Urban Planning in Singapore Reading Answers

The Urban Planning in Singapore reading answers are given here. The Urban Planning in Singapore Reading passage is divided into six paragraphs and two different question types: Summary Completion and True/False/Not Given.

Table of Contents:

• Solution for Urban Planning in Singapore
• Urban Planning in Singapore IELTS Reading Practice Test
• Passage
• Questions
• Answers with Explanations

Solution for Urban Planning in Singapore

We have included the Urban Planning in Singapore reading answers in the table below for ease of use.

Answer Table

1. Industry	5. Entertainment	9. Not Given	13. False
2. Labour	6. Beautification	10. True
3. Service	7. True	11. True
4. Decentralisation	8. False	12. Not Given

Urban Planning in Singapore IELTS Reading Practice Test - Exam Review

Check out our YouTube Channel to Practice Full-Length IELTS Reading Tests Daily

 

The Urban Planning in Singapore Reading Answers offered here will help you improve your effective time management and abilities to solve answers.

Passage

You should give 20 minutes to reading Urban Planning in Singapore and answering the questions (1–13). Additionally, we have included Urban Planning in Singapore reading answers with locations for the reference.

Urban Planning in Singapore 

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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.
   
   
4. One of the new features of the current plan is a broader conception of what contributes to economic success. It encompasses high-quality residential provision, a good environment, leisure facilities and exciting city life. Thus there is more provision for low-density housing, often in waterfront communities linked to beaches and recreational facilities. However, the lower housing densities will put considerable pressure on the very limited land available for development, and this creates problems for another of the plan’s aims, which is to stress environmental quality. More and more of the remaining open area will be developed, and the only natural landscape surviving will be a small zone in the centre of the island which serves as a water catchment area. Environmental policy is therefore very much concerned with making the built environment more green by introducing more plants – what is referred to as the ‘beautification’ of Singapore. The plan focuses on green zones defining the boundaries of settlements, and running along transport corridors. The incidental green provision within housing areas is also given considerable attention.
   
   
5. Much of the environmental provision, for example, golf courses, recreation areas, and beaches, is linked to the prime objective of attracting business. The plan places much emphasis on good leisure provision and the need to exploit Singapore’s island setting. One way of doing this is through further land reclamation, to create a whole new island devoted to leisure and luxury housing which will stretch from the central area to the airport. A current concern also appears to be how to use the planning system to create opportunities for greater spontaneity: planners have recently given much attention to the concept of the 24-hour city and the cafe society. For example, a promotion has taken place along the Singapore river to create a cafe zone. This has included the realisation, rather late in the day, of the value of retaining older buildings, and the creation of a continuous riverside promenade. Since the relaxation in 1996 of strict guidelines on outdoor eating areas, this has become an extremely popular area in the evenings. Also, in 1998 the Urban Redevelopment Authority created a new entertainment area in the centre of the city which they are promoting as ‘the city’s one-stop, dynamic entertainment scene’.
   
   
6. In conclusion, the economic development of Singapore has been very consciously centrally planned, and the latest strategy is very clearly oriented to establishing Singapore as a leading ‘world city’. It is well placed to succeed, for a variety of reasons. It can draw upon its historic roots as a world trading centre; it has invested heavily in telecommunications and air transport infrastructure; it is well located in relation to other Asian economies; it has developed a safe and clean environment; and it has utilised the international language of English.

Questions

Questions 1-6

Complete the summary below using words from the box.
Write your answers in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

Singapore

When Singapore became an independent, self-sufficient state it decided to build up its 1. ___________, and government organisations were created to support this policy. However, this initial plan was met with limited success due to a shortage of 2.  ____________ and land. It was therefore decided to develop the 3. ____________ sector of the economy instead. Singapore is now a leading city, but planners are working to ensure that its economy continues to grow. In contrast to previous policies, there is an emphasis on 4. ___________ . In addition, the land will be recovered to extend the financial district, and provide 5. ___________  as well as housing. The government also plans to improve the quality of Singapore’s environment, but due to the shortage of natural landscapes, it will concentrate instead on what it calls 6. _____________.

Decentralisation	Fuel	Industry	Agriculture
Hospitals	Loans	Deregulation	Service
Trade	Transport	Entertainment	Recycling
Labour	Tourism	Hygiene	Beautification

Questions 7-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet, write-

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information.

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information.

