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The Architectural Mastermind Behind Modern Singapore | Liu Thai Ker | TED

Cities designed like families can last for generations. Skeptical? Look to master architect Liu Thai Ker, who transformed Singapore into a modern marvel with his unique approach to sustainable urban design. Liu shares creative wisdom and perspective on how marrying a humanist heart, a scientific mind and an artistic eye creates a resilient marriage of…

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Cities designed like families can last for generations. Skeptical? Look to master architect Liu Thai Ker, who transformed Singapore into a modern marvel with his unique approach to sustainable urban design. Liu shares creative wisdom and perspective on how marrying a humanist heart, a scientific mind and an artistic eye creates a resilient marriage of form and function. A talk that both humbles and inspires.

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33 Comments

33 Comments

  1. Binaya Barakoti

    March 1, 2022 at 4:01 pm

    Well

  2. Jonathan Liang

    March 1, 2022 at 4:02 pm

    2nd

  3. Dr. ANIL KUMAR OFFICIAL(Business &Lifecoach,short)

    March 1, 2022 at 4:04 pm

    Wow that’s amazing really greatest knowledge
    Please support me guise
    Never ever comprises yourself with another
    Because ???? sun and moon both sign but there at own time

  4. Souad Abdullah

    March 1, 2022 at 4:05 pm

    السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته مناشدتي إلى كل عربي مسلم ومسلمة إلى من عنده نخوة وشهامة ورجولة وكرامة
    أنني أناشدكم يا أهل الخير يا أخواني ويا أخواتي المسلمين والمسلمات أني أختكم يمنية عربية مسلمة عرضي عرضكم وشرفي شرفكم وكرامتي كرامتكم هل يرضيكم أننا نتبهذل ونموت جوعاً وعطشاً وأنتم موجودين ????????????
    أسألكم بالله العلي العظيم أن توقفو معي وتعتبروني أختكم وتساعدوني بما يقدركم الله عليه لا تردوني خائبة ذليلة
    أرحموا من في الأرض يرحمكم من في السماء
    يا أخوة الإسلام يا أمة محمد يا أهل القلوب الرحمية والأيدي الكريمة ياأهل المال وأهل العطاء من قلة نحن أسرة أيتام وفقراء نازحين ومشردين من ديارنا الحرب دمرت بيوتنا وشتتنا وبهذلتنا والله العظيم أننا لا نملك قوت يومنا وأقسم بالله أنني كتبت لكم رسالتي وقلبي يتقطع من الخجل والألم والقهر
    لا أريد أن أذل نفسي عند أحد غير الله والشكوى لغير الله مذله ولكن إيش نسوي الظروف حدتنا والحاجة أجبرتنا ونحن ليس لنا أحد في هذي الدنيا سوا الله ثم أنتم يا أهل الخير اتمنى من الله ثم منكم أن تمدو لنا يد العون

    هذا رقمي واتساب 00967713996987

    الذي يستطيع مساعدتنا يتواصل معانا واتساب أرسله الإسم الكامل والعنوان يحولنا بالي يقدر عليه الله يحفظكم ويرزقكم ويجازيكم خير وبركة وصحة وعافية الله يكثر خيركم ويبارك لكم أموالكم ويغنيكم من فضله..

    • Thembelihle Masina

      March 1, 2022 at 4:23 pm

      sending you love and courage during your difficult time my brother. i pray that financial abundance comes your way.

  5. Abell Seyfu

    March 1, 2022 at 4:07 pm

    One is caught up playing the impassioned protagonist in one’s Subjective Narrative of Self..????

  6. Salvo Ocello

    March 1, 2022 at 4:14 pm

    And the crime is low because

    • Zenn Exile

      March 1, 2022 at 5:08 pm

      crime is low everywhere if you ignore all the people in poverty just behind the scenes working as slaves to make the dream look real for the few at the top.

    • Salvo Ocello

      March 1, 2022 at 9:11 pm

      @Zenn Exile yeah but at least he gave a great TEDtalk

    • Zenn Exile

      March 2, 2022 at 3:04 am

      @Salvo Ocello not terrible as far as Ted Talks go I guess.

