Global, Smart, Livable: Singapore Shows a Way
December 1, 2016
By James Hencke PLA ASLA / David Evans and Associates Inc.
Figure 1 Singapore’s World-Class Skyline and Focal Open Space ‘Living Room’ – Marina Bay
Oregon is well regarded for its decades of planning leadership, but the past is mere prologue to a tempest of 21st century challenges – especially as trends in population growth, urbanization, and climate / environmental degradation continue. To avoid complacency, where do Oregon planners look for inspiration, cutting-edge growth management, and urban design solutions?
Singapore is so small that on maps it usually just shows up as a “Little Red Dot” (hence its nickname). With the ultimate ‘urban growth boundary’ (water on all sides), its strategic SE Asian location (esp. for trade and shipping) fueled tumultuous beginnings, first attracting attention of an expanding British Empire, then a WWII Japanese invasion force (many who arrived on bicycles!), only to become a truly independent nation in 1965.
Behold Singapore – with ubiquitous and lush landscaping, world-class parks and gardens, reliable and frequent public transportation, organized and complete neighborhoods, clean public spaces and landmark architecture – a compelling model of livability and high quality of life. Well beyond our national borders, hyper-green Singapore has built an international reputation as one of the best planned and managed cities in the world.
Born of Necessity, Grown Intelligently
Every square inch of Singapore matters. Fifty years ago – with few natural resources, high potential for geopolitical instability, and a generally impoverished population – Singapore aspired to rapid first-world transformation, and has achieved remarkable results.
Today, thanks to strong leadership and a willingness to adopt and tailor practices from the world’s best cities, Singapore’s 5.5 million residents coexist on a 274 square mile island (+/- 31 people/acre) enjoying enviable peace, order, good governance, and an inspiring urban environment.
Figure 2 Public Sidewalk integrated with Private Development – weather protection, aesthetics, and private maintenance
Figure 3 Singapore’s Skyrise Greenery Program – results in ‘pervasive greenery’
Public Realm Priority
It’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew feared the new city-state would turn into a ‘concrete jungle’ and was instrumental in mandating that gardens, parks, and greenery be established ubiquitously as a government priority. A “City in a Garden” has resulted, drawing nature close to people and softening urban hardness.
International permaculture expert Geoff Lawton says “all the world’s problems can be solved in a garden”. Singapore practices a kind of ‘public realm permaculture’ – actively intervening to improve its precious, limited environment – transforming ‘urban problems’ into national assets.
‘Pervasive greenery’ speaks to this aggressive approach; every street, every wall, every bridge – “everywhere the eye can see” – offers planting opportunities. And why not? Plant ‘super powers’ include making oxygen, removing pollution, managing stormwater, and sheltering animals of all kinds – all while improving aesthetics.
Careful planning of the city has achieved 50 per cent green cover and now millions of tourists visit the island to see ‘green-attractions’ such as the iconic Gardens by the Bay and Singapore’s Botanic Gardens (recently designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Figure 4 Landmark SuperTrees grace Singapore’s iconic Gardens by the Bay
Smart Policies and Programs
Singapore’s version of Portland’s Metro, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)[i] is charged with maximizing use and benefits from a limited supply of land. This is achieved through comprehensive coordination of land planning, development control, urban design, building conservation, land sales, and parking management.
Figure 5 Bishan – Ang Mo Kio Park – concrete ditch transformed to usable park space & natural stream
Like Portland, Singapore regularly hosts delegations from places eager to learn how to improve the quality of their communities, and benefits from a ‘planning museum’ – the Singapore City Gallery[ii] – where changing exhibitions, scale models, and interactive games are paired with interpretive panels about topics such as local history, transportation, water management, and housing.
Singapore’s National Parks Board[iii] leads greening efforts. Supporting this, the Center for Urban Greenery and Ecology[iv] (CUGE) provides “a regional repository of best practices to advance urban and green living environments” linking workforce development with national green city policy goals. The Public Utility Board (PUB)[v] aggressively manages scarce water resources with the Four National Taps (local catchment, imported, NEWater[vi], desalination).
Figure 6 CBD Green Street
Ubiquitous Green Connections
The ‘City in a Garden’ experience begins with interior landscapes of Changi International Airport (consistently ranked as ‘world’s best’) then connects via lush, Rain Tree shaded East Coast Parkway linking to Singapore’s 2,200 miles of green streets. Whether at the bustling shopping street of Orchard Road, the active waterfront of Clarke Quay, or the wildlife-only Eco Link @ BKE, Singapore’s commitment to roadside greenery is clearly evident while getting around.
Figure 7 Eco Link promotes wildlife safety (image: NParks)
Complementing the transportation infrastructure are frequent public art, water features, boldly painted traffic controls (like B/W curbs and zig-zag lane stripes near pedestrian zones) and architecturally significant bridges, such as Henderson Waves and Alexandra Arch. Two hundred miles of Park Connectors stitch together the parks and open spaces with an extensive trail network, including Southern Ridges Trail and MacRitchie Reservoir’s Tree Top Walk.
Figure 8 Southern Ridges Trail
Out Your Front Door, and into Parks
Although intensely developed, nature is never far away. With over 300 parks and 4 nature reserves, Singapore seeks to “create the best living environment through excellent greenery and recreation, in partnership with the community”[vii].
