SINGAPORE: Singapore’s former chief planner Liu Thai Ker has died, his company MORROW Architects & Planners announced on Sunday (Jan 18).
He was 87.
Frequently hailed as the “Father of Urban Planning of Singapore”, Dr Liu spent 24 years in Singapore’s public service, serving as the chief architect and chief executive of the Housing Development Board, where he oversaw the development of 20 new towns and over half a million housing units.
During his tenure from 1969 to 1989, a total of 23 satellite towns with a population of over 200,000 were planned and designed, and around 500,000 houses and related facilities were built.
Dr Liu subsequently moved over to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) as CEO and Chief Planner to oversee a major update of the Urban Concept Plan of Singapore from 1989 to 1992.
Dr Liu also served as the Founding Chairman of the advisory board of the Centre for Liveable Cities, which was founded in 2008.
He is also a Board Member of Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, a private entity wholly owned by the Ministry of Trade and Industry mandated to develop government-to-government projects.
Dr Liu started his own company Morrow Architects and Planners in December 2017.
Dr Liu was in 2018 awarded the Graham Mitchel Award – International Chapter by the Australian Institute of Architects. In 1993, he was award the 2nd ASEAN Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Architecture.
He has also received The Singapore National Day Award – The Distinguished Service Order, The Singapore Design Council – Golden Jubilee Award, and The Singapore Institute of Planners Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award.