Linda Hering: The Spatial Politics of Food: Hawker Centres and Singapore’s National Identity. [Abstract]

This paper examines the formalisation of Singapore’s urban food system through the establishment of hawker centres. By adopting a spatial, process-oriented perspective, it reveals how the Singaporean government strategically combined the logics of demarcation and intersection. This approach not only managed social conflicts but also strengthened political legitimacy, harnessed the symbolic power of food to foster a shared national identity while consolidating control over urban space. The integration of hawker centres within social public housing led to quasi-irreversible investments that stabilise socio-spatial arrangements. Singapore’s case demonstrates how place-based interventions in the urban food system can create lasting spatially bounded dependencies, shaping urban life and advancing broader political ambitions. This process reflects a territorial logic of authoritarian governance, where state-led spatial strategies yield cumulative social, economic, and political returns. While promoting an image of harmonious multiculturalism, these interventions also obscure underlying structural inequalities. This perspective offers valuable insights into how food governance intertwines with socio-political processes, providing a framework for analysing urban transformations.

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