 Since the founding of modern Singapore, housing in the fledgling colony has been concentrated in the city centre, where the early town plans have stipulated ethnic-based districts built on both sides of the Singapore River.Housing in the city was primarily in the form of shophouses where multiple families would live in confined spaces.Housing in the suburban areas was often in the form of either traditional Malay (and occasionally Chinese) villages (Kampongs) or large estates and mansions owned by richer locals.