Danish architecture studio Henning Larsen, together with Ramboll, Cistri, Gehl, Participate in Design, and Camphora, has been awarded the master plan consultancy to design the North-South Corridor’s surface streets. This will be an unprecedented urban transformation project in Singapore with a seamless integration of public transport, active mobility, community-focused spaces, and greenery – all of this along a corridor of 21.5 kilometres.

The new North-South Corridor in Singapore will showcase the island country’s innovative approach to transformation. By creating a common ground, the Henning Larsen-led team envisions a 21.5-kilometre-long axis through the city. Its surface streets will be co-designed with local communities and stakeholders through a series of public engagement sessions. The objective is to reimagine the space as a green, sustainable “life reserve” with room for social connection and multi-modal mobility options.

In total, the project will introduce four key sections: a 6-kilometre-long community-industrial segment, a 7-kilometre ecological loop, a 5-kilometre people’s wellness corridor, and a 3.5-kilometre cultural heritage segment with over 20 different highlights to explore. These four segments will be lined with more than 20 public spaces to reflect the unique characteristics of the adjacent neighbourhoods, and with lush greenery throughout.

A showcase for sustainable transport

Like many cities, the city-state of Singapore is looking for ways to transform surface streets into hubs of active mobility, while also improving public spaces and the sustainability of the city. With the new masterplan for its North-South Corridor by Henning Larsen architects, the city wants to create a showcase for sustainable transport that benefits its 5.6 million residents as well as its large visitor numbers.

Leonard Ng, Country Market Director, Henning Larsen, explains: “I was 5 when my family moved from a village in Serangoon to the Queenstown HDB flats in the 1960s. With 10 of us in a tiny apartment, the common corridor became an extension of our home, where we laughed, cried, and built a sense of community in our newly independent nation. This experience shaped my understanding of how shared spaces can foster deep connections, even in the densest urban environments.”

“We’re not just redesigning a road; we’re crafting a living, breathing space that will become a blueprint for future mobility and urban living, one that can inspire similar transformations in cities across the world. Together with the community, we are building a corridor that will grow and adapt with Singapore, ensuring our city remains resilient, inclusive, and vibrant for generations to come.” This new axis for the city will not only connect people physically, but also strengthen the social fabric of the city.

Singapore’s Life Reserve: A Place for All

Singapore also has a vision of becoming a City in Nature. By connecting neighbourhoods and historic districts through green transformations, the project will align with existing parks and green corridors. New walking and cycling lanes will be placed in the middle of greenery and biodiversity. With its green canopies, the North-South Corridor in Singapore will be an attractive, inviting outdoor space.

The design by Henning Larsen architects and team will create new green spaces, linear parks, and enhanced urban ecosystems. All of them will offer sustainable travel choices that are safe and accessible. Pedestrians, cyclists, riders, and public buses will have priority to improve connectivity, but also social interaction in the city. The designers want to reimagine the way people commute by fostering deeper connections among communities through shared spaces and activities, by enhancing connectivity to places with greener travel, and by developing a unique travel experience along the North-South Corridor for diverse user groups.

With the theme “Singapore’s Life Reserve – A Place for All”, the plan integrates active mobility, placemaking and greenery through people-centric spaces. The new public square along Rochor Road will be the main meeting place for pedestrians, catering to the needs of local communities and offering interactive experiences. As an intersection of the three neighbourhoods Little India, Kampong Gelam, and Albert Street, it will also symbolise the city’s cultural diversity.

Implementation starting in 2027

The multidisciplinary team of architects has won the master plan consultancy after a two-stage Request for Proposal, organised by Singapore’s Land Transport Authority. 26 local and international design teams participated in the competition. For now, the team will work on finalising the initial master plan design over the next 18 months. It is expected to be ready in 2026. After, the surface streets of the North-South Corridor in Singapore will be implemented in stages from 2027 onwards.

Henning Larsen will act as lead designer, landscape architects, architecture and universal design experts, wayfinding leaders, and experts for sustainability and thermal comfort. Ramboll will be responsible for transport as well as civil and structural engineering, while Cistri Singapore and Gehl will be in charge of urban design, public spaces, and placemaking. Participate in Design will conduct the public and stakeholder engagement events, and Camphora will take care of the urban ecology and horticulture.

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