SHAUN CHIONG SHI HENG

M.Soc.Sci Student

Research Title: Urban Interventions and the Search for Creativity in Singapore’s Public Spaces
Research Group: Social and Cultural Geographies (SCG)
Thesis Advisor: Prof TC Chang

As an urban political geographer, I am interested in how different urban actors negotiate and shape a city’s future. My primary research interest lies in understanding how these actors interact with and shape public spaces, particularly through urban interventions.

In my current research, I am engaging with the concept of the “Creative City” through examining urban interventions in Singapore’s public spaces. Specifically, I aim to critically interrogate the term "creativity," exploring it within the context of creative practices in Singapore. In recent years, the Singaporean state has intensified its efforts to implement urban interventions and placemaking initiatives. In addition to planning and implementing these interventions, the state has held workshops, published guidebooks, and provided grants to encourage citizens to develop and carry out their own intervention projects. However, I argue that many of these projects exhibit a similar, sanitised nature and scope, rarely pushing the boundaries of people's urban imagination regarding the possibilities of public spaces. Meanwhile, there have also been instances of urban subversion, where attempts are made—(il)legally—to “creatively” broaden the status quo of urban interventions.

Thus, my research examines these urban intervention practices in Singapore to shed light on whether there is a lack of “creativity” in Singapore, and if so, why and how this may affect people's experiences and perceptions of public spaces.