Impact of Transit Oriented Development on Future Cities in the Asian Region

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Due to rapid urbanisation, governments will need to focus on public transport infrastructure to improve quality of life - this is where TODs will have a dramatic impact on shaping cites.

How will TOD impact our future cities?

Cities globally are competing to attract the best talent and overall quality-of-life is one of the key attractions for talent when considering where to be based.

Cities like Singapore have successfully utilised investment in high quality of public transport infrastructure to achieve high standards of living and become global business hubs.

In the future, due to rapid urbanisation (especially in Asia), governments will need to focus on public transport infrastructure to improve quality of life for their people and this is where TODs will have a dramatic impact on shaping cites.

What are the main challenges facing planners given the increasing pressure on capacity and the increasing number of people in cities?

Balancing density and liveability is the biggest challenge facing urban planners in Asia.

Singapore has been a global benchmark in creating a liveable, high-density city. This has been possible due to the long-range planning process that Singapore undertakes where land use and transport planning go in sync.

Another urban planning challenge is housing affordability. This challenge is faced not only in Asia but globally. Again, Singapore has succeeded in developing high quality and affordable housing towns across the city. One of the areas that Singapore is pioneering is the inclusion of affordable housing blocks within TODs.

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Balancing density and liveability is the biggest challenge facing urban planners in Asia. Singapore has been a global benchmark in creating a liveable, high density city.

This planning solution could be replicated around Asia to allow lower-income households convenient access from their homes to public transport and avoid spending income on owning a car. The money saved can be used for improving their quality of life.

What projects are you most proud of?

I have been fortunate to work in Malaysia with the public housing authority on a pilot project to develop affordable housing TODs. The work involved assisting them with the planning of these TODs and also writing guidelines for their implementation across the country.

The complex study involved coordination with various government agencies and stakeholders to get support from the onset. Once completed, these TODs will become a model for many other cities in and outside of Malaysia to emulate.