Measuring physical density : implications on the use of different measures on land use policy in Singapore

Abstract

Land use planning policies in Singapore have been driven by the goal to optimize the use of the scarce land resource. Density measures how intensively land has been put to use and is thus a good indicator of how planning policies are performing in relation to this goal of land use optimization. This study looks at how physical density has been measured in Singapore and assesses the suitability of the methods of measurement. It also evaluates current planning practice to determine how successful they have been in achieving the goal to optimize land use. The Development Guide Plan for the Punggol Planning Area was used as the case study.