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This article discusses issues of development in Singapore and their implications for other rapidly growing urban areas in Asia. Formerly a British colony, the multiethnic republic of Singapore has flourished in the nearly fifty years since achieving independence. The article explores Singapore's distinctive economic and political systems and assesses official approaches to plan both its physical and sociocultural environments. It also discusses how Singapore's foreign policy impacts the country's role as a popular tourist destination. The city-state's government has critics, but Singapore's efficiency, economic successes, safety and security are impossible to deny. However, maintaining momentum and securing sustainable growth will be a challenge for policy makers in the years ahead due to new domestic and international uncertainties. While Singapore's experiences are unique, analysis of this city-state helps illuminate both development processes at work in Asia and methods for managing such changes. Given the projected expansion of Asian metropolitan areas, dealing effectively with the problems that arise alongside urbanization is a critical task confronting authorities across much of the region.
Cities and countries across Asia have expanded at a rapid pace in recent years - a consequence of economic advances, industrialization, population enlargement, migration and shifts in global trade and capital flows. This article focuses on the case of Singapore, a particularly interesting example because it is a relatively young city-state with a multiethnic population and a history of colonization. It has achieved significant economic success on its journey toward nationhood. But challenges confront Singapore as it strives to maintain growth and enhance its position, both generally and as a leading tourist destination, in a world of change and uncertainty. Although distinctive, there are lessons to be learned from Singapore's experiences that yield insights into managing urban development and promoting tourism elsewhere. The case of Singapore also demonstrates the important place of small states - and especially cities - in the international community.
THE BIRTH OF SINGAPORE'S POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles claimed Singapore, an island at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, as a trading post for the British East India Company in 1819. It was later combined with Penang and Malacca in an administrative entity known as the Straits Settlements, which became a crown colony of Britain in 1867....