Why Singapore Is Insanely Well Designed

Why Singapore Is Insanely Well Designed
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Source list:
docs.google.com/document/d/1I...
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!

[@pyeitme508]

Wow

[@Isaiahmightbecool]

Finally, a singapore video

[@joaorocha1793]

Good work my man, keep it up!

[@daanvaneck6253]

Great video! At 8:56 you maybe wanted to show only the light red coloured parts, but it already shows the dark red ones as well, not sure if it was intended to become visible after the animation? Anyway the video is amazing. :)

[@jax82sg]

COE figures are outdated. CAT B now is 110K SGD lol...

[@rowanlocke8105]

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

[@RK-cj4oc]

Yeah but thats a good thing. I dont want to be a rat in a small appartment.some more medium density buildings could be added. But suburbs are populaire for a reason.

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

@@RK-cj4oc and it's not good.

[@MooreInteresting]

@@ShubhamMishrabro Ok..... People made the decision that we didn't want to live stacked on top of one another. We wanted to own acreage with a nice home.

[@selareid]

@@RK-cj4oc suburbs are popular in the USA because it's difficult (illegal) to build decent apartments (in terms of their surroundings). American zoning laws.

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

@@MooreInteresting people didn't government did. That's there is growing resentment against suburbs.

[@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 :)

[@chuazhiqianwrss4379]

@The Cycle fast food here is like 10 dollars for a full meal dunno what it is in other areas but its pretty high compared to local foods

[@Numberonesorabjifan]

Don't tell them about that one time the NS line broke down like 20 times in a span of few months

[@Au1n]

I think the train is full at the between 6:00 to 7:00 5:30 gets rlly bad but not very bad cause in 1 to 3 stops you can find a seat

[@eszeezee6967]

@@Numberonesorabjifan the breakdowns are minimal now. It's very efficient and clean.

[@eszeezee6967]

@The Cycle depends on what you order. At most burger fast food restaurants, you can get a cheeseburger set meal that includes a soft drink and small fries for under SGD $7

[@zyoom8796]

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.

[@aa.r2588]

But Singapore is also a third world country

[@Mitrandhir]

@@aa.r2588 no, second country. Singapore is commonwealth

[@cattoscat1462]

@@aa.r2588 third world country definition by google,the term has come to define countries that have high poverty rates, economic instability and lack basic human necessities like access to water, shelter or food for its citizens. These countries are often underdeveloped, and in addition to widespread poverty, they also have high mortality Singapore is far far away for any of the things described here

[@zyoom8796]

I assumed it was first world since my parents own Lee Kuan Yew’s autobiography called “Third World to First”

[@IShrimpShark]

@@aa.r2588 singapore is first world what are you on about

[@cupcake125]

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 :)

[@entgay3767]

really meh? im singaporean and im still young and i love singapore.

[@varunsrinivas4419]

@@entgay3767 Singapore is different for everyone, some people find it tough to cope with the very rigid structure of the education system, while others find that it works for them.

[@ck260594]

@ ns quite fun la. Don’t be so negative leh

[@AllTime-]

@@ck260594 well we will have to fimd out (I in sec sch not ns ok)

[@ck260594]

@@AllTime- can la. When I was your age I also don’t like. But I met one of my closest friends in ns. Train tgt, punish tgt, eat tgt. Can say as close as brothers

[@branddransnothingbuthands599]

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!

[@wahtusy3519]

I love this for them

[@jo3ltng]

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! 🇸🇬

[@nessesitoburrito8873]

It seems like historically Singapore needed European powers to give them their own brand new nationality divided between many ethnicities. If it weren’t for those people you guys would be Malaysians.

[@AnonozChong]

Majunya Singapura!

[@angeluscorpius]

@@nessesitoburrito8873 I like how you expressed your ignorance. With great certainty!

[@brchlsa69]

@@nessesitoburrito8873 i am glad i am not born a Malaysian. Wouldnt want to be treated like a second class citizen where privileges are given to the malays based on birthright. . The Chinese community in malaysia contributed to Malaysia as much as the Malays but yet they cannot advance far. No matter how well they performed in school or at work, they are always ranked behind the Malays. This is why chinese in malaysia can hold loyally on to their cultures and heritage and even feel closer to China. When Malaysia discarded Singapore in the 60s where singapore had nothing , our respected LKY resolved to ensure everyone is given equal opportunity regardless of race, language or religion. For that i say i am proud to be a Singaporean. We worked hard for our success not by chance or given privilege. We honour too the pioneer generation who helped built Singapore. Which nation does that? Some may frown or even despise our policy of meritocracy but what are we suppose to do but to be the best n to get the best qualified pp to run the country. This is a realistic and harsh world. Singapore have no 2nd chance for failure. This was and is the clearest message we learn in our civic classes - we have no one except ourselves as singaporeans to lean on. What the government can do is to provide the best environment they can, at the same time try to help those at the bottom of the social ladder. Rule the country by tough laws but at the same time, make sure the majority of the singaporeans' needs such as home, food, transportation are looked into n provided adequately. In some countries, the so called midde income group are earning lesser than our average worker here. So are our average worker unfortunate? My auntie who worked as a cleaner could afford to send my cousins through university all because of bursaries given. I have had students who couldnt afford their school fees being taken care of by sponsors. There are a lot of kind souls who gained successnin life and still given back to society. Being richer as a nation, means we can afford to give back more to help those in need. So far we have no one dying of starvation or left cold without a roof over their heads. Go see the homelessness in US, europe, Japan ..it is true living costs are higher and money not enough at times, but there is always help available if asked. True , the rich are flocking to our shores, but at the same time, they are paying higher taxes be it buying properties. , The professionals or talents we are inviting dont not enjoy the utilities subsidies, occasional government pay out in cash given only to sg citizens. No perfect world, no perfect government. Give Singapore credit for doing well and stop bashing and finding fault with us if we do better than your own countries.

