Too little space, too many people

As a small island state, Singapore not only has to host its businesses and industries, but also all its other needs – utilities, homes, and schools– within some 710 sq km of land. As it grows as a city, there will inevitably be greater demands on the limited land resources. At the same time, Singapore has to continue to adopt an integrated, long- term approach to land use and infrastructure planning. 

 Limited land resources in Singapore

Beside the limited land resources in Singapore, the number of people is also increasing every day. As mentioned before, Singapore is a small island. The whole area is only 274.1 sq miles (710 km²) which is considered small compared to other islands. By the end of June 2012, the island's population stood at 5.31 million. It is the second densest sovereign state in the world, after Monaco. Singapore is a multiracial and multicultural country with a majority population of Chinese (74.2% of the resident population), with substantial Malay (13.2%) and Indian minorities (9.2%). The Malays are recognized as the indigenous community although most are the descendants of post-1945 immigrants from Indonesia and Malaysia. According to World Bank, World Development Indicator, number of population of Singapore is increasing every year. 

 Crowded street in Singapore

Singapore Population Growth Graphic  

According to  the facts above, it can be said that limited space and the increase of number of people are some of the causes of the problem 'Canteen too small'. For example, a canteen was big enough at first but then became too small because of the increasing number of people. Or a too small canteen want to be expanded but there is no more free space to use.

Source:

Wikipedia. Demographic of Singapore. Created 24 Mar. 2014. Accessed 26 Mar. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Singapore>