Work

I'm an urban strategist with 15+ years of experience bridging research and practice. My work sits at the intersection of futures thinking, stakeholder partnership and engagement, and systems-level change in fast-growing tropical cities.

Areas of Practice

Stakeholder Partnership and Engagement

Convening and facilitating knowledge exchange across diverse stakeholders: citizens, companies, government agencies, across cities and development types. I specialise in enabling meaningful community participation alongside multi-stakeholder partnerships. This is what makes urban change actually happen.

Hardware-Software-Orgware Framework

I ground my practice in a three-layer urban systems analysis: Hardware (physical infrastructure and built environment), Software (programs, cultural activities, community engagement), and Orgware (governance structures, policies, organisational capacity). While the framework exists in urban studies literature, I have applied and refined it across 15 years of practice at Shophouse & Co and CLC, using it to make ideas work in real projects.

Regenerative Cities

I explore how cities can thrive despite climate change and limited resources, particularly in tropical, high-density contexts. Currently focused on Singapore with an interest in scaling to other global cities.

Futures Research

Using futures thinking to inform city planning and policy. Exploring scenarios that help city leaders and makers anticipate and prepare for change.

Current Role

Senior Assistant Director, Research
Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore (2022–present)

My current focus areas:

Regenerative Cities – researching how cities can move beyond sustainability and thrive in a climate-changed and resource-constrained environment
Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Network – convening mayors, knowledge organisations, and urban leaders from leading cities to create and exchange knowledge on building liveable and sustainable cities
Community Partnerships – advancing engagement approaches that bridge local voices and knowledge, policy intent, and on-the-ground implementation

Other Involvements & Experience

Shophouse & Co (2014–2021)

Co-founder & Director

Pioneered Singapore's placemaking field, growing the consultancy to serve government agencies, commercial developers, and communities. Brought together different groups to develop placemaking strategies for cultural precincts, shopping belts, and residential heartlands. Clients included CapitaLand, Ministry of Culture Community and Youth, and town councils.

Archifest (2012–2013)

Festival Director

Restructured Singapore's national architecture festival for wider audience reach. Introduced the zero-waste Archifest Pavilion competition. Expanded partnerships and broke attendance records (300,000+ visitors in 2013).

Teaching

Adjunct Senior Lecturer at SUTD, Lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic Design School, Adjunct Lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts. Courses spanning design studio, contextual studies, and history & theory.

Early Career

Co-founder & Editor-in-chief of FIVEFOOTWAY, an independent magazine about Asian cities selected to represent Singapore at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2008. Senior Designer at FARM Studio working on architecture, exhibitions, and interiors.