[@Devilishlybenevolent]

@@nessesitoburrito8873 Funny how that is completely untrue and they're better off than all the European countries asides from a few Scandinavian ones. Singaporeans have a higher IQ than you do and a more successful country than you have.

[@stephenc370]

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.

[@wjj7488]

Don’t forget the huge transport mess in Jakarta/Bangkok/ KL / Vietnam cities .

[@myujokt733]

In Europe too.

[@myujokt733]

Even my country's system is better than your sorry excuse of one.

[@Kane_2001]

@@wjj7488 underated city

[@alphamineron]

Even India has an incredible metro system in their capital city. I don't know if they replicated it to any other cities though

[@weishuen32]

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!

[@apostolosvelios]

sometimes the problem are the people. not the government. in SG u only deal with urban folks. while in malaysia u had to deal with rural,urban folks. different people make different outcome. if u just managed KL, im sure msia already in par with singapore

[@juancelop]

I think Malaysia will go as far as Singapore will but it may take some time, a lot of time in fact. As from my understanding, Malaysians have this mentality of not trying to outreach to other 1st world country to ask "How are they doing it?". If they could get over it, Malaysia will fly up as high as Singapore did and for Singapore, i think they'll progress more and more and i'm excited to see how they will handle the economy and population in the future. Much love for both countries!

[@ignatiushie4403]

Malaysia’s ramlee burger, bone soup and seafood are very good

[@lucyfiniarel2347]

@@apostolosvelios malaysia gov is the problem. We were one malaya, there was not that much separating Singapore and malaysia in terms of culture, language or history back then. I wouldn’t blame malaysian people for the failure of their leaders.

[@apostolosvelios]

@@lucyfiniarel2347 gov had to follow the perlembagaan/constitution. even if 222 MP agree it still could not be implemented/abolish/amended. people in east malaysia doesnt have the same narrative as the malayan voter. even so east coast voter doesnt share the same narrative as west coast, south voter. let alone chinese,indian voters has different thought than malay voter. malay voter also divided into 2. rural and sub urban not sharing the sama narrative as i said, different people different outcome. sometimes gov not the problem but the people are

[@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...

[@biocapsule7311]

It is more likely we learn from Japan in some ways. More often that not it's just coming to the same conclusions because the needs are the same, and there are a very few ways of achieving the desire outcome in the most effective way.

[@brchlsa69]

We build sheltered walkways from bus stops to hdb flats or from mrt to malls coz spore is hot n humid

[@sambalgoreng]

which country are you in again? didn't quite catch that

[@danieldelrio9223]

Maaaaaan eisuke San lives with me!!

[@arenaduty]

nice to visit, meh to live in, i just dont like cities and find them very stressful and claustrophobic

[@porygon5]

“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.

[@Agent-ie3uv]

Lol Guangzhou they say gwang SU

[@sushiedd]

Very much disturbed by his pronunciation of simple words

[@ignatiushie4403]

Ever heard of someone pronouncing Tampines as tam-pines (pine tree??) Somehow fascinating & cute to hear mispronounces

[@travel4gaming]

Yeah lol

[@lzh4950]

@@ignatiushie4403 Maybe the correct pronunciation sounds too much like 'p****' for OBF not to get de-monetized

[@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.

[@yeshwathram6197]

The Singapore Public transport system is so good that we didn't need to buy a personal vehicle there.

[@billcipher_natchosans]

Same, never owned a car in my life here in SG lol.

[@boiongoingong]

​@@yeshwathram6197 i think i will never buy a car even if i can afford one. waste of money + will generate more pollution. why would i ever need one with the bus and the mrt?

[@yeshwathram6197]

@@boiongoingong Exactly and with the expansion of mrt lines in the future, having a car is pretty much useless.

[@lzh4950]

Though I'm not sure how SPCA feels at having been moved to Sg Tengah which is almost 2km from the nearest bus stop. My hostel also hosted a mock conference where delegates could visit various embassies, & those visiting Switzerland's one commented @ having to walk almost 1/2h to the nearest public transport

[@konkeydong6907]

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.

[@matthewchang8082]

Caveat: you can live quite happily if you live a “normal”, socially accepted lifestyle. Government policies on housing, for example, are strongly tied to marriage.

[@konkeydong6907]

@@matthewchang8082 true. But thats the reality in any other country as well. In terms of housing, you also have to understand that the demand for housing greatly exceeds the output. Of course, greater priorities in the governments eyes have to be set.

[@gamingrex2930]

No joke the only reason why we were so fucking well-planned infrastructure and policy wise was thanks to a one party state. We are the world's only surviving dictatorship that succeeded past its leader's death.

