Dar es Salaam may be a long way from emulating Singapore, but the seaside city in Tanzania (one of the world' poorest countries) is currently being modeled after the Asian city-state. Perhaps this approach is a long shot, but a characteristic I've personally witnessed in both cities is the extreme diversity of its residents, both in ethnicities as well as cultures or religious beliefs.
It's easy to think of Dar es Salaam's demographics as comprised of primarily Swahilis, while Singapore may conjure up an image of mostly ethnic Chinese. Both assumptions aren't wrong, but most people who have actually been to these cities agree that the sheer ethnic and cultural diversity found in both places are simply off the charts. I would say that both cities have an incredible amount of Middle Eastern, Indian, and Western residents, among many other cultures. In fact, foreigners make up about 42% of Singapore's overall population.
Dar's urban infrastructure badly needs a master plan because it has apparently been operating without a clear one for too long--and I'll have to agree with this assertion, as clean running water and reliable electricity are still luxuries in Tanzania even as of my visit last year. Some experts believe that Dar has already reached a tipping point and is destined to evolve into Lagos or Nairobi instead of ideal Singapore, but that is not the current goal.
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