Editing Demographics of Singapore (section)

=== Area planning ===
{{main|Planning areas of Singapore|New towns of Singapore}}

The population of Singapore are generally housed within [[New towns of Singapore|new towns]], which are large scale satellite housing developments designed to be self contained. It includes public housing units, private housing, a town centre and other amenities.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wong |first=Maisy |date=July 2014 |title=Estimating the distortionary effects of ethnic quotas in Singapore using housing transactions |url=https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=real-estate_papers |journal=Journal of Public Economics |volume=115 |pages=131–145 |doi=10.1016/j.jpubeco.2014.04.006 |s2cid=52236776}}</ref> Since the 1950s, Singapore had a city centre surrounded by slums and squatter colonies. By 1959 when Singapore attained self government, the problem of housing shortage had grown. Combined with a fast population growth, it led to congestion and squalor.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Field |first=Brian |date=1 January 1992 |title=Singapore's New Town prototype: a textbook prescription? |journal=Habitat International |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=89–101 |doi=10.1016/0197-3975(92)90066-8}}</ref> The [[Planned community|new towns]] planning concept was introduced in July 1952 by the country's public housing authority, [[Housing and Development Board|Housing and Development Board (HDB)]], to counter the housing shortage problem and to relocate most of the population crammed within the city centre to other parts of the island.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of HDB |url=http://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/about-us/history |access-date=20 January 2017 |website=Housing & Development Board}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tuan Seik |first=Foo |date=1 February 2001 |title=Planning and design of Tampines, an award-winning high-rise, high-density township in Singapore |journal=Cities |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=33–42 |doi=10.1016/S0264-2751(00)00052-4}}</ref> Today, there are 23 new towns and 3 estates within the country, with Bedok being the largest by area and population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=&#91;&#91;Urban Redevelopment Authority{{!}}URA&#93;&#93; Planning Area Brochure – Bedok |url=http://www.ura.gov.sg/MS/DMP2013/regional-highlights/~/media/dmp2013/Planning%20Area%20Brochures/Brochure_Bedok_1.ashx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216022913/http://www.ura.gov.sg/MS/DMP2013/regional-highlights/~/media/dmp2013/Planning%20Area%20Brochures/Brochure_Bedok_1.ashx |archive-date=16 February 2015 |access-date=5 October 2014}}</ref>