for vitality has been Possible spelling mistake. 'recognised' is British English.recognized
recognised
 and a mixed zoning approach has been adopted
, to include housing and entertainment. 