Forum: Honour Liu Thai Ker by keeping his urban vision alive

Mr Liu Thai Ker’s death marks the end of an era (

Architect Liu Thai Ker, Singapore’s first master planner, dies

at 87, Jan 18).

While our skyline is defined by glittering glass towers, the soul of our city-state was forged in the drafting room where Mr Liu – acknowledged as the architect of modern Singapore – dared to imagine a swampy island as a high-density, high-quality global metropolis. 

Mr Liu’s immeasurable contributions were not merely in the laying of bricks and mortar, but in the crafting of a liveable destiny. As the chief architect of the Housing and Development Board and later the chief planner of the Urban Redevelopment Authority, he moved Singaporeans from kampungs into vertical communities.

He understood, perhaps better than anyone, that urban planning is a social contract. He didn’t just build roofs; he engineered social cohesion through the precinct concept, ensuring that every Singaporean, regardless of race or status, had a stake in the nation’s soil.  

To honour the man who dedicated so much of his life to the intellectual and physical rigour of city-making, let’s ensure his philosophy outlives his physical structures. 

I would like to propose that the relevant authorities consider the establishment of a Liu Thai Ker distinguished professorship in architecture and urban excellence at one of our universities.

Such a professorship would do more than just memorialise a name; it would fund the next generation of urban planners who view the city as a living organism. It would ensure that his principles of long-term foresight, discipline and human-centric design remain at the heart of Singapore’s future evolutions.

Mr Liu once said that a planner must have the heart of a humanist and the brain of a scientist. As we look at the horizon he helped draw, let us commit to teaching that balance to the architects and planners of tomorrow. 

His blueprint for Singapore is complete and his work is done; let’s ensure the wisdom behind it is never forgotten.

Tan Hiok Seng