Left: Gloria Pang is an Executive Planner at the Urban Redevelopment Authority. She is the recipient of the URA Local Scholarship and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences with a major in Geography.
Right: Justin Foo is an Executive Architect at the Urban Redevelopment Authority. He is the recipient of the URA Overseas Scholarship and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and a Master’s in Philosophy in Architecture & Urban Studies.
Singapore may be a small city, but its spaces are planned sustainably and utilised creatively and efficiently. Leading the charge in urban planning is the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), comprising a cadre of highly talented and passionate individuals. Among them are URA scholars Gloria Pang and Justin Foo, who serve in their capacity as Executive Planner and Executive Architect, respectively. Their dedication in planning and shaping our cityscape for current and future generations exemplify the agency’s mission of making Singapore a great city to live, work and play.
We had the opportunity to sit down with both scholars to learn about their dynamic careers at URA.
What motivated you to apply for the URA Scholarship?
Gloria: I came across the URA scholarship during my time in junior college through a scholarship publication. Then, I was exploring potential career pathways that would enable me to pursue my interest in the built environment and the impact it has on people and human experiences. I was drawn to URA’s mission, and how the work was broad yet could tangibly impact the lives of Singaporeans.
Justin: Being the eldest of four children, studying overseas would not have been possible without an overseas scholarship. What drew me towards URA was its emphasis on design and its wide-ranging scope of work. I also wanted to work on projects that would benefit all Singaporeans, not just a privileged few.
Tell us more about the work you do.
Gloria: I am an urban planner in the Planning Policies Department, where I work on land use plans relating to sea space, reclamation, coastal protection, and flood resilience, as well as defence. A typical workday involves evaluating and assessing various policies and plans, as well as helping to drive various projects and workstreams in order to meet the policy intent through emails, presentations, submissions/ reports, meetings, and discussions. The workday is usually quite dynamic, and changes depending on the issues at hand and the meetings for the day.
One of my favourite aspects of my workday is bouncing ideas, discussing issues, and problem-solving with my teammates, as well as collaborating with counterparts from different agencies. Policy work in URA is intriguing because we are always aspirational yet grounded in the realities of our finite land size and finding ways to optimise what we have.
Justin: In my current role as an architect in the Urban Design team, my day-to-day work covers a wide range of tasks, including design, research, and innovation. Over the past four years, my focus has been primarily on urban design in areas like the Jurong Lake District and Bukit Timah Turf City. In addition, I lead research efforts in the Public Space Programme team and contribute to the Urban Design Artificial Intelligence (AI) team where we use Generative AI to improve our urban design and engagement workflows.
What I find most rewarding in my job is finding solutions to difficult problems. Each project comes with its own set of considerations and context, whether it is designing streets that are more cyclist-friendly or sharpening our public space requirements.
Gloria Pang & Justin Foo
Gloria, can you share more about the work culture at URA?
Most of the work we do in URA involves collaboration across teams – whether with architects, engineers, or planners both within and outside URA. The strong emphasis and support for collaboration in URA is embodied at all levels of the organisation, and colleagues are forthcoming in providing necessary information or support in their respective areas of expertise. Collaborative work is also encouraged and celebrated through awards given at the organisation level.
Gloria Pang
What do you hope to achieve at URA, Justin?
In my career, I would like to leave Singapore better than it was by making it a more inclusive and climate-resilient city. Over the next five years, I aim to deepen my expertise in urban design and my growing interest in data science and AI, which are already transforming the practice of urban design. Just as how my supervisors have given me opportunities to lead these innovative projects, I hope to continue my growth in these areas by undertaking more advanced training.
Justin Foo
Gloria, what advice would you give to those aspiring to pursue a similar career trajectory?
Speak to people in the field or do an internship to understand what the work entails and determine if it is the right fit for you. And if it is, then follow your passion!
