Singapore’s Efforts to Preserve Heritage Districts & Support Businesses
The Singapore government is actively implementing initiatives to balance the preservation of historic districts like Kampong Glam, Little India, and Chinatown with evolving visitor expectations and the needs of heritage businesses. This includes updated land use policies, financial support schemes, and collaborative place-making efforts.
The URA plays a central role in managing land use and ensuring the sustainability of Singapore’s heritage districts.
the URA has been reviewing and updating land use policies to sustain the character of historic districts while adapting to changing visitor preferences. Specifically, restrictions have been placed on certain types of businesses to maintain the cultural identity of these areas.
From June 2025, new souvenir shops will be disallowed in Kampong Glam, building on existing restrictions on bars, pubs, nightclubs, karaoke lounges, and Western fast-food restaurants in the core areas of Kampong Glam, Little India, and Chinatown. The Straits Times reported on these restrictions in February 2024, noting they followed stakeholder feedback.
National Heritage Board (NHB) Support for Heritage Businesses
The National Heritage board provides financial and non-financial support to heritage businesses to help them thrive.
The NHB offers schemes designed to assist heritage businesses with marketing, business consultancy, digitalization, and staff training. These include the SG Heritage Business Scheme, wich provides marketing and business consultancy support, and the Organisation Transformation grant, which funds projects like digitalization and staff upskilling. A thorough list of NHB grants and schemes is available on their official website.
Kampong Gelam Alliance & Place-making Initiatives
The Kampong gelam Alliance is a key partner in preserving and enhancing the heritage of Kampong Glam through collaborative place-making initiatives.
The Alliance leads programs focused on retaining heritage businesses, such as facilitating the relocation of restaurants within the district. In October 2023, Sabar Menanti nasi padang restaurant successfully relocated within Kampong Glam with the Alliance’s support. The Alliance has also developed a Place Plan, in partnership with the URA, to improve Kampong Glam’s heritage offerings and visitor experience. the URA detailed these efforts in a February 2024 press release.
Ministry-in-charge of muslim Affairs & Government Commitment
The Singapore government, through the Ministry-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, demonstrates a strong commitment to sustaining heritage businesses and cultural life in historic districts.
A task force co-chaired by Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim and Senior minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen ling oversees these initiatives. The government encourages businesses to seek assistance from relevant agencies and emphasizes the importance of public support for the viability of these businesses. The government is currently engaging with the family behind Warong Nasi Pariaman to explore support options.
Verification Status (2026/01/31 05:37:51): Information is current as of February 2024, based on available news reports and official government websites. no breaking news or significant updates have been identified regarding these initiatives as of the verification date. The links provided lead to official sources and relevant pages.
