Master of Urban Planning
2024
15 Nov 2024
FINAL REVIEW: MUP YEAR 2 STUDIO – DEP5103 Urban and Regional Planning (Studio)
On 14 November 2024, MUP Year 2 Studio had their Final Review. Students presented their comprehensive visions for the Western Singapore Region, which is known as the industrial hub of Singapore. They presented their visions in form of “Singapore West Region Concept Plan 2050” and several key “game-changer” projects to demonstrate their vision.
The brief has been crafted by our studio coordinator Mr Djoko Prihanto and supported by Mr Jeffrey Ho, Ms Shreena Joshi and Mr Zhou Yuliang, who brought their extensive practical experience in the studio environment.
We are also very thankful to Mr Ching Tuan Yee, Director of Design & Planning Lab at the URA, and Tony Chan, Associate Principal – Planning Business Leader for ARUP in South East Asia, for their invaluable feedback and engaging discussion.
12 Nov 2024
FINAL REVIEW: MUP YEAR 1 STUDIO – DEP5101 Urban Analysis Workshop (Studio)
11 November 2024 marked the fruitful end of MUP Year 1 Studio. For the Final Review, students presented their understanding of the Eastern Singapore Region and the vision for the two specific areas near Chang Airport, Bedok and East Coast Park focusing on scenario planning and structure planning.
The work was carefully and patiently guided by the Adjunct Assoc Prof John Achari, studio coordinator, and studio tutors Mr Wilfred Loo, Ms Karen Tham and Mr Colin Choo, who generously shared their practical experience in the studio environment.
We are also thankful to the representatives from the leading Government agencies, namely URA, LTA, HDB, JTC and NParks, for joining this review and sparking constructive discussion.
21 Oct 2024
GUEST LECTURE: by Ms Melissa Luki, Associate Director of CISTRI
It was great to have Cistri Associate Director Melissa Luki at NUS who shared on the economics of master-planning with our MUP Year 1 students on 21 October 2024.
In her guest lecture to MUP studio, Melissa delved into the importance of establishing a solid economic rationale for urban developments. She also introduced the students to approaches to develop an economic positioning and ecosystem strategy for a masterplan, and methods to assess supportable real estate demand to ensure the economic viability of property developments.
Thank you Cistri for supporting our educational efforts and fostering a collaborative approach between urban planning, urban design and economics professionals to deliver sustainable and meaningful solutions for the urban environment.
9 Sept 2024
AGENCY FORUM: MUP YEAR 1 STUDIO CONTINUED CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
On 26 August and 02 September 2024, MUP Year 1 held productive learning sessions with the representatives from the key Singapore Government Agencies. Many thanks to URA, LTA, HDB, JTC and NParks for their talks and invaluable insights about the urban development in Singapore’s Eastern Region and beyond. We are grateful for continuous support to our educational efforts.
AGENCY FORUM has been organised by the Adjunct Assoc Prof John Achari, MUP Studio Year 1 Coordinator, and supported by the studio tutors Mr Wilfred Loo, Ms Karen Tham and Mr Colin Choo.
MUP STUDENTS SHORTLISTED IN THE “IDEAS FOR SAFER ROADS” COMPETITION 2024
We are happy to share that our MUP students Venus Dulani and Julian Menko participated in the “IDEAS FOR SAFER ROADS” competition oraganised by the Campus Services Team from the University Campus Infrastructure at NUS. This online contest aimed to uncover innovative solutions for traffic hotspots on NUS campus. Associate Professor Ghim Ping Raymond Ong (who also serves as a Council Member of the Singapore Road Safety Council) led the panel of judges.
Venus and Julian’s proposal titled “Road Safety Proposals Yusof Ishak House roundabout” was among the three shortlisted entries invited for the final presentation. The other two teams were Team M.O from the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and the Team Road Rangers from NUS Office of Risk Management and Compliance. Congratulations to Team Road Rangers for winning the competition.
Venus and Julian’s proposal addressed the frequent occurrence of jaywalking around the Yusof
Ishak House roundabout. They proposed 3 interrelated solutions: (1) improving the signage for the underpass at both entrances at the ground level, (2) raising the zebra crossing at edge of Kent Ridge Crescent, before the roundabout, and after the bus stops, and (3) and providing a pedestrian crossing earlier at Kent Ridge Crescent, before the bus stops.
Thank you for contributing to improving the safety of NUS community!
