Early town planning in British South East Asia: 1910-1939

This article reviews attempts to introduce town planning in the Federated Malay States and Singapore in the 1920s, and the reasons for the failure of Reade and Richards to persuade the colonial authorities to implement their proposals. The analysis examines the legislation in some depth and uses original documents of the day to review the political opposition to their proposals which led to their withdrawal. It is argued that Reade and Richards failed because of insufficient consideraton of the likely consequences of implementing their proposals, and a personal inability to persuade the colonial communities of their value. It is suggested that the failure represents an early example of the perils of attempting town planning without developing sufficient community support and legitimation.