[@gelinrefira]

Honestly, Singapore is authoritarian-ish because Singaporeans are content mostly to let the government work. When they are unhappy, they do show up and vote and take a few seats away to punish the ruling party. I still remember a GE some years back when the ruling party actually lost a number of seats and they started panicking. To say Singapore is not a democracy betrays a very shallow understanding of Singapore and democracy itself. Singapore is not an adversarial type western liberal democracy where the government is thought to be democratic only if there are adversarial opposing parties with near parity power. Singaporeans don't really believe in that because they want political stability more than window dressing politics so common in the west. Just look at how ron desantis sent migrants to Martha Vineyard as a performative political stunt against the dems. Singaporeans will find desantis's behavior to be baffling, childish and intolerable. They want the government to govern with the country's interests in mind, not play juvenile games for votes. It is more apt to describe it as a pragmatic, technocratic democracy.

[@AB-cg2tc]

Singaporeans only know how to bark in social media but balls dropped at the voting booth

[@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.

[@jeems2066]

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.

[@myujokt733]

Interesting.

[@jkyotube]

well basically its kinda hard to mess up such a small country where resources (hardworking population, $$) are pooled together in a small proximity. Only credit i can give to the gov is that they were not that corrupted in the early stage. Now? Its just legalized corruption.

[@kayposia4997]

@@jkyotube legalized corruption in singapore? enlighten me please

[@jkyotube]

@@kayposia4997 who owns our national bank, transport, power, land, cpf?

[@mookingbird]

Urban planning in Singapore is top notch.

[@LeonSKennedy7777]

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.

[@TarzanTFT]

Ive always loved flyovers while growing up in Hong Kong and am baffled its not more widespread globally (also MTR system is just

[@lzh4950]

Especially as rain in this country is often accompanied by strong winds that cause the rain to fall @ up to a 45° angle, making smaller sheltering tools e.g. umbrellas (as compared to covered walkways) less effective

[@prometheus7387]

I've never seen much coverage on these covered walkways and they're criminally underrated

[@Spartan-sz7km]

Its crazy how when I go out, bringing an umbrella is not a consideration since majority of my routed are covered walkways

[@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.

[@PhiloSurfer]

Yes, the reverse osmosis process also takes out most of the minerals. These minerals have to be added back for drinking purposes.

[@27jerry27]

"Bro just one more lane bro...Its gonna fix the traffic"

[@FreSch_Dude]

Sounds like new players in cities skylines

[@icery59]

"listen bro, we need more parking lots, you hear me? I mean really who need shops and houses and whatever, just demolish them. Parking lots are where its at bro"

[@CarbineKiller]

haha. i felt that

[@shikamaruthehokage]

@@FreSch_Dude Nah nah cities skyline players are much smarter than that. They will add huge roundabouts on extreme zones or improve the public transportation by adding metros or trolley buses.

[@gelinrefira]

@@shikamaruthehokage He said new players lol.

[@neanderthal2599]

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!

[@harry.222]

Wish you have a wonderful time in Singapore ^^

[@ignatiushie4403]

Welcome....welcome....

[@share_accidental]

haha, why not?

[@neanderthal2599]

@share accidental I have currently returned back to the US to finish my degree but dear God do I miss singapore so much.

[@iamarizonaball2642]

⁠I’m heavily considering moving to the Netherlands due to its lack of car centric infrastructure and I’ll need some help.

[@obesereleaseasia5770]

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 💖

[@alexandercochrane4267]

Seeing a lot more Singapore content recently, and while I definitely have been searching/looking into content related to the city, it feels like people are appreciating the city more. Not sure if Singaporeophile is a word but I’d describe myself as one, very impressed by the city.

[@paperknit]

Thank you for loving our city 😁

[@buzzfeedright4154]

@kingcook Its a dictatorship with one of the lowest birth rates in the world. Its not a utopia.

[@ricimercury9490]

No offense, but you’d get bored easily when you’re actually here.

[@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.

[@vinny7114]

Nailed it

[@jasonyoung9735]

Same in New Zealand. Car-based and not public transport, it's great if you want to catch a train into the city, but getting between suburbs is a hassle. Also Auckland has no trains in the North Shore City.

[@randomuser5443]

Us also had the luxury of space, which lead to population density being super low

[@RobertoCarlosM]

@@randomuser5443 purposeful policies, decisions caused that. Having plenty of space is no excuse for terrible transportations policies, and today's US cities and residential areas are horse shit, if you're without a car you're screwed. It's hard to get anything, go anywhere without a car.

[@kingchicken8232]

@@randomuser5443 The amount of free space only allowed this kind of sprawl, it is absolutely not the reason for it. Prior to the 60s and 70s US cities were much much denser (and then they bulldozed it all for parking lots and highways)

[@mosaton]

I just came back from a 2 week stay in Singapore. This video is absolutely correct. I saw maybe one or two petrol/gas stations, and there are a lot of covered walkways. You only see expensive cars (Porsche, Benz, Lamborghini, etc) or taxi cabs on the road. I was told it was because of the car taxes, prices, 10 year registration, etc. Everyone lives in public housing, but they are really nice and have gardens on some levels, trees and flowers growing on the buildings. I was told the President's Wife spearheaded the effort to plant flowers on every building. It is a really, really, clean, beautiful city. Also, the Marquee Singapore Nightclub was the best club I've ever been in. It had a 4 story video wall behind the DJ, a Ferris wheel on the 3rd floor with a slide down to the bathrooms. It was amazing!