PLANNING FUTURES 2024
On Friday, 19 January 2024, DOA has successfully hosted the annual event Planning Futures 2024. This year for the first time students from MUP and MAUD programmes joined their efforts to organise the event. They invited participants from over 15 institutions, including urban planning and urban design offices, government agencies, research institute, academics, students and alumni to network and discuss career goals, internship and job opportunities. The event was also a unique opportunity to discuss the importance of interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration, as well as the challenges of the job market. Special thanks to all of them!
Our MUP and MAUD graduates Wang Jing, Yang Zhimin and Liu Zhilin shared their career journeys after graduation, and our MUP Year 2 students Zhang Jingonhg, Liu Yu and Keisha Simatupang shared their internship experiences in Singapore and abroad.
The event was coordinated by Adjunct Associate Professor Tan Shee Tiong and supported by Dr Zdravko Trivic – MUP Programme Director, Ms Asma Khawatmi – MAUD Programme Director, and Dr Naomi Hanakata – MUP Programme Deputy Director.
Finally, special thanks to all student volunteers who together made this event joyful and exciting, and capturing the moments of exchange in their photos.
See you all next year!
2023
MUP FIEDLTRIP TO TOKYO AY2023/24
MUP Year 2 students had a great productive time in Tokyo during their fieldtrip from 27 November to 1 December 2023.
Every year NUS MUP programme brings its students to overseas fieldtrips to broaden their knowledge and gain exposure to different urban settings, academic contexts and professional planning practices. The fieldtrip also enables students to interact with planning authorities and experts abroad, and to explore opportunities for internships and career development. With the great support of Professor Heng Chye Kiang, studio leaders Mr Jeffrey Ho, Mr Djoko Prihanto and Dr Zhou Yuliang, as well as the MUP Directors Dr Zdravko Trivic and Dr Naomi Hanakata, this year the study trip was organised in Tokyo, Japan. Finally, we are especially thankful to our MUP students Hannah Liu, Keshia Simatupang, Wang Chenchen, Wang Xuelu and Teh Chen Xi for preparing all the materials and helping with coordination and all other trip related matters.
During the trip, students engaged in numerous activities with our partners in both academia and planning practice.
MUP students visited the Department of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo, where they joined an insightful sharing session on greying society and a workshop, coordinated by Professor Hideki Koizumi and his students from the Collaborative Community Design Lab. Students were able to exchange their knowledge and experiences at both universities.
Professor Tomoaki Tanaka at the Department of Architecture, Meiji University kindly shared his knowledge on planning practices in Shibuya and provided an engaging and insightful tour through the area. Students also learnt about the International Program in Architecture and Urban Design (I-AUD) through the student works presented at the exhibition that celebrated the 10th anniversary of I-AUD programme. We are also grateful to Prof Masami Kobayashi, Prof Hiroyuki Sasaki and Assoc Prof Junko Tamura for hosting us at the exhibition.
We visited the Mitsubishi Jisho Design office and learn about the history and current planning efforts in Marunouchi area, Tokyo’s CBD. Special thanks to Mr Kentaro Furuya, Mr Noboru Kawagashi, Mr Hisashi Izumi and De Yuan Kang for hosting us and providing us a guided tour in the area.
We would also like to thank to Mr Hideyuki Sasaki and all his colleagues at the Planning Division of Oriental Consulting Global for hosting us in their office and providing four guided tours in Shinjuku, whereby students had the chance to interact with young urban planners and witness the everyday urban life in Tokyo.
We are particularly grateful to Director Yoshikazu Ando and Deputy Director Kagehiro Sato of Urban Renaissance Agency, Professor Sadatsugu Nishiura from Meisei University, Mr Kento Ozaki from the Urban Development Division of Nippon Koei, Mr Tadashi Koyama from the City Planning Institute of Japan, Mr Yukinori Aida and Mr Masato Saito from URLinkage, and many others, for hosting MUP students at the Nouvelle Akabanedai and the UR Museum of Urban & Lifestyle Design. Students had a unique opportunity to learn about public housing in Tokyo and Japan and the most recent renewal projects.
Finally, we also spent a great day in Yokohama, guided by our own Hannah Liu. Many thanks! We are looking forward to future collaborations with our partners in Tokyo and Japan.
