The sublime sidewalks of Singapore

The Future Southeast Asia Newsletter features transport and urban development news in Southeast Asia, edited by James Clark.

This week’s feature article is about the walkability of Singapore, and how countries that aspire to be like Singapore should begin at the ground level.

And in this week’s news, before I get called out for being a Singapore infrastructure fetishist, it has not been a good week for transport infrastructure in Singapore.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Sidewalks are the secret sauce to simulating Singapore’s success in Southeast Asia cites

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News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Dara Sakor International Airport ready for domestic flights from November

• Cambodia hopes a new canal will boost trade. But it risks harming the Mekong that feeds millions (archive)

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Over 1,700 km of rail tracks built during 2015-2024 period: Govt

• Jakarta LRT Phase 1B ready for test track

• Prioritize low-income access to public transport: Indonesian ministry

• Railroads become places for citizens' activities, our evidence lack of public space

• RI encourages special economic zones to compete with M'sia, S'pore

• President launches 27 road sections in East Nusa Tenggara

• Canggu in 2002 vs 2024

This then-and-now image illustrates the bad urban planning of Bali. The rice fields are sold off to developers, and there is no road infrastructure for the encroaching urbanisation.

🇱🇦 Laos

• Three Lao provinces to get better roads through World Bank project

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• EIA clears path for second Muhibbah Bridge construction

“Environmental experts have completed their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies for the site of the second Muhibbah (Friendship) Bridge across the Golok River, linking Thailand with Rantau Panjang.”

• PM agrees to Miri Airport expansion plan

• Anwar says Tawau airport needs to be enlarged ‘immediately’ due to high foreign tourist traffic

• New Kuching airport site not finalised yet, says Abdul Karim

• KL needs more elevated walkways

 🇵🇭 Philippines

• AIIB vows to give more grants for PH’s resilient infra projects

• Metro Manila Subway: when right of way gets in the way

• NAIA: Now comes the hard part

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Faulty train caused 'extensive damage' to track between Clementi and Dover, leading to power trip and disruption

• 850 passengers walk on MRT tracks to Clementi station after fault on another train causes power trip

• Plans to add new homes and amenities to the Newton area being studied

• Owner of Singapore's last kampung, valued at $70m, refuses to sell land

🇹🇭 Thailand

• First phase of Thai-Chinese high-speed railway to be completed by 2028

• Feasibility study of part of Chiang Mai electric rail system ordered

"Transport Ministry says more investment will be required for proposed underground tunnel in Old Town area."

• Seawall plan raises ire

“The Pheu Thai Party's plan to build a seawall comprising nine artificial islands in the Gulf of Thailand, which would stretch from Bang Khunthian district in Bangkok to Chon Buri, has drawn protests from critics, many of whom are concerned about the project's impact on the environment.”

• Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to open its 3rd runway on Nov 1

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Vietnam high-speed railway project appraisal report ready this week

• HCMC plans to make over downtown river port into international cruise terminal

• Pontoon bridge takes shape to replace collapsed bridge due to typhoon Yagi

• 100-year-old villa in southern Vietnam to be preserved despite demolition plans

• Over $34 mn allocated for airport expansion in Vietnam’s Ca Mau