[@funkehfunkeh]

Dude, only expensive cars on the road? Where were you? No way. I think we've got a pretty average range of cars here with lots of low-mid end together with industrial vehicles like trucks and vans to balance out the expensive cars. Even in this video you're not seeing luxury cars...

[@mosaton]

@@funkehfunkeh I was downtown, not too far from Marina Bay Sands in what I was told the financial district. Also the women and taxi drivers I met basically said few could afford the taxes on a car and those that could afford, could also afford expensive cars.

[@NewmaticKe]

President is female

[@mosaton]

@@NewmaticKe That was what I was told. I'm not sure but I assume they were talking about Prime Minister (not President, my bad) Lee Hsien Loong's wife Ho Ching.

[@alexandertiew5648]

Glad to have you in SG!

[@jaym6870]

My Australian friend had to return to Sydney after working here in Singapore for about five years. She told me she will miss not only the safety and security here but also the transport and health system!

[@PRSer]

A lot of Singapore's wonderful modern efficient systems are taken for granted by Singaporeans. There's a lot of things I love and hate about my country of Singapore but I count my blessings everyday I was very fortunate to be born and raised here. We're a very tiny dot in the world but I honestly wouldn't to really live anywhere else.

[@krisostomoyabarrera2255]

i visited singapore when I was a kid with my family before covid. truely beautiful country. very envious of what you guys have. sincerely from a filipino.

[@rjjrjehehew]

@@krisostomoyabarrera2255 I feel sad for our ASEAN neighbors if only we could colonize you

[@jon8697]

noone in the world have sheltered walkway like singapore.

[@ak06041]

@@rjjrjehehew what a terrible way to suggest improving your neighbours way of living.

[@griddycheese]

@@ak06041 ye lol 😂

[@shadowvampwolf]

This is the first time I've heard changi airport being pronounced so.. exotically haha

[@kennyho6821]

I believe safety is also the main factor in the differences in ridership. Every metro system that I visited in Asia is clean, safe (day or night), and uses by all classes of people. I can't say the same for America for obvious reasons.

[@jarjarbinks6018]

West coast North American cities treat transit systems as some sort of welfare whether they want to admit it or not. Conservatives think of it as welfare and therefor dislike having to give money to it and liberals think of it as welfare because they put the concept of equity above everything else Progressive activists find the idea of drugs and addiction being a bane to society to be a fallacy and as such refuse to prosecute those who smoke fentanyl on the trains around others. When these homeless people are offered shelter and government funded apartments with the caveat that they get clean they refuse the offer and continue to sleep on the trains In Seattle there are no fare gates at the light rail stations and fares were enforced by officers who check everyone on the train for tickets. After it was found that most of the people found to be evading fares were black activists protested against the transit agency and now fares aren’t enforced and more than 30 percent of riders now don’t pay fares. The transit agency has been in a fiscal crisis for months as a result These cities are openly legalizing and allowing degeneracy to take place. Just walk around the streets of Chinatown Vancouver BC to see the kind of “utopia” these activists have created

[@myujokt733]

Even Europe is better.

[@edenassos]

BLM?😎😎

[@MatthiasGorgens]

@@edenassos The American woes long predate that particular movement.

[@westside213]

@@MatthiasGorgens NYC had the best subway system in the world for many years until the far left took over. Outside of a few major cities, we just don't want to live in 200 sq. ft. apartments like you guys. I don't even know how you guys go on living like that, but please stop trying to force it on us and we won't try to force freedom of speech on you!

[@THSIM]

Thanks - tak! Leaving for Singapore (from Århus) for work in a few weeks, and this video really helps me understand where I'm going and set expectations. Very valuable and much appreciated 👍

[@apex_xd8907]

im singaporean and ive said it before, it feels like an exclusive club with how little of us there are comparatively to the rest of the world, and how good our quality of life is (again, comparatively)

[@luciddoggo5094]

shut up

[@CrimsonAlchemist]

Asian cities like Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong etc are way advanced, high tech, cleaner, and easier to go around than US cities. Period.

[@azhariarif]

all of them also have high suicide rates.

[@davidmizak4642]

You deliver excellent content to your audience. It's very interesting material. All of your effort put into creating this video is much appreciated. I'm truly grateful for your help!

[@Minigurlkitty]

This video is well made! Informative and showed the beauties of my city. Yes, no country is perfect, i hope my fellow Singaporeans are able to appreciate what we have. We are amazing!

[@indigenouspodcast2257]

Wow! Amazing video! Singapore is such a fascinating place to me! Still hope to get there one day soon. Thank you for your work you put into this!

[@buckrogers5331]

My goodness, this is one of the most accurate, comprehensive yet concise info videos of Singapore. Superbly done!! Perhaps just to add: S'pore was humble enuf to acknowledge that they did not have the expertise to urban plan, so they sought UN's help to better understand land use and then transportation options resulting in a first Sg Concept Plan in 1971, Sg similarly sought advice on economic matters too. One thing it decided on its own is to be the most open and least corrupt place to do business (in regards to the other less attractive places in SE-Asia at the time.