MUP STUDENTS RECIVED THE SPECIAL MENTION AWARD AT THE SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF PLANNERS (SIP) PLANNING AWARDS 2023
The 8th Planning Award ceremony, organized by the Singapore Institute of Planners (SIP), took place on 22 September 2023. A group of MUP students received a Special Mention Award in the Outstanding Student Projects Category, for the work done under DEP5110 Urban Design and Planning (Year 1 Studio) in Semester 2 of AY2022/23. We are proud of their accomplishments.
Special Mention:
Project name: A lively, distinctive, and authentic Kallang
Students: Liu Yu, Liu Mei Kwun Hannah, Tang Jing, and Wang Xuelu (MUP class 22-24)
Instructors: Mr. John Achari, Mr. Wilfred Loo, and Mr. Dzung Do Nguyen
MUP STUDENT JOINED THE “NEXT GENERATION’S VIEWS” PANEL AT THE NUS CITIES SYMPOSIUM “THE SCIENCE OF CITIES”
Source: https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2580/5bafc6f4-d090-4b71-9542-231295da395d/1920_nuscities5.jpg?10000
NUS CITIES SYMPOSIUM “The Science of Cities” took place at NUS University Town Stephen Riady Centre UTown Auditorium 2 on 31 August and 1 September 2023. Our MUP student Hannah Liu joined the panel entitled “Next Generation’s Views”, which showcased outstanding students from various programmes that feature or champion urban sustainability and student leaders involved in green efforts. The discussion was moderated by A/P Olivier Lefebvre (Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering).
The NUS Cities Symposium is a gathering of researchers, agencies, NGOs, the industry, and students to share and exchange ideas on a more science-based approach to making cities more sustainable, resilient, and liveable. The Symposium featured a number of experts over 2 full days who discussed on various exciting topics such as affordability and inclusivity, technology in sustainability, climate resilience, complexity science, and the science and art of cities. Find more here.
URBAN FUTURES 2023
Organised by MUP students, Planning Futures 2023 took place on 5th January 2023. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was again held in person, bringing together urban planning practitioners, students, alumni, and faculty members to facilitate interactions between the students and the potential future employers.
Planning Futures 2023 gathered representatives from 15 consultancy firms, government agencies and research organisations. 6 recent MUP graduates were invited to share their working experiences both in Singapore and overseas. 35 MUP students from both years actively engaged with the industry guests during the 3.5 hours of roundtable session to discuss the career goals, internship, and employment opportunities.
We thank all the participants for the support and fruitful discussions, as well as Adjunct Associate Professor Tan Shee Tiong who helped the students coordinate the event.
MUP YEAR 1 STUDIO COLLABORATED WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
In Semester 1 of AY2023/24, with the coordination of Adjunct Assoc Prof John Achari and the support of studio tutors Mr Wilfred Loo, Mr Dzung Do Nguyen and Ms Karen Tham, MUP Year 1 studio students had several opportunities to collaborate with the representatives of the leading government agencies in Singapore, namely: URA, LTA, HDB, JTC and NParks.
The first session was the MUP Agency Forum held on 02 October 2023 at SDE4, MUP studio space. URA led the session and presented the future planning of Yishun based on the MP2019 plan, as well as their long-term strategies. The briefings by the agencies were followed by a combined Q&A session.
On 06 October 2023, JTC held another briefing for the MUP students at the URA Centre on their ongoing exhibition on the “reimagining of existing industrial sites in Singapore”.
Finally, all agencies joined the Final Studio Review on 6 November 2023.
We are grateful for the agencies’ continuous support and generous contribution in educating future urban planning experts, locally and globally.
2021
Students Use Data Science to Understand ChMUP STUDENT JOINED THE “NEXT GENERATION’S VIEWS” PANEL AT THE NUS CITIES SYMPOSIUM “THE SCIENCE OF CITIES”
anging Transport Patterns Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Each year, students taking the module DEP5111 Planning Technologies led by Dr. Filip Biljecki carry out projects to apply data science skills in the urban context. One of them is a project completed in this semester by students Chen Bingling, Liang Xiucheng, Liu Lina, and Wen Ruiwen. This final group exercise was finished in early April 2021, focusing on the comparative analysis of public transportation (bus) passenger volumes just before the onset of the pandemic and the introduction of the safety measures (January 2020) and a year later, several months after many of the restrictions were being progressively lifted.
