Urban entrepreneurialism in Singapore the case : study of Suntec City.
2001
Pow, C.P.
It has been widely theorised that recent urban restructuring and global competition have led to the emergence of an `entrepreneurial` mode of governance which focuses on the pursuit of economic growth and often in close alliance with (global) private capital. Within the entrepreneurial regime, `public-private partnership` has often been deployed in the construction of prestigious flagship projects (or urban megaprojects) such as spectacular waterfront cities, convention centres and other mixed-use commercial developments. Using Singapore as a case study, this paper focuses on Suntec City - a S$2 billion (US$1.15 billion) flagship project financed by transnational Hong Kong capital. In particular, the paper will examine the formation of elite partnership between local public officials and global business elites. As will be argued, the construction of urban flagship projects are not only embedded in the political economy of urban places but also deeply implicated in the social relations and political networks between urban elites. In the case of Suntec City, the complex inter-relationships between (local) public officials/institutions and (global) private capital have further shaped and influenced the property development. Hopefully, through the case-study of Suntec City, implications of new urban flagship developments proliferating in other Southeast Asian cities will be drawn.
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