In 2013, Dr Liu Thai Ker commented at a forum that Singapore should plan for a future in which it might have a population of 10 million people in 2100. -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): The architect who shaped the landscape of modern Singapore, Dr Liu Thai Ker, has died at the age of 87.
His son, Mr Daniel Liu Keyuan, confirmed the death with The Straits Times on Jan 18, saying his father had developed complications after a fall about a week before.
Dr Liu was surrounded by his family and loved ones when he died on the morning of Jan 18.
He would have turned 88 in February.
Widely known as Singapore’s first master planner and the father of urban planning here, he oversaw the development of about half of the more than one million public housing apartments, helping plan 20 of the 24 HDB towns.
Dr Liu joined the Housing Board as head of the design and research unit in 1969 before becoming chief executive and planner of the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 1989.
He left public service in 1992 after 24 years but continued his work, doing city planning for more than 50 cities and designing several notable projects including the Marina Bay Cruise Centre.
He founded Morrow Architects and Planners in 2017 when he was 79.
Born in Muar, Johor, in 1938, Dr Liu first came to Singapore in 1944 when he was six.
He obtained a scholarship and enrolled at the University of New South Wales in Australia, where he graduated with a first-class honours degree in architecture.
He went on to study at Yale University and graduated with a master’s degree in city planning before working in the New York office of architect I.M. Pei and then returning to Singapore in 1969.
Mr Liu said his father went through World War II and the founding years of Singapore, experiencing the Japanese Occupation and being a British subject before finally becoming a Singapore citizen.
“He never actually said it, but not having a national identity when he was younger was something that drove him hard,” Mr Liu added.
“He often alluded to the fact that Singapore was where he felt a sense of belonging for the first time, and his instinct was to do the best for it.”
Mr Liu, who is managing director of Morrow Architects and Planners and chairman of the PAP Paya Lebar branch, added that his father loved his work, valued his independence and remained independent till the end. Mr Liu said: “He was very passionate about making cities better. Even when he was supposed to retire a few years ago, he went on to start his own company at the age of 79.”
In a press statement on Jan 18, Morrow Architects and Planners described Dr Liu, its founding chairman, as a principled and rigorous planner deeply committed to the public good, who worked closely with then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to transform the nation into a First-World garden-city.
It said: “Dr Liu’s planning philosophy – pragmatic, forward-looking and anchored in public purpose – remains deeply relevant to Singapore’s future. His legacy is not only historical; it is a standard for what cities must continue to be.
“He believed that good cities are built not only with skill, but with discipline – by choosing what matters, anticipating what is coming, and never losing sight of the people.”
When Dr Liu first joined public service, Singapore was one of the poorest cities in South-east Asia, where three out of four residents lived in overcrowded slums and squatter areas.
His main job was to create new towns, and he decided that they would be self-sufficient neighbourhoods that would spur a sense of community among residents.
Through research and speaking with sociologists, he concluded that each corridor should have six to eight units, so neighbours could mingle and maximise their social interactions.
The new homes were built to great success, and by 1985, virtually every Singaporean had a home.
In an interview with The Business Times in 2024, Dr Liu spoke at length about Singapore needing to have a citywide masterplan to meet the needs of seniors as the country grapples with an ageing population.
He noted how key considerations would include opportunities for senior citizens to live near their children and mingle with younger people, as well as to feel useful by engaging in neighbourhood centres.
In 2013, Dr Liu commented at a forum that Singapore should plan for a future in which it might have a population of 10 million people in 2100.
This was shortly after the release of the 2013 Population White Paper, which gave a planning parameter of 6.9 million people by 2030.
His comments led to criticism from the public, with many worried that Singapore’s infrastructure could not support such a large population.
Dr Liu repeated this in 2017, saying that he stood by his comments and that a new population would be needed for the economy and the country’s sovereignty.
The figure was again brought up during the 2020 General Election when the Singapore Democratic Party cited it.
Mr Heng Swee Keat, who was then Deputy Prime Minister, clarified that the Government had never proposed or targeted for Singapore to increase the population to 10 million.
Dr Liu also came forward to say the 10 million figure was always a planning parameter and not a target. In recent years, he continued to stand by the figure as something Singapore should plan for.
“We must be prepared for possibly faster economic growth to stand tall among them,” he said during a panel discussion in 2022. “And to do so, we must accept population growth.”
Dr Liu is survived by his wife, Ms Gretchen Gustafson, and five children, including Mr Liu.
Dr Liu’s cremation has been scheduled for the morning of Jan 22 at Mandai Crematorium. -- The Straits Times/ANN