Besides understanding spatio-temporal patterns in terms of neighbourhoods and land use, the project reveals several interesting insights, e.g. 92% of bus stops have not yet resumed to the stage of January 2020 in terms of passenger volume, and they discover an inverse relationship between the share of residents living in private housing and the recovery rate of bus passenger volume at the scale of a planning area.
The full report is available as a blog post here.
Joined by over 30 practitioners, students, alumni and faculty members, Planning Futures 2021 (14th May 2021) brought together perspectives from the private and public sectors, representing a wide range of specialisations and interests. Discussions were held around the importance of interdisciplinary thinking, communication skills and collaborative design as well as the challenges of the job market.
In its fourth cycle, Planning Futures 2021 is notable as it is entirely organized and conceived by students of the MUP programme. Ms Archana Kannan and Ms Fathima Fathah (MUP 2021) led the initiative and kept the tradition alive during this trying period of online teaching and safe distancing.
While typically held in person, the event was conducted over Zoom. This created a unique opportunity to connect with professionals outside of Singapore. Small breakout rooms facilitated meaningful connections as professionals and students exchanged perspectives on the practice of urban planning and their career goals.
We thank all participants for their enthusiasm and support, and hope to see you again next year.
Organizing Team
Archanna Kannan (MUP 2021) and Fathima Fathah (MUP 2021)
Invited Professionals
| Mr Tegi Dimantano | AEDAS | Senior Associate (Urban Design & Master Planning) |
| Mr Chintan Raveshia | ARUP | Cities, Planning + Design Leader, Associate Principal |
| Mr Li Yu Zhou | Morrow Architects & Planners | Director |
| Mr Ching Tuan Yee | Urban Redevelopment Authority | Director (Physical Planning, East) |
| Dr Filip Biljecki | National University of Singapore | Assistant Professor |
| Mr Deepak Sankaranarayanan | AECOM | Senior Architectural Designer/ Urban Designer |
| Mr Ludo Campbell-Reid | Wyndham City Council | Director City Design & Liveability |
| Mr Jim Lau | Wing Tai Holdings | Head of Project Management |
| Mr Michael Long | Lendlease | Head of Sustainability, Asia |
| Ms Ratna Delia Octaviana | RSP Architects Planners & Engineers | Senior Associate |
| Ms Karen Tham | Surbana Jurong Consultants | Managing Director & Global Lead |
| Ms Kum Chun Seetoh | Surbana Jurong Consultants | Deputy Director (Planning) |
| Mr John Achari | Achari Concepts Pte Ltd | Executive Director |
2020
MUP STUDENTS WIN “RUNWAY FOR YOUR IMAGINATION” IDEAS COMPETITION TOP AWARDS
MUP (2020) students win two of the top prizes for the Urban Redevelopment Authority (Paya Lebar Air Base) “Runway for Your Imagination” Ideas Competition that ran from 31 Jan to 24 Apr 2020.
Congratulations to the students and the teaching team for their most gallant and impressive efforts!
Second Prize, Topic 1 Tertiary Category: SMART Townships
Team members: Qi Huiyang, Zeng Ailin, Liu Xiaoyu and Xu Shuangyu
“We envision PLAB to be the SMART TOWNSHIP. The township will foster diverse SMART industries, develop a flexible SMART mobility system, integrate living, working，and playing through SMART courtyards. We believe PLAB will set up a SMART planning model for future township renovation and development in Singapore and Asian cities”.
Third Prize, Topic 1 Tertiary Category: INDUS ++
Team members: Zhu Shujie, Ella Mae Calanasan, Wang Shantong and Lee Yun-Ann
INDUS++ envisions PLAB as Singapore’s base for eco-industrial development, with self-sufficient communities acting as producers of food and energy, and upscaled industries developing in a closed loop of resource, skill and product-sharing. With industries at the centre, the runway will be repurposed as a green corridor where culture, community and industry come together organically.
For more details, please visit the link below:
https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Get-Involved/Plan-Our-Future-SG/Runway-for-Your-Imagination
PLANNING FUTURES 2020
The third “Planning Futures” took place at the Master of Urban Planning Studio in the CREATE Tower on 17 January 2020. About 18 professionals from some of the most established firms in Singapore and the region joined 50 students, alumni and faculty of the Master of Urban Planning programme for this event. This is the largest attendance since the event began in 2017.