[@juancelop]

Insanely good video mate! Voice + Info + Visual Edit was a 💯!!! New knowledge for myself and probably many others!

[@kongmengyang8238]

I am studying abroad in Singapore and I am insanely impressed. It is awesome how you can go anywhere using public transportation!

[@CitiesForTheFuture2030]

Tx for an awesome video. Sustainable development rests on 3 pillars - enviro integrity, economic prosperity & social justice. Singapore ticks most boxes. One challenge not covered in your video was the eradication of corruption in all aspects of urban governance. Other great cities that has made sustainable urban planning, development & management a priority include Curitiba, Medellin, Bogota & Tirana. There are great cities in Scandanavia, but being wealthy developed countries, there are fewer challenges & solutions are less holistic & complete - usually focused around urban mobility & inclusive street design.

[@fredfoo8346]

Being a pedestrian and cycler in Singapore I must say there is a lot of talk, but not much "walking" :) Seems to me that city planners of Singapore study in the US mostly and bring over the wish for and the idea of a car centric world. Cycling paths are being build but man, would I wish they would look at Amsterdam or Groningen just once! So much still to learn!

[@mookingbird]

It is actually in the urban planning already to turn entire city of Singapore into a cycling and walking friendly city. It’s being rolled out in phases.

[@XenonKirito]

@@mookingbird Yes the plans are progressing but sadly we have cyclist still abusing the road.

[@fredfoo8346]

@@mookingbird What to say to that? Cyclist city: done! I live in Tampines and I am surrounded by new cycling paths, done by planners who don't know what they are doing. But I am sure they hit their KPI's if length is the only criteria. Obviously their sub-tasks are get the pesky cyclist off the road and do not obstruct car traffic. The guidelines for bike/pedestrian infrastructure are obviously still car centric and no plan helps you here to get it right.

[@misopasko2614]

This is very true. I'm an exchange student in Singapore now (I'm from Europe) and there are basically 0 cycle lanes where it is needed. Everyone just cycles on pedestrian sidewalks. That is my feeling of the city for now. It should get better by 2030 hopefully. Visited the URA building (Urban Redevelopment Authority) and seen their masterplan for next 10 years. But it always can get better of course, it still won't be a Dutch city in terms of bike infrastructure even in 10 years which is pretty sad.

[@misopasko2614]

@@fredfoo8346 This is true as well, it is still a very car centric city, even for pedestrians imo, there are lots of sidewalks (also love those sheltered sidewalks) but the design can be much better.

[@Minboelf]

I like how he show the Cross Island Line and the Jurong Region Line, Both Which are still under Construction

[@Country_7]

Ya but both will be built in the future :)

[@G2H_HellBringer]

hence the dotted line.

[@lightningstar549]

Technically every single line is still under construction, or rather, a work in progress (given new stations and extensions are set to be added in the future)

[@AshrakAhmed]

Unlike California's High Speed Rail, it will be built and it will serve it's purpose!

[@grain5678]

recently i tried walking home from my current school all the way back home to realise it takes around 50 mins. but while using public transport its shortened to around 15 to 20 mins. im really grateful that there is public transport almost everywhere in singapore because it really makes our travelling so much easier.

[@LloydsofRochester]

I lived there for a number of years in the 80's and was always impressed at their logical, analytic planning. They learned from the mistakes of other countries! Bravo! It may have been expensive, but I loved it. I miss it and praise it to my friends all the time.

[@zyrob3435]

I live in Singapore and there's an MRT station 10 mins away by foot from my house, the way there is almost completely sheltered. I find it pretty convenient already, but then they're in the midst of building another MRT station just 5 mins away by foot. It'll be even easier to get to the other side of Singapore in the future.

[@threestoreyssg]

Thanks for putting this video together! Truly shows why many are still attracted to living in Singapore - resulting in a booming real estate market.

[@pookiewookie1837]

As a Singaporean, yeah, everything is actually pretty neat. But it's just that school and work, they're really stressful. But the one's in charge of them are trying their best to improve our mental health and make us happier. And the people here would stare at you for wearing anything special.

[@randomcatmeow1394]

Thank you for featuring Singapore, it is amazing to see my home country being showcased. The government has really stepped up on improving green spaces in Singapore in recent years, alot of colourful plants are now planted along streets to beautify the area and encourage walking. It is not perfect living here and stress levels are very high as a student but you can tell that the government is trying their best. As a citizen, I can really appreciate living here

[@Deady4u]

The last part of the video shows a big con of democracy. Having opposing parties and quick turnover like the US just means that most proposals are just outright denied or cancelled once the next party takes over. This also leads politicians to just pander to voters without actually keeping promises just because they only want votes. How can you run a country well when every plan you make is opposed and you only have less than 4 or 8 years to do it.

[@myujokt733]

This is why straight-up democracy doesn't work.

[@drsolo7]

@@myujokt733 or just longer term length

[@drsolo7]

Instead of 4 years, why not 8 years per term?

[@myujokt733]

And in the end you'll just be forgotten, or scorned as a liar for the rest of your life.

