Rethinking Singapore's urban form

In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Economics Wen-Tai Hsu opined that Singapore's road systems are too much dominated by the cui-de-sac form, and should consider a better balance between cul-de-sac and grid forms. He said that there is nothing wrong with a cul-de-sac design, but tradeoffs are made. Cul-de-sacs allow for more space. In a grid, space is taken up by roads, and there is less space for housing and recreational areas. While cul-de-sacs are suitable for residential areas, they are not as efficient as grid forms in facilitating transport. Associate Prof Hsu suggested when thinking about how to redevelop the Greater Southern Waterfront area in Singapore, policymakers can consider the economic implications of a cul-de-sac versus a grid design.