    • Lucretius

      March 2, 2022 at 7:24 am

      Strong social construct

  7. Silvia Matos

    March 1, 2022 at 4:20 pm

    Showw

  8. Thembelihle Masina

    March 1, 2022 at 4:21 pm

    i love that he compared building a city to taking a machine apart and starting from the ground up

  9. Lee Min Han

    March 1, 2022 at 4:34 pm

    His singapore accent is so unnoticible.

  10. Ram Kumar

    March 1, 2022 at 4:41 pm

    Very good

  11. Cool Girl 007

    March 1, 2022 at 4:41 pm

    Agree and witnessed the excellent design of Singapore was lived there for 3 years just can’t afford to buy ????

  12. branded

    March 1, 2022 at 4:46 pm

    I had encountered him once ,he is a humble person .

  13. Moira Leon

    March 1, 2022 at 4:48 pm

    What amazing and versatile advice –
    “I’d say you just have to remember three things: To have a humanist’s heart, a scientist’s head, and an artist’s eyes” – Liu Thai Ker

  14. Karla Reyes

    March 1, 2022 at 5:05 pm

    It bugs my mind to think that if one nation could do it, why can the rest learn from it and do it too??!!! I mean, housing for everyone? Sustainable? Accommodates for the future?? This man should be hired to desing every city!!

    • Mj Steelo

      March 1, 2022 at 6:53 pm

      With the over-politicizing of any and all ideas (new and old), good luck trying to propose this to North Americans lol. They also seem to base their decisions on opinions instead of facts.

    • Mj Steelo

      March 1, 2022 at 6:53 pm

      I wish this was possible though!

    • Clementi Hammock

      March 2, 2022 at 5:04 am

      Hiring him for sound advice may not much of a problem. But the social-political will and all sort of embedded bureaucracies really are.

    • Tayni Babols

      March 2, 2022 at 5:56 am

      In Manila City, Philippines, that’s what the current Mayor is doing. He is currently working on a number of high-rise housing projects, some of which are already complete

    • Karla Reyes

      March 2, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      @Tayni Babols that sounds great ????????????

  15. Leonardo Garcia

    March 1, 2022 at 5:06 pm

    uma pena que no Brasil, cidades pequenas em desenvolvimento, não tem profissional Arquiteto e Urbanista para coordenar o desenvolvimento da mesma. Infelizmente, os autores de planos diretores e zoneamento destes municípios, são os Engenheiros Civis, dos quais com todo respeito, não tem capacidade alguma para projetar uma cidade de maneira arquitetada para as pessoas a curto, médio e longo prazo. O Brasil, é uma vergonha, onde o mesmo, detêm de conselhos próprios para Arquitetos e Engenheiros, porém cuja a corrupção estabelecida nesse país medíocre e ordinário, não se separa de forma arbitrária as definições de execução de trabalhos de cada um perante as normas estabelecidas. Brasil, um país em decadência que JAMAIS será um país que terá um desenvolvimento planejado, enquanto a corja de políticos corruptos não caírem fora do poder.

  16. Tina Rmn

    March 1, 2022 at 5:13 pm

    I love the end and the talk 🙂 but i don’t understand why we should create a city for the « average » person divided per age group : because everyone is different so you may be a young adult and have the same interests as someone who is 80 and/or someone who is 20 but if you live in an area wich is made for the caricatural 20yo you won’t develop those unique interests or ideas , I think it’s very important to be amongst a variety of people of different age groups that’s how innovative people thrive and evolve … what do you think ?? 🙂

    • zakur0hako

      March 1, 2022 at 6:42 pm

      you missed the point

    • Tina Rmn

      March 1, 2022 at 7:07 pm

      @zakur0hako im sure I did these are just some of my thoughts I wanted to share…

  17. Puss Cat

    March 1, 2022 at 5:34 pm

    I thought Prince Charles was doing a Ted Talk ????

  18. Self-Law

    March 1, 2022 at 5:59 pm

    Very clever chap.

  19. The Sudanese Prince

    March 1, 2022 at 7:28 pm

    The Bob Ross of cities, that’s pretty epic

  20. Lucretius

    March 2, 2022 at 7:22 am

    Very skeptical, just ask the people who live there and they will tell you a different story.
    For those who are too lazy, it is starting to feel overcrowded so either the design failed or the Government failed to adhere to the design rules.

    • DomKamJeng

      March 2, 2022 at 9:43 am

      I’m the person who lives here, no … I don’t think is overcrowded at all from where I live in Sengkang, previously in Bishan

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