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The Architectural Mastermind Behind Modern Singapore | Liu Thai Ker | TED
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The Architectural Mastermind Behind Modern Singapore | Liu Thai Ker | TED

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The speaker discusses his response to those who question why he did not follow his father's profession as a painter, emphasizing that he is also an artist.

Embracing Artistry

  • The speaker highlights the difference between his father's small-scale paintings and his own expansive artworks spanning thousands of kilometers.
  • Singapore faced challenges post-British colonization in 1960, with three-quarters of the population residing in illegal shanty towns.
  • To progress sustainably and compete globally, Singapore focused on excellence by eradicating slums and providing quality subsidized housing.

Urban Planning for Sustainability

The transformation of Singapore through urban planning initiatives is discussed, focusing on public housing development and the eradication of slums.

Transformative Urban Planning

  • Over 25 years from 1960 to 1985, Singapore successfully cleared all slums and accommodated its residents in public housing.
  • The comprehensive shift towards public housing marked a remarkable transformation in Singapore's urban landscape.

Long-Term City Planning Strategies

The importance of long-term city planning strategies is emphasized, considering factors like population growth control and preserving unique design genes.

Strategic City Planning

  • Long-term city planning involves considerations for future populations up to 2070 or beyond to ensure sustainable development.
  • Designing cities involves identifying location-specific design genes to create distinctive features influenced by climate, customs, and architectural traditions.

Balancing Density for Urban Development

Balancing density levels in urban areas is crucial for creating diverse environments without compromising livability.

Density Management

  • Different regions require varying color palettes due to climate influences; maintaining traditional architectural styles preserves local identity.
Channel: TED
Video description

Cities designed like families can last for generations. Skeptical? Look to master architect Liu Thai Ker, who transformed Singapore into a modern marvel with his unique approach to sustainable urban design. Liu shares creative wisdom and perspective on how marrying a humanist heart, a scientific mind and an artistic eye creates a resilient marriage of form and function. A talk that both humbles and inspires. Visit http://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. Become a TED Member: http://ted.com/membership Follow TED on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TEDTalks Like TED on Facebook: http://facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://youtube.com/TED TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com