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Questions on “The Architect who made Singapore’s Public Housing the
Envy of the World”
1. What are some key features of the high-rise public housing apartments in Singapore
described in the text?
2. How does the current selling price of some apartments in Singapore public housing
compare to the past, according to the text?
3. Who is Liu Thai Ker, and what role did he play in modernizing Singapore's approach
to public housing?
4. What was the living situation like for the majority of residents in Singapore in the
1960s before the transformation of public housing?
5. Where did Liu Thai Ker work before returning to Singapore, and what was his role
there?
6. What were some of the key components of Mr. Liu's vision for the new towns in
Singapore's public housing?
7. How did Mr. Liu differ in his approach to public housing design compared to what he
observed in the United States and Europe?
8. Why did Mr. Liu aim for each corridor in public housing to have six to eight units,
according to the text?
9. What ambitious goal was given to Mr. Liu by Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime
minister, regarding public housing?
10. In the eyes of Lee Kuan Yew, what were the symptoms of a backward city, as
mentioned by Mr. Liu in the text?
11. What were some of the reasons the government linked affordable flats to its profamily policies according to the text?
12. Why did Mr. Lee's government enact a policy in 1989 requiring a balanced mix of
ethnic groups in each block or neighborhood?
13. How did Mr. Liu justify the idea of integration despite criticism from experts in the
West?
14. What influenced Mr. Liu's support for the idea of integration?
15. How did Mr. Liu's father contribute to his family's well-being during World War II?
16. What motivated Mr. Liu to study architecture?
17. Where did Mr. Liu obtain a scholarship to study architecture?
18. What important concepts did Mr. Liu learn from Mr. Pei about designing buildings?
19. What role did Mr. Liu play in Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority from 1989
to 1992?
20. How did Mr. Liu divide Singapore in his "Concept Plan" in 1991?
21. Who is credited with the level of convenience experienced in Singapore today,
according to Heng Chye Kiang?
22. Where did Dr. Liu do urban planning work in around 60 Chinese cities after leaving
the public sector?
23. Why did Dr. Liu initially turn down designing the Fuzhou airport when asked by Xi
Jinping?
24. What prompted Dr. Liu to reconsider designing the Fuzhou airport?
25. How old was Mr. Liu when he started his own consultancy and began advising
governments on urban planning?
26. What was one of Dr. Liu's main tasks when working for the government on public
housing?
27. What percentage of Singapore's residents live in public housing today?
28. According to Singapore's Housing and Development Board, what is the government
committed to ensuring about public housing?
29. What eligibility criteria changed for singles 35 and older looking to buy government
apartments?
30. What did Dr. Liu express as his regrets in terms of urban planning decisions?