[@vaccaria9778]

You must have good leadership for this to begin to work. Giving too much power to a corrupted government can have adversely different results. Them taking various steps back then to ensure the future (current) government stays uncorrupted is also something they've done well.

[@doodleesq]

It's quite simple - Singapore, like the Netherlands, has an integrated transport, infrastructure and land use network with a political system that's relatively stable and all the land owned by the state. America and Britain, in contrast, have a fragmented infrastructure network, awful planning and a political system that favours individuals over the collective thus, everything is more difficult to deal with, ultimately raising costs and delays. It's not rocket science why Singapore and the Netherlands work in favour of its people, not the privileged few.

[@JaKingScomez]

Imagine forcing people to depend on the government for free movement

[@angeluscorpius]

I watched this video hoping for an exploration of the difference in planning - working for the good of the greater number, rather than (conspiracy theory) for the profits of car-makers and oil companies.

[@gelinrefira]

@@JaKingScomez Imagine being in a hellhole and refusing to admit it because of ideologies.

[@jw-ke9nx]

Worked in Singapore for a few years, everything is easy peasy, even tax is so simple, the government calculates everything for you fair and square, and you just click a button to pay it. Done in 10 mins.

[@PhiloSurfer]

Yup. Now they even text me about my latest property tax.

[@madhumitaathaley551]

Having grown up in Singapore and used public transport and it’s amazing road infrastructure, has set a gold standard for me …. Moving out of the country to Pune my birthplace with currently inhumane levels of road traffic and pollution has triggered a condition called ‘Road traffic anxiety’ in me it’s Real, I really feel bad for myself and the people of this city, whose ancestors didn’t have a vision for how shit things could get, if they didn’t regulate private vehicles and invest in public transport. Pune had great environment, weather, natural resources but sadly no Vision, and it set on a self destructive path. In the same time SG with little means but visionary leaders, built truly one of the best cities in the world, I love both the cities , but I can see a future in one and abyss in the other

[@limzhihang5830]

Lee Kuan Yew makes all of these possible with his team of talented, farsighted and brilliant leaders.

[@arcwindz1]

Easy access, on time schedule, wide reaching network and comfortable spaces are the key to a good public transport. I always took the public transport in Singapore whenever i came to visit, they really nailed it good.

[@jace888au]

For a while I thought maybe you were Singaporean and proud, and then you pronounced “Changi airport”. Great comparison video. I was thoroughly impressed too when I lived in Singapore for a couple of years for work.

[@khyatijain83]

I also have been living in sg for 10 years and i am in love ❤❤❤❤ I take the train everyday to and fro for school It is such an AMAZING country And its soooooooooo safe If you lose something a week ago in a movie theatre like ur glasses you wud probably get it back I once lost 50 dollars and i still got it back bcuz of a good samaritan . I once got seperated from my family and i was SEVEN. I found them back in 30 minutes as i approached a guard and he found them like can you believe it I LOVE SINGAPORE SOO MUCH❤❤❤

[@stelazhou]

I really love how Singapore government implemented certain rules to keep the country advantageous to its population. For example, the easy public transportation that makeup for the expensive cost of buying cars. Also fine for littering to keep city clean. A lot of it effected Singapore environment in a huge size which not found in a lot of cities with the same population.

[@inderaputra2846]

Bloody good effort, well done!

[@DimmyV]

I visit Singapore in 2013 for the Grand Prix. What an incredible city, it reminds of what Toronto should be. I want to go back because there so much to do and explore.

[@gelinrefira]

The entire SE Asia is a huge goldmine to explore. Singapore is good to be the hub. You stay for a few days to explore, then fan out to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Angkor Wat is a wonder of the world and definitely worth a visit although Cambodia is supposed to be very unsafe right now so until things improved, you might want to avoid going there.

[@dante340]

Funny enough, LA once had the most expansive and elaborate public street car system in the US (yes, even better than NYC). But in the 1960s, officials scrapped it in order to focus their money and recourses on the development of freeways... and yeah, the rest is history lol

[@captainbroady]

Great video! 👍

[@frankietay6809]

Hi , OBF ,you put up a excellent video of Singapore. Well done. Thanks. I am proud to be a Singaporean.

[@ebubeawachie]

Lovely video. Thanks for making this.

[@infj4w511]

That seems so perfect! I wish every city was designed like Singapore. I reckon we'd all be living in tiny apartments, and very close to each other. But we would still have nature and parks nearby. And imagine what we could do with all the space that would be left!

[@Ary-vr1pu]

Not necessarily

[@Coolman0893]

I wish it were the case but the higher ups that control those major cities are driven by greed

[@MoonLiteNite]

Even iif singapore didn't have a COE, i would still bike and take MRT. The PCN is amazing. Having a trail to almost every part of the country is kinda nice. I was able to walk for jurung island all the way to coney island while staying on the PCN the full time. edit: i was in singapore for 6 weeks in early parts of covid, and then lived there for about 5 months in early 2022.

[@gelinrefira]

Bike lanes definitely can still use more improvements and expansion.

