Limited land, unlimited space: SLA's chief on why Singapore's lack of land does not equate to a lack of space in Singapore
Ask any Singaporean if they believe there is enough land space in Singapore, and the answer is likely to be no.
Yet, this prevailing perception does not deter Colin Low, Singapore Land Authority's (SLA) chief executive, from his steadfast mission to create unlimited spaces.
In a behind-the-scenes look at how SLA functions, Low describes the paradox of having «limited land, unlimited space», and explains how it pushes his team to continuously reimagine spaces in our little red dot.
How does SLA function?
In a country where land is precious and scarce, we may be most familiar with SLA's role in being the custodian of Singapore's properties.
In essence, when leases on places like army camps or school buildings expire and return to the state, SLA assumes responsibility for them. If there are no redevelopment plans in place, it falls upon the team at SLA to figure out how to optimise these spaces for the community.
However, that is just one aspect of SLA's governance. In fact, there are three pillars that encompass SLA's functions: land and properties, regulatory, and geospatial.