Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy Volume 4 Issue 1 Festschrift II in Honor of Julian Conrad Juergensmeyer on the Occasion of His Article 31 Retirement: International Perspectives on Urban Law & Policy 2020 The Business of Heritage in Singapore: Money, Politics & Identity Kevin Tan Equilibrium Consulting Pte Ltd,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://readingroom.law.gsu.edu/jculp Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, Environmental Law Commons, Land Use Law Commons, and the Urban Studies Commons Recommended Citation Tan, Kevin (2020) "The Business of Heritage in Singapore: Money, Politics & Identity," Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy: Vol. 4 : Iss. 1 , Article 31, 586-606. Available at: https://readingroom.law.gsu.edu/jculp/vol4/iss1/31 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Reading Room. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy by an authorized editor of Reading Room. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Tan: The Business of Heritage in Singapore THE BUSINESS OF HERITAGE IN SINGAPORE: MONEY, POLITICS & IDENTITY Kevin YL Tan1 ABSTRACT Singapore is one of the most rational and unsentimental places on earth. Its government prides itself on its pragmatic approach to policy-making, and is not afraid to slaughter sacred cows if they have to. This is perhaps most dramatically demonstrated by the radical modernization of Singapore’s built environment through its various Master Plans and public housing programmes. This massive physical transformation is perhaps modern Singapore’s most visible sign of progress.