In Singapore, the Preservation Debate Comes Down to a Single House

When Singapore broke away from Malaysia in 1965 and became independent, it was a country of slums, illiteracy, and poverty, with a per capita GPD of $500 USD. By 2014, that figure had reached $56,000 USD—a little more than that of the United States. In only 50 years, the country transformed itself into one of glittering skyscrapers, tidy housing estates, and shopping malls, largely due to the vision and leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, or LKY, Singapore’s prime minister from 1959 to 1990.

LKY’s unsentimental approach to progress was partly responsible for this incredible growth. His government cleared dilapidated houses and hawker stalls to make way for a new Singapore—and the clearing didn’t stop once the country’s infrastructure was well developed. In 2005, for example, authorities demolished the beloved Old National Library to make way for a tunnel.