22/06/2026
At the World Cities Summit 2026, the National Heritage Board (NHB) brought together city leaders and technical experts from across the globe to explore a vital question: how can heritage shape better, more liveable cities?
SMS Low Yen Ling set the tone with a clear message — truly loveable cities go beyond good infrastructure. Culture, heritage, and a sense of belonging need to be at their core.
For Singapore, NHB is driving this vision on two fronts. First, in our historic districts — Chinatown, Kampong Gelam, and Little India — an inter-agency task force, a new Placemaking Project Office, and the SG Heritage Business Scheme are keeping these neighbourhoods vibrant and deeply rooted in heritage and culture.
Beyond these districts, Heritage Activation Nodes, over 20 Heritage Trails island-wide, and gamified walking trails developed with the CDCs are weaving heritage into the fabric of neighbourhoods and the community across Singapore.
1-5: NHB’s panel ‘Championing Heritage for Loveable Cities’, moderated by Prof Lily Kong and featuring SMS Low Yen Ling, Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu (Ilo Ilo City), Vice-Mayor Miguel Antunes (Coimbra), Ms María Claudia López (Bogotá), and Mr Sunny Lo (Hong Kong), showed how very different cities share a common idea that heritage improves the quality of life in cities.
6-10: NHB's booth at the Singapore Pavilion showcased how living with heritage is an everyday experience in Singapore. This was explored through five pillars: Places, People, Public, Private, and Philanthropic. Also featured were objects and interactives by heritage businesses and partners, bringing to life the stories of the communities, trades, and spaces that make Singapore's lived heritage so distinctive.
