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Centre for Liveable Cities

Framework

Learn more about our research framework.

Last updated 4 February 2026
Diagram describing the liveability framework

The Liveability Framework

Through the study of Singapore’s development journey and taking into account current and emerging urban challenges, the Centre has distiled the desired outcomes and supporting systems undergirding Singapore’s approach to liveable and sustainable urban development.

The Liveability Framework captures these findings in a diagram comprising three intersecting circles that represent the critical liveability outcomes. An encompassing 'ring-like' structure symbolises the three complementary systems that create the enabling conditions to achieve and sustain these outcomes.

Desired Outcomes for a Liveable City

  • Competitive Economy

  • Sustainable Environment

  • High Quality of Life

Systems to Achieve Desired Outcomes

Systems and outcomes

System

Outcome

Integrated Master Planning and Development


  • Think Long Term

  • Build for Resilience

  • Seek “Win-Win”

  • Execute Effectively

  • Innovate Systemically

Dynamic Urban Governance

  • Lead with Vision and Pragmatism

  • Uphold a Culture of Integrity

  • Cultivate Sound Institutions

  • Engage and Partner with the Community

  • Work with Markets

Collaborative Ecosystem

  • Collective Stewardship as a Foundation for Transformative Collaborations

  • Forging Strong Partnerships Beyond a City’s Boundaries

The Liveability Framework guides the Centre’s research focus and development of its knowledge products. It also provides city leaders and policy makers with a forward-looking and systems-focused lens through which they can generate more resilient strategies for high liveability and sustainability.

For more information on the Liveability Framework, please refer to Building Liveable and Sustainable Cities: A Framework for the Future.

Diagram describing the CLC liveability matrix

The CLC Liveability Matrix

The CLC Liveability Matrix plots cities’ population densities against liveability scores derived from The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU’s) Global Liveability Index. Singapore is one of a few high-density cities that scored well in EIU’s Global Liveability Index.

Singapore is a densely populated island city-state with around 5.9 million inhabitants on just 730km2 of land. Despite this, it is consistently recognised for its high standard of living in global liveability indices. Unlike other liveable cities that typically feature a large hinterland, lower rise developments and a more dispersed population, Singapore’s urban transformation into a modern and thriving global hub post-independence represents a sustainable development model that combines a compact city structure with a high quality of life.