Much of the strategic work behind Singapore’s urban planning goes unseen, yet it shapes our everyday lives. MND guides Singapore’s land use planning and urban redevelopment to create a vibrant, resilient, and sustainable home for generations. MND is also committed to supporting Singaporeans’ homeownership aspirations and ensuring public housing remains affordable and accessible. Officers like Titus Ng, Senior Assistant Director in MND’s Housing Division, contribute to this mission through policies that promote housing market stability and long-term estate renewal.

A Scholarship That Connects Passion to Purpose

Titus first discovered his passion for city planning through books and articles that made him realise it isn’t just about physical infrastructure. Instead, it’s about people and how infrastructure influences their lives.

“Work in city planning gives you the opportunity to make a difference. If I work hard, I can make life better for the less fortunate, make towns more liveable for the less mobile, and make homes people can call their own,” he shared.

Drawn to the impact of MND’s work, he sought a scholarship that would prepare him to contribute meaningfully to Singapore’s urban landscape. The MND EDGE Scholarship proved to be the perfect fit.

“When I came across the MND EDGE Scholarship, it felt like a natural fit for what I was already passionate about, which is being part of the team that plans, builds, and renews our city-state and our society,” he said.

University Experience: Purpose-Driven Learning

Titus earned a Bachelor of Science in Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge, followed by a Master of Science in Smart Cities and Urban Analytics at University College London (UCL).

For Titus, the scholarship provided him with clarity and focus from the start: “It took away a lot of anxiety about career planning after graduation, and helped me focus on learning what would actually matter for my work at MND,” he noted. “What really mattered was knowing that I was simply at the beginning of a journey that would give me the means and opportunity to shape the city I grew up in (hopefully for the better!).”

Reflecting on his education, he added, “Studying at Cambridge gave me a strong grounding in understanding how different societies and polities function, while UCL equipped me with practical hands-on competencies in terms of using data and spatial tools to do city planning better,” he highlighted. “Together, they gave me the social and technical skillsets I apply today, combining big-picture thinking with evidence-based geospatial analysis.”

A Journey Through Singapore’s Planning Landscape

Upon joining MND, Titus began his career at the Strategic Planning Division (SPD), where he spent close to three years working on foundational matters that shape Singapore’s long-term development. His portfolio included work on the Long-Term Plan Review (LTPR), underground planning, reclamation, masterplanning, heritage conservation, and environmental impact assessments.

“SPD gave me the big-picture view of Singapore’s long-term approach towards land use planning,” he reflected. “Working on the LTPR taught me to think beyond immediate needs and consider how our planning decisions today will serve future generations.”

His next posting took him to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), where he served for two years as a planning officer at the Physical Planning Group (PPG). As the planning officer for the Toa Payoh planning area, he focused on medium-term planning ahead of the Draft Master Plan 2025.

“At URA, I got to zoom into a specific neighbourhood and understand the ground realities of residents and various stakeholders,” he shared. “Toa Payoh is one of our older estates, so I was thinking about how to balance preservation with renewal, and how to plan for the evolving needs of residents.”

These diverse postings proved invaluable preparation for his current role. “Each posting built on the previous one. SPD gave me the strategic lens, URA gave me the operational understanding of how plans translate to specific places, and now in the Housing Division, I’m applying both perspectives to ensure our housing policies are both visionary and practical.”

Impact That Reaches All Walks of Life

Today, as Senior Assistant Director in MND’s Housing Division — his third posting since joining MND — Titus works on policies that influence both the rollout of new HDB flats and the renewal of older towns.

He plans for the supply of flats and develops pricing policies to help Singaporeans meet their housing needs at different life stages, amidst changing market conditions. Titus also looks at multi-decade policies such as the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS), which is one of many programmes which focus on the rejuvenation of older estates.

“It’s a role that requires me to meet near-term needs while keeping long-term stewardship in mind, which can be a delicate balancing act,” he mused.

Titus has also had the opportunity to develop pricing policies for Build-To-Order (BTO) launches, helping keep flats affordable while ensuring the housing system remains sustainable for generations.

For Titus, the most rewarding part of his work is seeing its longterm impact on Singaporeans’ lives.

“Whether it’s helping a young couple own their first flat or planning how an ageing town can be rejuvenated over multiple decades, the impact is very real,” he reflected. “You see it in the joy of people moving into their new homes, starting families, and building communities. I feel it myself when I feel the joy of living in my own estate and my community.”

MND Supports Your Career Aspirations and Development

Working closely with agencies such as HDB, URA, SLA, and LTA, Titus gained insights from multiple perspectives. “You learn to listen, negotiate, and find shared ground while keeping the public interest at the centre,” he explained.

Titus’s career trajectory exemplifies MND’s commitment to developing well-rounded officers. “The variety of postings has been invaluable,” he noted. “I’ve worked at the strategic level, at the planning area level, and now on housing policy. Each role has given me different lenses to understand how Singapore develops as a city and as a home for our people.

He also values MND’s culture for fostering professional growth and providing support. “MND provides both responsibility and flexibility. The work can be intense at times, but the culture is very supportive, especially for young parents like myself,” he quipped. “There’s trust that you’ll deliver, so there’s space to manage family responsibilities when you need to.”

For aspiring scholars interested in a career that creates a meaningful impact, Titus offered this advice: “If you’re curious about how cities work and how policies shape people’s lives, MND is a great place to grow,” he emphasised. “You’ll get the chance to see how your ideas can make a real-world impact — how decisions about land, housing, and environment translate into lived experience for your family and friends.”

He assured that it’s okay not to have everything figured out from the start. “What matters is your curiosity, your willingness to learn, your ability to think deeply, and, above all, your heart to serve with purpose. Everything else can be developed along the way,” he said.

If you are ready to shape and build Singapore’s future, the MND EDGE Scholarship is your starting point, just like it was for Titus.