HDB's Reply

 

Living density different from population density
Date: 24 Apr 2018

We refer to Mr Cheang Peng Wah's letter (Alarmed by population figures; April 20).　

Housing Board chief executive Cheong Koon Hean's lecture was about how Singapore can anticipate its urban future and develop "liveable density".　

The figures cited were, hence, on living density, and not population density.　

Living density takes into account only the land available for urban areas, and excludes land used for ports, airports, defence and utilities, among others.　

It would be inaccurate to extrapolate the population size from the living density figure.　

 

Jaffrey Aw　
Director (Strategic Planning)　
Housing & Development Board　

 

 

Letter to The Straits Times

 

Alarmed by population figures
Date: 20 Apr 2018

From: Cheang Peng Wah

 

Housing Board chief executive Cheong Koon Hean, in her IPS-Nathan lecture on April 10 entitled "Anticipating Our Urban Future - Trends, Threats And Transformation", said that Singapore's population density would increase from 11,000 people per sq km to 13,700 people per sq km between now and 2030. 　

This is alarming. As Singapore's land area is a mere 720 sq km, does this mean that our population size could go up to 9,864,000, or nearly 10 million, by 2030? 　

This figure is not the same as that projected in the Population White Paper of 2013 - 6.9 million by 2030. 　

I hope the authorities can explain this new figure on population density, and assure Singaporeans that everything is being planned to prepare for such an eventuality.