Instant Alert: Singapore's public housing is far from what you would expect

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   Singapore's public housing is far from what you would expect by Jack Sommer on Oct 14, 2015, 11:00 AM Singapore's slums were regarded as some of the worst in the world throughout the first half of the 20th century. After the passing of the Housing and Development Act in 1960, more than 50,000 units in big, low-cost buildings became available to city dwellers.  Now, roughly 80% of the city's population — nearly six million people — lives in these buildings, which are known as HDBs, from the name of the Housing and Development Board. The public housing units have been a big help in restoring balance to Singapore's housing stock. But they're also very visually arresting, built in bold colors and with playful designs.  When photographer Peter Steinhauer first moved to Singapore in 2000, it was impossible to avoid the sight of the public housing buildings. "They just looked so bizarrely odd but beautiful," Steinhauer told Business Insider. "Singapore is a very clean place. It's a very nice place to live ... I think they just try to do this to make everything look nice."  Once he moved back to Singapore with his wife at the end of 2011, he began photographing them seriously. He's shared some of his best shots of the buildings here.  SEE ALSO: 35 of the best Reuters photos of the year so far DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's Lifestyle page on Facebook! Steinhauer is originally from America and grew up in Colorado. He finished art school in 1993 and went over to Vietnam for a trip he planned to be no longer than a few months. He would end up living in Asia for more than 20 years. He originally traveled to Vietnam because his father had worked there as a doctor during the war and told Steinhauer many stories about what it was like. He would also take photos around the village he was stationed. Steinhauer's father later started a health organization that donates medical equipment to hospitals in Southeast Asia. Steinhauer has lived in Vietnam, Singapore, and Hong Kong. But even after two decades of traveling Asia extensively, he has never seen buildings like the HDBs in Singapore. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network: Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011