On returning to Singapore from Bencoolen in…

On returning to Singapore from Bencoolen in October 1822, Raffles immediately begins drawing up plans for a new town.

An area along the coast about five kilometers long and one kilometer deep is designated the government and commercial quarter.

A hill is leveled and the dirt used to fill a nearby swamp in order to provide a place for the heart of the commercial area, now Raffles Place.

An orderly and scientifically laid out town is the goal of Raffles, who believes that Singapore would one day be "a place of considerable magnitude and importance."

Under Raffles' plan, commercial buildings are to be constructed of brick with tiled roofs, each with a two-meter covered walkway to provide shelter from sun and rain.

Spaces are set aside for shipyards, markets, churches, theaters, police stations, and a botanical garden.

Raffles has a wooden bungalow built for himself on Government Hill.