Transforming the CBD: Why are mixed-use developments all the rage in Singapore?

Gone are the days of all work and no play.

The resurgence of mixed-used developments is transforming the once-bland face of Singapore’s central business district. Singapore is now seeing more residential and retail spaces in an area where towering buildings solely dedicated to office space had once ruled exclusively.

According to JLL, the increased popularity of mixed-use developments in the CBD can be attributed to the government’s push to encourage city living and ensure that the CBD remains lively during both the evenings and the weekends.

“A new push on city living started in the mid-2000s with residential developments such as The Sail @ Marina Bay, which is located in the heart of the CBD in Marina Bay. The CBD today is punctuated by various non-office use developments. Residential apartments have sprouted up all over the CBD, from Tanjong Pagar to Beach Road, and a number of new hotels managed by international chains have emerged in the city, either in the form of new buildings or revamped and reused existing buildings,” stated JLL.

Here’s more from JLL:
The transformation efforts were initiated by the Singapore authorities with the goal to turn the growing CBD into a vibrant district round the clock by encouraging a mix of uses – commercial, residential, hotel and entertainment.

This vision of a more vibrant CBD was in reaction to a global trend of extending the activity in the CBD beyond the standard office hours, and to recoup the large investment in infrastructure that has gone into developing the area.