Policy Notes: Long-Term Planning in Singapore: A Collaborative Modeling Approach for Integrated Planning of Land Use and Transportation

For decades, Singapore has adopted a long-term planning approach, utilizing Long-Term Plans and Master Plans to guide its development. Government agencies collaboratively engage in an iterative planning process that combines top-down strategic planning with bottom-up inputs, fostering innovation and public participation. A scenario-based approach is employed to explore various future possibilities, with data-driven modeling tools ensuring the viability of land use plans and strategies. To facilitate integrated land use-transport planning, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) have implemented the Traffic Quantification and Transport Model (TQTM) procedure. TQTM integrates land use simulation, travel demand forecasting and solution evaluation. To further enhance data and modeling capabilities, the URA and LTA also launched the “SimSG” initiative. SimSG has resulted in the development of tools that assist planners in understanding the transport landscape and facilitate the rapid assessment of transport implications arising from incremental land use changes. These tools address TQTM limitations by significantly reducing modeling run-time and making analytics and modeling accessible to a broader range of planners. This paper delves into Singapore’s collaborative modeling approach and tools for integrated land use and transport planning. It discusses multifaceted initiatives for further improvements and aims to provide researchers and policymakers with insights into Singapore’s long-term planning approach and data-driven planning practices.