Singapore may be relatively new, at just over half a century old, but it's still going through a remarkably quick transition from a backwater state to a thriving metropolis. 

 

Since independence, it has led the way for developing countries to build a sustainable and robust infrastructure. The government has implemented strategies through urban planning and civic development to maintain racial and cultural harmony within the community. Food is an intrinsic part of these plans, for it's a nation where public dining and shared meals are the status quo.

 

This transformation can be witnessed through the lens of the hawker centres, which are found throughout the city and in the public housing estates, where over 80% of Singapore’s population live.  The hawkers were originally travelling sales people, but they've been modernised and moved off the newly sanitised streets into food centres.  These food locations have helped sustain and encourage a multi-ethnic community.  

 

Given Singapore’s huge economic growth over this period, a surge in GDP, low unemployment levels and high individual net wealth, we examine the cultural challenges hawker centres are experiencing now and their future prospects.