[@MoonLiteNite]

@@gelinrefira Yes, many towns in USA have singapore beat on the none PNC paths. I had issues when i was taking my bike from some points to others. If it was off the PCN it was scetch. As an american, singapore drivers are agressive as hell. So was more scared there biking off the 100% bike paths. Another huge thing singapore could do is bikes on buses. In my city, buses have bike racks and can store like 5 bike son the front and back of the bus. In singapore the best i saw was you taking your foldable bike up and inside, even thought i think that isn't allowed? I suppose if the bus is not busy the driver won't care?

[@n9obs_win237]

@@MoonLiteNite there is cctv in the bus that the bus captain can see so u might get caught there lol

[@karlmiller7188]

Marvellous exposition!

[@pjvalentin]

Excellent video on Singapore and its successes. I feel so lucky to live here. It summarizes well what Singapore is about. Only thing missing is that the construction of the country is relying on foreign workers that cannot stay in the country more than few years, which is a massive difference vs. western countries.

[@Cloud7050]

8:11 Side note, "Changi" is pronounced "charng-ee"

[@IZTheOne]

Our cycling lanes are built for recreational purposes most of the time because it's designed to connect all the parks around the city. If one chose to make cycling their main mode of transport it would be challenging to find a shorter route without actually riding on the sidewalks or roads. Hence you will most likely need to be aware of our Grab delivery cyclists when they are trying to get to their destination in the shortest route possible.

[@matthewsum1752]

or those who cycle for sport like me and have to keep under the 25km/h speed in pcn which dosent make sense hence I have to cycle on to road

[@kaspertheroundghost]

thank you for this video! 💕

[@fai.th_o]

as a singaporean i love the train system in singpaore. its well connected and it takes me to anywhere i want to go without to plan beforehand.

[@TooLittleInfo]

I've been to Singapore so many times but honestly have never really taken the time to really go out, do some sightseeing and really appreciate the place. I grew up in Kuala Lumpur and it's becoming unliveable very quickly. They keep building more and more highway projects, flyovers criss crossing each other 3 or 4 on top of one another in some places, instead of investing in public transportation. I'm looking to get out now.

[@jomaoppa_]

‘’Courage taught me no matter how bad a crisis gets ... any sound investment will eventually pay off."

[@ibrahimfaizan6047]

Making it out at a young age is quite difficult. I started a side hustle at 17, saved up and made some good investments. l'm 28,live on my own and having a good life for myself. Big ups to you and everyone out there trying

[@hoshifuyo4494]

Sounds like plan, how do you put money to work?

[@ibrahimfaizan6047]

@@hoshifuyo4494 Yes it sure is. I put in money in investments and get profits. That 's how I make more money without working. This does not sound new to you right ?

[@hoshifuyo4494]

@@ibrahimfaizan6047 Thanks for replying me, I've heard so many people talk about investment but none had said how to do it right.

[@lilianazuluaga6504]

Am hoping on you can explain more on how you make extra income from investments

[@darren4094]

Thank you for making this video

[@yohighness]

I have visited Singapore many times. I love this place! 😍

[@TwdlD]

The subtext of Roger Rabbit animated movie of Los Angeles choosing to not build a subway system is correct. The head of Goodyear and Standard Oil made a deal with the city that the city didn't refuse. So transportation choices of busses and cars were promoted over any other kind. I have family that lived through this and spoke about it before they passed.

[@chelbasalo769]

I've been to Singapore twice and on both times I ALWAYS go back to my home country envious of their transportation system, roads & infrastructures. Although, you really need to own a good walking shoes :)

[@hanzwy]

I visit SIngapore since 2003 and frequently visiting just because I 'm living only 1 hour by boat/vessel, usually using MRT to go to any destination in SIngapore. It's very efficient and fast. But now a few years later since google maps are very good and very useful, I like to use Busses to go anywhere. the reason is, no need walking too far to bus stop compare to MRT station.. haha. time consumpton just littele bit different.

[@mortifera123]

I've ridden LA's metro system, but it's... not great. It's always dirty, smells bad, and is full of panhandlers and homeless people. Sexual harassment and theft are rampant. Most of the stations are purposefully designed to be "honor system" so nobody bothers to pay fares. I don't begrudge the people just looking for a sheltered place to sleep, but the trains and stations are crawling with people who are out to harass and bother others. The system would enjoy more ridership if it was known to be cleaner and less dangerous.

[@aotrieu4234]

im glad i had a chance to visit singapore back in 2012. Streets are clean, food is great and the high speed rail is the best.

[@n9obs_win237]

we dont have a high speed rail😂, its just the national metro to say it :D from 🇸🇬

[@aotrieu4234]

@@n9obs_win237 your train goes at 70mph in a small country, its pretty fast honestly. getting around the whole city for 45 to 60 mins is crazy

[@sosyl]

I’m just a teenager, living in Singapore, and wow I never knew just how much thought was put into the building of my country. Yes, I love complaining but when I watch videos like this I just feel proud to be a citizen. It scares me that one day my generation will have to lead the country because how are we going to live up to this meticulous planning?

[@yojacq]

I love the editing who behind the scenes editing these videos

[@spaincrack4934]

Singapore is like a real life SimCity file played by an expert.

