2. Developmental Urbanisation in Singapore and South Korea

The chapter discusses the origins and rise of the developmental state in Singapore and South Korea during and after the 1960s and its impact on urban development. In pursuing growth-first economic policy, the developmental state has initially seen urban development as an instrument of rapid economic growth, which also applies to transformation of residential areas. The early housing projects of the Housing and Development Board in Singapore and Joint Redevelopment Project in Seoul are compared in this chapter to better understand developmental urbanisation in each city. These cases reveal important differences between transformation of residential areas in Singapore and Seoul. Developmental state in Singapore has firmly controlled urban development and provided housing for the vast majority of the population, where the Housing and Development Board played the key role. In this way, urban development became an instrument of social integration and has strengthened political legitimacy of the state. While urban development in South Korea was also important for the rapid economic growth of the country, it was less controlled, largely driven by the market and with little concerns about social integration. Joint Redevelopment Project in Seoul, which was based on alliance between the developmental state and large corporations, has become a source of social tensions and economic polarisation in the city. Despite these differences, developmental state in Singapore and South Korea has largely excluded citizens and civil society from taking part in urban development. This seems to be a major characteristic and similarity between developmental urbanisation in Singapore and South Korea.