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CTRL Your Future, SHIFT Your Perspectives

Zann Tay

Meet Zann Tay, a Civil Engineer at URA helping to plan Singapore's underground spaces to free up land for better urban living.

Last updated 6 April 2026
Young Asian woman with long dark hair smiling, wearing a white sleeveless top against a gray background.

Zann Tay
Civil Engineer
Urban Redevelopment Authority

How are you engineering what’s next?

Under MND’s Cities of Tomorrow R&D programme, R&D roadmaps are drawn up to address key national issues. One such issue is in ensuring that we have sufficient land for sustainable growth. Expanding our use of underground space for infrastructure and utility uses, wherever feasible and meaningful to do so, is one way to overcome our land constraints by freeing up above ground spaces for uses that support residential living, social interactions, daily conveniences and recreation. All these help to provide a high quality living environment for our people. As a Civil Engineer in the Underground Works Department, I am tasked with driving the planning and development of underground spaces. Together with other relevant agencies, our team identifies key focus areas for R&D to enable the realisation of underground plans. We focus on finding ways to map out our geology, existing underground infrastructure and utilities, as well as identifying innovative, cost-effective construction methods and maintenance of underground developments.

What are some challenges you face in your project?

One of the challenges in underground space planning is our inadequate knowledge of our heterogeneous geology and inaccurate records of underground utilities. To plan our underground space effectively, we need data on what lies within the various strata. As it is challenging to re-develop underground spaces, it is critical that these spaces be planned with long-term considerations, such as co-locating various uses for more optimal space usage.

What is the best part about engineering?

To me, the most exciting aspect of engineering is not about state-of-the-art technology. Instead, I find that I am most intrigued when a simple yet elegant solution is applied to a complex problem and making a difference in people’s lives.

Why do you choose to be a Public Service Engineer?

My greatest sense of satisfaction comes from knowing that I am contributing towards improving peoples’ lives by making Singapore a better place to work, live and play!