Similar to the second “Planning Futures”, we organized the event around roundtable discussions where guests and students were divided into small groups to discuss issues related to career prospects, the education of urban planners, internship opportunities and professional values. Here are some testimonies from those who participated:
“Thanks for having me – very enjoyable evening!”
Mr. Neil Walmsley, Principal, Arup
“Thanks for the email and invitation to participate in the Planning Futures 2020 event. John Achari and I thought it was a very interesting and enjoyable event. We hope the students enjoyed the event as well and we look forward participating again in next year’s edition.”
Mr. Marcel Padmos, Associate VP, WATG
Following the event, we followed up on internship opportunities with some companies and agencies like Systra MVP, Morrow Architects and Planners, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
We are grateful for the support from all those who attended the event, especially those who have made it a point to join us for every round of Planning Futures. As always, it was great to meet up with alumni, and see how graduates of the MUP programme have moved ahead in their respective career paths. Last but not least, the Department wants to thank the organizing committee of the event – all of whom are MUP students – who carried the event from beginning till end at a very professional level.
Organizing Team
Fathima Fathah (MUP 2021)
Archana Kannan (MUP 2021)
Quek Houyee (MUP 2021)
Advisor
Prof. Lee Kah-Wee
2018
PLANNING FUTURES 2018
Planning Futures 2018 took place at the Master of Urban Planning Studio in the CREATE Tower on 23 November 2018. 15 professionals from some of the most established firms in Singapore and the region joined 40 students, alumni and faculty of the Master of Urban Planning programme for this event.
Unlike the previous year, Planning Futures 2018 was organized around roundtable discussions where guests and students were divided into small groups to discuss issues related to career prospects, the education of urban planners, internship opportunities and professional values. This mode of focused engagement gave everybody more opportunities to interact and share their experiences. The roundtable lasted for about one hour, and was followed by dinner.
We thank all the invited guests for their enthusiasm and generosity, and look forward to further engagements between academia and practice in the years to come. We also thank the alumni of the programme who continue to support our events and the mission of education. And last but not least, kudos to the organizing committee of the event who did an excellent job of putting everything together in the midst of a busy semester!
Organizing committee
Lee Yun-ann (MUP 2020)
Qi Huiyang (MUP 2020)
Rahul Verma (MUP 2020)
Aditi Aishwarya (MUP 2020)
Christina (MUP 2020)
Du Huiyan (MUP 2019)
Advisor
Lee Kah-Wee (Associate Director, MUP, National University of Singapore)
2017
PLANNING FUTURES 2017
Planning Futures 2017 is the inaugural networking session organized for professionals and students in the graduate programmes of Urban Planning and Urban Design. 13 guests from the public, private and NGO sectors attended the event with about 35 students and alumni of the programmes. The objective of this event was to forge a tighter relationship between pedagogy and practice and help our graduates approach their “planning futures” with confidence and clarity.
Ms Jan Seow (Urban Redevelopment Authority) and Mr. Brian Jennett (Singapore Institute of Planners) gave short presentations about the scope, nature and demands of planning work. This was followed by an informal dinner where students had the opportunity to approach the guests for advice on the job market and professional practice.
The guests included:
| Institutions and Partners | Speakers |
| Urban Redevelopment Authority | Ms. Jan Seow, Director of Strategic Planning |
| Land Transport Authority | Mr. Mak Keng Seng, Director of Strategic Planning |
| Housing Development Board | Mr. Choo Chin Hua, Director of Physical Planning Dept |
| Ministry of National Development | Mr. Ong Wee Teck, Deputy Director/ Human Capital & Organisational Development |
| Singapore Land Authority | Mr. Ng Siau Yong, Director of Geospatial and Data |
| Surbana Jurong Pte Ltd | Mr Jeffrey Ho, Senior Consultant |
| Singapore Institute of Planners | Mr. Brian Jennett, Regional Manager, Urban Planner/Architect |
| Cistri | Mr. Rahul Mittal, Planning and Design Director |
| RSP Architects, Planners & Engineers Pte Ltd | Ms. Chen Hong, Director of Planning |
| State and City Planning Consultants Pte Ltd | Mr. You Yong, Deputy Manager, Mr. Bai Yan, Director |
| CPG Consultants | Nguyen Do Dzung, Senior Principal |
| Jurong Town Corporation | Aloysius Iwan Handono, Chief Urban Designer, Land Planning Division |
| Future Cities Laboratory | Dietmar Leyk, Project Leader, Principal Architect |
