Singapore’s URA: Too Much Planning?

Singapore’s URA: Too Much Planning?

‘Urban Playground’ exhibition

history, around bugis

“Multi-ethnic Enclaves around Middle Road: An Examination of Early Urban Settlement in Singapore”

Bugis related

An interesting article from yawning bread with mentions of Bugis’s history.

Link

Digitised Straits Times

This is pretty exciting.

With the new digitised Straits Times, online search can be easily done online.
This link was a search on the ‘newscape’ from the timeline available from the database (01-01-1845) to the day before the independence of Singapore(08-08-1965). It yield 1457 results.

This link was from 09-08-1965 to 31 Dec 1982. Which is what the best it can offer. It yield only 400 results.

This link was a search during the Japanese Occupation. The search reult is ’0′

You have to go to the library to get the full newsreel. But roughly from the title, we can pretty make out what ‘Bugis’ probably meant during these times. But it will be better if we can have other resources to compare.

Old ‘photos’ of Bugis

I bought these images at $1/piece from this uncle in Sungei Road some time ago. His stall has some pretty interesting stuffs. Like old movie posters from 1960s, old coins and folders with images of old Singapore.

I think the more important question to ask for me, is what do we make out or what can we make out from these old images, apart from its historical importance and documentation or evidence. Apart from the value of memories and nostagia.

There is no question with regards to the value of the image. Since its still sought after by people.
There is a stall in peace center as well, selling similar things. But its much  more expensive. Like $4/piece.

Central area discover

URA’s interactive look at the central area. Click on the Bras Basah Bugis.

http://www.ura.gov.sg/centralarea/

ST Forum: Where did you go, my Singapore of old?

Since, I have and am still looking for old images and paintings of Bugis area, here is a letter from a Singaporean.

Read ST Online readers’ comments here:
http://www.straitst imes.com/ ST%2BForum/ Story/STIStory_ 342137.html
This letter is also being discussed on Yesterday.sg:
http://yesterday. sg/2009/02/ have-we-truly- lost-our- soul-as-a- nation/

———— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— -

STRAITS TIMES
February 24, 2009 Tuesday

Home <http://www.straitstimes.com> > ST Forum
<http://www.straitst imes.com/ ST%2BForum/ ST%2BForum. html> > Story
* Where did you go, my Singapore of old?
*

I AM a 45-year-old Singaporean much in love with this country, which I
am proud to call home. Over the years, I have visited a few other
beautiful countries, but I cannot see myself living anywhere else but in
Singapore.

However, as much as I call Singapore my home, there is almost nothing of
it I can connect to when I try to look back in memory.

A few weeks ago, I decided to drive my parents around to revisit places
to try to recapture the fond memories of our earlier years. There was
almost no place familiar left to go. Almost everything has been
eradicated. It was a sad morning.

I am sure, to the zealots of change and development, this means nothing
at all, and others may say people like me are like a broken record
(nostalgia) that gets stuck and plays the same thing over and over, but
I feel it is very sad.

The little we have left is also about to go: the last kampung in
Buangkok, the New Seventh Storey Hotel and so on. Who needs the kampung
in Buangkok when there is the shiny plastic version in Geylang Serai,
right? After all, it is clean, safe and pristine.

With reference to last Monday’s letter by Ms Lisa Healey-Cunico, ‘Let
Singapore shape itself naturally’, I fully agree that Singapore has lost
much of its soul. It truly seems we have an unquenchable need to wipe
out and develop anything and everything. Alternatively, if a place is
deemed worthy of heritage, redevelopment sets in with the original
tenants, who contributed to the colour of the place, removed because of
high rent and commercialisation.

Maybe I am just getting old, but I would like to be able to visit some
places in Singapore with nothing added but a few coats of paint over the
years. I resort to flea markets for photocopy pictures sold at three for
$10. I used these to share old stories with my parents and daughters.
That is all there is. Needless to say, one of my favourite haunts is
Sungei Road. I am certain it is already in someone’s plans for eradication.

I appeal to whoever can make the difference, please leave some things as
they are.

I love you, Singapore, but I fear I do not remember you.

*Vincent Paul Carthigasu*

Archive images of ‘Bugis Street‘

For about a month, the Artists Caravan group takes Sculpture Square as their ‘playground’ at Bugis, dubbed as the Arts and Heritage district, where they explore the manifold of arts, cultural, religious, social,  shopping and other undiscovered activites that reside within the new and old architecture, that cultivate and represent these happenings. Approaching from the perspective of a heartlander, what can this part of the cityscape proffer for their observations and imaginations? How will these endeavors help them to help make sense of the urbanism here and in turn, to understand their own ‘village’?