Inexorable growth has dramatically transformed the city-state of Singapore. From a modest colonial entrepot in the 1950s with a population of barely one million, despite its land scarcity, Singapore has expanded to embrace over 6 million residents today with a GDP per capita of over $80,000, one of the highest in the world. In that remarkable process, however, Singapore has lost over 90% of its cemeteries and graveyards, and with them, a large part of the natural resources that enveloped them, as well as the memories and heritage associated with them. The prospects for the handful of old cemeteries left are not promising. Located in or near active residential zones, prime land, or areas subjected to imminent development, they are at risk of disappearance. While recently, the nation’s public offices have made more efforts than in the past to preserve some of these precious yet rapidly decreasing resources, with contributions, for instance, towards their digitalisation, the danger of their complete disappearance remains a reality.

This investigation addresses these challenges contextualising them in two spaces in Singapore: the Muslim cemetery Kubor Kassim and the Christian Catholic St Joseph’s cemetery. By looking at these two cases’ histories, current circumstances, and prospective futures, the study re-imagines them as active fulfillers of new functions, continuing to serve society while preserving their multi-faceted legacy. The research uses conceptual placemaking frameworks and explores novel synergies between nature and cultural heritage preservation, pairing them with an emphasis on nurturing social sustainability and activating these spaces into performing actualised roles for the current and future generations of Singaporeans. The research uses a methodology that includes comprehensive historical analyses, observation and documentation, and in-depth interviews with community representatives and residents, families of the deceased and placemaking experts.