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

7. Aftеr 1965, thе Singaporean government switched thе focus оf thе island’s economy.

8. Thе creation оf Singapore’s financial centre wаѕ delayed whіlе а suitable site wаѕ found.

9. Singapore’s fоur regional centres wіll eventually bе thе ѕаmе size аѕ іtѕ central business district.

10. Planners modelled nеw urban developments on other coastal cities.

11. Plants and trees аrе аmоngѕt thе current priorities fоr Singapore’s city planners.

12. Thе government hаѕ enacted nеw laws tо protect Singapore’s оld buildings.

13. Singapore wіll find іt difficult tо compete wіth leading cities іn оthеr parts оf thе world.

Answers for Urban Planning in Singapore With Explanations

Urban Planning in Singapore reading answers with explanations are provided below. It will be beneficial for rectifying the mistakes in your answering process.

(Note: The language highlighted in bold refers to the passage's location and answer. The explanatory sentences from the reading passage are shown in italics.)

1. Answer: Industry

Explanation: It is narrated in Paragraph 1, Line 4, that 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. According to this sentence, it indicates that when Singapore became an independent, self-sufficient state, it decided to build up its industry, and government organisations were created to support this policy.

2. Answer: Labour

Explanation: The information revealed in Paragraph 2, Introductory Line, is that 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. It implies that the initial plan was met with limited success due to a shortage of labour and land because the country's labour-intensive industries were becoming less competitive as a result of restrictions on both the number of workers and the country's land area.

3. Answer: Service

Explanation: It is discussed in Paragraph 2, Line 3, that an economic committee was established that concluded that Singapore should focus on developing as a service centre,  seek to attract company headquarters to serve Southeast Asia, and develop tourism, banking, and offshore activities. This signifies that it was decided to develop the economy's service sector instead. Singapore is now a leading city, but planners are working to ensure its economy continues growing.

4. Answer: Decentralisation

Explanation: In Paragraph 3, Line 5, it has been mentioned that 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. This sentence suggests that, in contrast to previous policies, there is an emphasis on decentralisation.

5. Answer: Entertainment

Explanation: It can be seen from Paragraph 3, Last Line, that the need for vitality has been recognised and a mixed zoning approach has been adopted to include housing and entertainment. The sentence demonstrates that the land will be recovered to extend the financial district and provide entertainment as well as housing.

6. Answer: Beautification

Explanation: It is clearly illustrated in Paragraph 4, Last Fifth Line, that environmental policy is therefore very much concerned with making the built environment greener by introducing more plants—what is referred to as the ‘beautification’ of Singapore. This sentence implies that the government also plans to improve the quality of Singapore’s environment, but due to the shortage of natural landscapes, it will concentrate instead on what it calls beautification.

7. Answer: True

Explanation: In Paragraph 1, Line 2, it is discussed that 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. On this account, the given statement that after 1965, the Singaporean government switched the focus of the island’s economy is accurate because, when the independent island was cut off from its hinterland, it set a survival strategy that was to develop its industry.

8. Answer: False

Explanation: It is mentioned in Paragraph 2, Last Lines, that 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. The statement contradicts the provided information that the creation of Singapore’s financial centre was delayed while a suitable site was found. Instead, the financial centre is in the historic commercial area and now houses all major companies and various government financial agencies.

9. Answer: Not Given

Explanation: There is no context for the following sentence and it is not included in the text.

10. Answer: True

Explanation: In Paragraph 3, Last Sixth Line, it is said that 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. As a result, the drawn conclusion is correct. Planners modelled new urban developments on other coastal cities.

11. Answer: True

Explanation: In Paragraph 4, the last fifth line reveals the information that environmental policy is therefore very much concerned with making the built environment more green by introducing more plants—what is referred to as the ‘beautification’ of Singapore. Thus, the statement that plants and trees are among the current priorities for Singapore’s city planners is accurate.

12. Answer: Not Given

Explanation: There is no context for the following sentence and it is not included in the text.

14. Answer: False

Explanation: In Paragraph 6, Initial Line, it is pointed out that the economic development of Singapore has been very consciously centrally planned, and the latest strategy is very clearly oriented to establishing Singapore as a leading ‘world city’. Hence, the assertion that Singapore will find it difficult to compete with leading cities in other parts of the world is inaccurate because the economic development has been centrally planned and the current strategy is to lead with world cities.

Other Reading Tests

• Scientists and serendipity reading answers
• Timekeeper invention of marine chronometer reading answers