Figure 9 Public Housing with 3G Park
Marina Bay – Singapore’s focal open space and ‘Living Room’ – creates a surreal city foreground. Bordered by 250-acre Gardens by the Bay, Singapore’s top attraction has been visited by 20M people in 3 years, and incorporates 500K species. The Singapore Botanic Garden accommodates 4 million annual visitors, and HortPark supports plant research as construction of 72 hectares of green roofs and 5 hectares of green walls are being developed in the city. Sentosa Island provides a mix of public and private recreation (including Universal Studios theme park) while the small island of Pulau Ubin provides a glimpse of ‘old Singapore’. Haw Par Villa ‘keeps Singapore weird’ with dioramas of Chinese mythology, and local ‘3G’ parks integrate exercise and play opportunities for ‘three generations’ (children, adults, and seniors).
Figure 10 Buangkok New Town– a contemporary mixed-use TOD neighborhood
Figure 11 Often Dense by American Standards – public housing offers affordability, convenience, and views
Housing- and Transit-Orientation
Singapore excels by most planning measures and pays particular attention to housing, transit, and neighborhood organization. 80% of residents live in publically-created units; there is no homelessness; an internationally high standard of living is afforded to all, and; 6 million (combined) transit trips are taken every day[viii] on an enviable reliable, frequent, inexpensive, clean, and safe system.
New Town public housing is rationally arranged around high-capacity transit Town Center hubs, where services are easily reached on foot, bicycle or by public transport. Shopping and libraries are located in the Town Center while kindergartens, childcare facilities, schools, and recreation tend to be closer to residential areas.
Safety and security contribute to a high quality of life. Public areas have few hidden corners, and ‘eyes on the street’ result from ground floor ‘void decks’ which provide a first line of public space for social gathering, playgrounds, community gardens, exercise equipment – even ‘bird singing’ areas.
Figure 12 Transit is Frequent, Reliable, and Well-Designed
Singapore National PledgeWe the citizens of Singapore pledge ourselves as one united people; regardless of race, language or religion; to build a democratic society; based on justice and equality; so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.
Intentionally Diverse and Inclusive
Diversity is a cultural value and inclusiveness is actively fostered. Policies and programs encourage interaction – for example, places of worship are intentionally clustered, so people of faith share proximity and space. Two years compulsory National Service bring young males together in common defense of the homeland. A secular immigrant country, respect for different religions and beliefs is emphasized. Schools celebrate Racial Harmony Day where students dress in ethnic costumes, and classes prepare performances regarding racial harmony. Two national holidays are equitably allocated for each of the four major religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, & Islam). Singaporeans are typically bilingual – most speak English (or ‘Singlish’) plus one other language (i.e. Mandarin, Malay, or Tamil).
Figure 13 Inside a Hawker Center
Gardens of Eatin’
A relative of food cart corrals, Singaporeans come together at Hawker Centers (shed-roofed, open-air food courts) for inexpensive, regionally diverse cuisine. Favorites include Chicken Rice, Laksa, and Roti Prata washed down with a sweet cup of Kopi or Teh Tarik. Fresh cut fruit – such as the infamous durian – and juice are healthy and popular choices. For home cooks, ‘wet markets’ provide fresh produce, seafood, and meat.
Figure 14 Maximizing the hours in a day – Singapore is alive with nighttime activity
Figure 15 Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) – helps reduce and manage traffic congestion, and incentivize transit use
There is a price for paradise. Auto ownership is extremely expensive – approximately $60K just to secure an “entitlement” (permit) to purchase a vehicle, then road use is metered and tolled. It’s illegal to sell chewing gum, graffiti will earn you cruel and unusual lashes from a cane of split bamboo, and if you sell drugs you will be put to death. Censorship limits discussions of race, religion, and criticism of governance. Also – no nudity, no porn, no blatant homosexuality – convey a conservative political posture. However, compared to its neighbors, Singapore can also be viewed as progressive within its regional context.
Model for a Liveable Future
Singapore provides a dense and inspiring real-world balance of people and place. As the Northwest continues to grow, our SE Asian neighbor demonstrates one path for how thoughtful planning, development control, and wise investment of public resources can result in a high-quality living environment for all citizens.
About the Author
James (Jim) Hencke PLA ASLA is Sr. Landscape Architect with David Evans and Associates Inc. (DEA) in Portland, Oregon. He leads urban design as part of DEA’s national transit, transportation, and land development practice. His diverse 27-year career includes award-winning projects throughout the United States, Asia, and the Middle East. Living in Singapore between 2013 and 2015 while working for landscape architectural firm Belt Collins International, provided unparalleled opportunity to learn and experience the city-state’s ‘best practices’ firsthand. jahe@deainc.com
[i] https://www.ura.gov.sg/uol/
[ii] https://www.ura.gov.sg/uol/citygallery
[iii] https://www.nparks.gov.sg/
[v] https://www.pub.gov.sg/about
[vi] https://www.pub.gov.sg/watersupply/fournationaltaps/newater
[vii] https://www.nparks.gov.sg/about-us/mission-and-history
[viii] https://data.gov.sg/dataset/public-transport-utilisation-average-public-transport-ridership