Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities
The Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC) is a research institute in the Singapore University of Technology and Design. The Centre seeks to stimulate thinking and research on the critical issues of cities and urbanisation and explore the integrated use of technology, design and policy to provide urban solutions.
News and Updates
22 Apr 2025
Commentary: Take your kids to a park on Earth Day (CNA, 22.04.2025)
This commentary, co-written by LKYCIC's Dr Sarah Chan and Dr Samuel Chng, and NUS’ Dr Yingshan Lau, reflects on the benefits of nature and why it should be made a part of children's everyday lives. [...]
8 Apr 2025
New journal papers by Samuel Chng, Harvey Neo, Suhaila Zainal Shah, Du Yuting & Ethel Wee
• Suhaila, Zainal Shah., Wee, Ethel. & Chng, Samuel. (In press). Driving with Pride: The Professionalisation of Singapore’s Public Bus Driving Industry. Singapore Labour Journal. • Du, Yuting., Chng, Samuel., & Neo, Harvey. (In press). Cross-Sector Collaboration in Urban Mobility: A “Public-Private-People Plus Academia” (3P+) Partnership Model for Sustainable Mobility Governance. International Journal on Smart and Sustainable Cities. • Borzino, Natalia., Chng, Samuel. & Schubert, Renate. (2025). Outdoor thermal comfort and cognition impact pro-environmental behaviours: Evidence from a field experiment in the tropics. Frontiers Psychology,16, 1472852. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1472852 • Du, Yuting., Chng, Samuel., Suhaila, Zainal Shah. & Neo, Harvey. (2025). Looking Back at 25 Years of Participatory Budgeting in Asia: A Systematic Review of Trends, Challenges, and Best Practices. International Journal of Public Administration. doi: 10.1080/01900692.2025.2485247 [...]
2 Apr 2025
Well-being in the City: Innovating Healthy Living Exhibition
Two LKYCIC research projects—designing walkable neighbourhoods and co-creating with the community, were part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority Urban Lab exhibition on Well-being in the City: Innovating Healthy Living launched on 1 April 2025 by Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for National Development & Digital Development and Information.
[...]
28 Mar 2025
Discover more about Elderly Life Activity-Space: Environmental, Health and Social Factors Determining Senior Life Spaces in the Community (EASE) at the latest URA Healthy Cities Urban Lab Exhibition "Well-Being in the City: Innovating Healthy Living", 1 Apr– 31 May 2025, URA Centre Atrium. [...]
Featured Events and Visits
30 Jun 2025
[Pending CPD points] Malthus Enigma: Technology, Science, and Policy for a Fragile Earth
Synopsis With stable climates and global ecosystems in peril, Malthus’ proverbial predicament is as important as ever: How do we sustain […]
5 Jun 2025
LKYCIC Seminar Series: “The Healthy City: A Playbook for Singapore”
The Healthy City project bridges the disciplines of urban health and planning through a structured three-step framework: (1) Urban analytics to identify gaps and opportunities in the built environment; (2) Digital tools, such as behavioral nudging, to promote healthier commuting choices; and (3) Data-driven urban design to reimagine neighborhoods that support active lifestyles. Focused on quantifying health outcomes from Walk-Cycle-Ride (WCR) modes and access to amenities like parks and transit, the project prioritizes inclusivity and sustainability. Through a combination of location intelligence and behavioral strategies, The Healthy City aims to cultivate equitable communities that advance well-being, mobility, and overall urban livability. [...]
26 May 2025
LKYCIC Trending Thoughts “Islam, Politics, and Society in Southeast Asia”
This talk will identify trends in contemporary Muslim societies in Southeast Asia, focusing primarily on Indonesia and Malaysia. Drawing on two and a half decades of studying political Islam in the region, the talk will explore the prevailing schools of thought in the study of Islamism in the region and what scholars have identified as the "conservative turn" in Muslim socioreligious mobilization, examine these developments against larger transnational sources of Islamist activism, and discuss how and why these dynamics have resonated with and empowered political Islam in the region in the last four decades. [...]
15 May 2025
LKYCIC Seminar Series: “Quantifying Uncertainty in Climate Science: Towards More Reliable Inference”
How can we make better decisions in climate-sensitive domains like health and urban design, when the data we rely on is noisy and uncertain? [...]
Pillars of Research
Research
Lab
Master of Urban Science, Policy and Planning
Offered by the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities and the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Cluster, SUTD’s Master of Science in Urban Science, Policy and Planning is designed in the context of big data and smart city initiatives to train the next generation of urban researchers, analysts and practitioners. Students combine advanced social and data science research methods and computational techniques with urban theory, planning and practice to explore current and emerging topics and shape the cities of the future.