[@Timholle]

I’ve come to appreciate and love Singapore as I grew older. Really wouldn’t want to live anywhere else after traveling to almost 10 countries (western & other Asian countries). US was a culture shock when I first went, it felt like a 3rd world country. Such a pity becus they could do so much better

[@matthewsum1752]

upon to contrary believe idt us is that bad people were generally kind and afew odd ducks made it seem bad

[@gewpoo5289]

just an update to the COE price, while it was just SGD73000 in august, it has now risen to about SGD130000 or USD92550.90

[@stryhx]

great video! thanks for the info man!!!!!

[@ShaimsGaming]

Hi

[@ShaimsGaming]

(●’◡’●)ﾉ

[@pinkpetter]

As a Singaporean, I agree but to be fair... Singapore is sooooo ultra tiny. And as a young nation, it has the added benefit of learning from other cities as it grew. :)

[@matthewsum1752]

Singapore tiny cannot do anth what

[@erikpasquale9902]

r/ihadastroke@@matthewsum1752

[@JBARSSS]

Ive lived in two countries. Philippines and Singapore with the two of them being opposites in how theyve approached transportation. In the philippines citizens are encouraged to buy a car and multiple ones really and all it has done is screw up our traffic so bad while the public transportation is garbage. The routes of trains and buses are so limited and overcrowded that you basically have to fight your way in commuting everyday. Singapore much like Japan gives you the freedom of having the choice to not buy a car because public transportation is so good that you dont really need it.

[@lingth]

in other country, a car is something YOU NEED to have, in Singapore, you see someone with a car, your thoughts is... "Wow he is rich" lol..

[@felixcheamkaihaoaiss9689]

the metro you speak of is called mass rapid transport(MRT) in Singapore

[@DDyes]

Wow what a great video. Thanks

[@rameshhansaravendra]

Government in SG decides what gets built where, and then offers developers a chance to buy the land that's allocated for them. Whereas in other countries, anybody can buy whatever they want as long as they can afford it, which is why other cities look so messy and congested and SG looks so organized.

[@nyanishh]

Genuinely happy singaporeans commenting on videos about Singapore is so refreshing to see~ Also visitors saying it's always a good visit:)

[@banksofnoon7867]

I love Singapore. It is extremely wheelchair friendly city and the covered walk-ways are really good.

[@danmur2797]

It's also somewhat unfair to compare LA metro's ridership to Singapore's considering LA metro is fairly new while Singapores has been in existence since 1987. (And LAs roads were well designed for the driver to begin with which is rarely discussed). LA has fast been building out its metro system, but it's only had its current extension over the last 10 years. But if you did want to compare to other cities, LA Metro already surpassed San Francisco's daily metro ridership in the last year for the first time. It takes time to gain ridership, and LA metro has not been given that chance yet (some people don't even know it exists yet). Singapore metro on the other hand is approaching that midlife point. It has a bit of a head start. Singapore would do better to compare with cities like Chicago or Washington DC which has longer experience with metro ridership.

[@gvyong]

Thank you thank you from a Singaporean here. The city planners are absolutely brilliant. Having lived in this hyper city most of my life, I yearn for wide suburban streets, my single family house and large decent priced SUVs and having to deal with less people. I am now happily offshore, visit SG during the winter months. Everyone is welcome to visit our crowded island.

[@funkehfunkeh]

Thank you for mentioning the mangroves. As a Singaporean, I think our housing and transport systems are amazing, the government has done a great job there. But in many ways the environment has taken a hit, mangroves and land reclamation as the biggest example. I think we only have something like 1% of our primary forest left, with about 5% of secondary forest (don't quote me. But they're definitely single-digits).

[@jan22150]

The question should be, is Los Angeles serving it's citizens by not having a under ground rail system and therefore these citizens are forced to use their own cars to get around. ? Or does Los Angeles not have a underground railway system , because it's citizens have their own cars ?

[@icery59]

@MeChupaUnHuevon it also just makes sense, if you HAVE to own a car to get somewhere in a place (a country in this case), its deffinitely not a good thing

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Fun Size

[@kuratse205]

Its most likely the third option, that the lack of proper public transportation increased the demand for private transportation (cars), which created demand for road space for cars, ending in a self cycling civil engineering hell that is the american car centric urban design. All I see of america's infrastructure is a hell of bad mistakes piled upon each other, with no escape but to pile even more mistakes atop the trash heap.

[@mikeoxsmal8022]

@@mcs699 and what Is correct

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

The latter…sort of. The government made policy 70 years that created the car culture but now as they want to add more public transit it’s an issue because it’s such a car centric city.

[@dissa912]

I've been to Singapore once and the public transportation is really amazing. It's really easy to understand and so easy to go around. Definitely one of countries I would like to live in! (If I can afford it, hehe.)

[@train_xc]

Most people use metro(MRT) because car is pretty expensive (rightfully so). A new entry level one is around S$ 180,000 after all taxes and COE. And there is a cap on how many COEs issued per month. Singapore tries to keep net addition of car as 0

[@updated_autopsy_report]

it's fun watching videos about singapore as a singaporean because I can name where almost every shot came from. that and the comment section that's always flooded with lots of singaporeans coming up from the woodwork. amazing country, for all our complaining we are incredibly proud of being singaporean. majulah singapura!!

[@mysteriousDSF]

the roofed walkway is a simple mastermind, genius

[@mynt7641]

Notice how every "well designed" city/country are the ones with the least car dependencies. Just think about it, how much space you would have if you sacrificed parking lots.