Jalan Singapura: 700 Years of Movement in Singapore
Published: May 2019
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Pages: 336
A history of a city-state can cover its political leaders or military past.
Historian Eisen Teo is fascinated by something else:
Its land transport networks, and urban and traffic patterns.
He dubs it the History of Movement - an intimate history driven by human nature, the age-old need to move from Point A to Point B for the everyday conduct of life.
Credit: Pinterest
Jalan Singapura is his attempt to shed a new light on Singapore history
through 700 years of Movement. From horse carriages to subway trains, dirt tracks to billion-dollar expressways, ancient attap villages to glass-and-steel waterfronts, the movement of a people has shaped Singapore’s present – and illuminates its future.
As the world urbanises, the History of Movement will only grow in relevance.
You will never look at a traffic jam or train ride in the same way again.
Credit: Muggershell
“This is a political history without being political. It is an economic history without being economic. And it is a cultural history without being cultural. Eisen’s personal insights add value, and his ability to analyse the unfolding plural experiences of Singaporeans and their transportation stories enriches the study. He has presented one of the most original studies of Singapore history that I have read.”
—Professor Brian P. Farrell, National University of Singapore
Eisen with his book in Singapore's Kinokuniya (Orchard).
Jalan Singapura in the Central Library of the National University of Singapore, Eisen's alma mater.
Get the book!
In Singapore:
Amazon
Haw Par Villa Visitor Centre
Outside Singapore:
Malaysia - Kinokuniya (Kuala Lumpur)
Talking about Jalan Singapura
22 June 2019 - National Library Board Read! Fest (National Library Building)
A discussion panel called "Reading the City",
hosted by Director and Founder of Shophouse & Co., Adib Jalal.
I shared about how my historical research
- which includes Jalan Singapura - "reads" multiple layers of the city.
27 July 2019 - Book Launch (Haw Par Villa)
I gave a talk, "Transport Networks in Singapore's Urban Landscape: A Brief History".
The talk was inspired by, and lifted material from, Jalan Singapura.
7 August 2019 - Radio interview with CNA938 (Mediacorp Headquarters)
A live interview by Melanie Oliveiro.
I shared about Jalan Singapura, what inspired me to work on the book,
interesting trivia in the book, even the story behind its cover.
Afterwards, I autographed her copy of Jalan Singapura,
and a second copy to be auctioned off for charity.
23 November 2019 - Day Out at Tanjong Pagar (Bukit Pasoh Road)
A full-day carnival organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority Conservation Department.
I gave a talk, "Transport Networks in Singapore's Urban Landscape: A Brief History".
It took place in the Chin Kang Huay Kuan Building along Bukit Pasoh Road.
The talk was similar to the one I did at my Book Launch,
although I updated some parts to reflect current issues.
I also wove in the local history of Bukit Pasoh and Tanjong Pagar,
as the full-day carnival centred around Bukit Pasoh and its heritage.
23 December 2021 - Talk for the Intelligent Transportation Society Singapore (ITS Singapore)
I was invited to give a talk on Zoom, "Mobility in Singapore: A Brief History",
to members of ITS Singapore, a society uniting stakeholders from the public and private sectors
with interests in transport and transport infrastructure.
I shared about the history of mobility in Singapore over 200 years, in seven parts.
Much of the material was taken from Jalan Singapura.
4 March 2023 - The Jalan Singapura Trail
I conducted the inaugural edition of "The Jalan Singapura Trail: A 200-Year Journey of Transport"
- my first, and perhaps even Singapore's first, MRT-based transport tour.
Over three hours on a rain-soaked afternoon, 20 of us went on a journey through five MRT lines,
a bus interchange, and 200 years of Singapore transport and urban history, based on Jalan Singapura.
12 May 2023 - Singapore HeritageFest 2023
As part of 2023's Singapore HeritageFest, I gave a talk in Haw Par Villa on 200 years
of Singapore transport and urban history, drawing upon material from Jalan Singapura.
I also included findings from ongoing research for my next book.
I also introduced audience engagement, inviting them to answer two questions on their mobile phones:
1. What is one enduring memory you have of Singapore land transport, which no longer exists?
2. What is your biggest wish for Singapore transport / urban development?
6 March 2024 - Training Presentation for URA-FOM Singapore Chinatown Heritage Trails
For docents and trainee docents of the URA-FOM (Friends of the Museums)
Singapore Chinatown Heritage Trails, I gave a presentation at The URA Centre
on the transport and urban history of Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar, titled
"A Brief History of Movement in Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar, 1819-1941".
Content was taken from Jalan Singapura.
