Insights from 10 Years of Lectures at the Centre for Making Liveable Cities Edited by Koh Buck Song Cities Liveable MAKING CITIES LIVEABLE: PUBLISHED BY Insights from 10 Years The Centre for Liveable Cities of Lectures at the Centre for Liveable Cities First published in 2018 EDITOR: Koh Buck Song CLC is a division of PROJECT LEADER: David Ee PROJECT ADVISORS: Joanna Tan Michael Koh CENTRE FOR LIVEABLE CITIES Set up in 2008 by the Ministry of IMAGE CONSULTANT: National Development and the Ministry Liew Yuqi of the Environment and Water Resourc- es, the Centre for Liveable Cities CONTRIBUTIONS BY: (CLC) has as its mission ‘to distil, Lincoln Lewis create and share knowledge on liveable Chong Hwee Jane and sustainable cities’. CLC’s work Toh Sing Ru spans four main areas--research, capability development, knowledge THIS BOOK WAS DESIGNED platforms, and advisory. Through these AND PRODUCED FOR CLC BY: activities, CLC hopes to provide urban MAKING CITIES LIVEABLE H55 leaders and practitioners with the www.h55studio.com knowledge and support needed to make our cities better. For more informa- INSIGHTS FROM 10 YEARS OF LECTURES DESIGNERS: tion, visit www.clc.gov.sg. Hanson Ho AT THE CENTRE FOR LIVEABLE CITIES Shannon Lim CLC LECTURE SERIES As a knowledge centre for liveable and EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: sustainable cities, the CLC Lecture Justin Zhuang Series provides a platform for thought leaders and experts in urban develop- Printed in Singapore ment and planning to exchange ideas by Dominie Press and share knowledge. These lectures are attended by a good mix of partici- ISBN: pants from the public and private 9789811176395 (Paperback) sectors as well as academia, bringing 9789811176401 (E-book) about robust discussions and a diversity of perspectives. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or FOR PRODUCTION INFORMATION, transmitted in any form or by any PLEASE CONTACT: means, electronic or mechanical, CLC Publications including photocopying, recording or +65 66459576 any information storage and retrieval Centre for Liveable Cities system, without the prior written 45 Maxwell Road #07-01 permission of the copyright owners. The URA Centre Every effort has been made to trace Singapore 069118 all sources and copyright holders of [email protected] information in this book before publication. If any have been inad- vertently overlooked, CLC will ensure that full credit is given at the earliest opportunity. CONTENTS HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE 6 FOREWORD 42 UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS 97 CHina’s COMPETITIVE ECONOMY LAWRENCE WONG TO LAUNCH INDUSTRIAL URBANISATION NEEDS SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT TOWNSHIPS URGENT REFORM INTEGRATED MASTER PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT 7 PREFACE PHILIP YEO LI JIANGE DYNAMIC URBAN GOVERNANCE KHOO TENG CHYE 50 THE CENTURY OF THE CITY 98 CITIES AND ECONOMIES 8 WHAT WILL MELT THE PROF PAUL ROMER MUST REINVENT THEMSELVES ICE IN HUMAN HEARTS? PROF JAN PETER DR JANE GOODALL 58 CONSERVING HERITAGE BALKENENDE IN HONG KONG: 14 GLOBAL CITIES IN A PARADIGM SHIFT 106 CITIES HAVE NO CHOICE SINGAPORE LIVEABILITY FRAMEWORK TIMES OF CRISIS CARRIE LAM BUT TO ADAPT TO PROF SASKIA SASSEN CLIMATE CHANGE 66 GRAND PLANS FOR PROF ERIC KLINENBERG 22 THE SINGAPORE WAY A GROWING LONDON TO PLAN A CITY SIR EDWARD LISTER 114 WHY WE NEED A NEW DR LIU THAI KER SCIENCE OF CITIES 67 HOW THREE CITIES DR GEOFFREY WEST 23 FROM CARE TO OF COLOMBIA WERE LIFESTYLE: AGEING TRANSFORMED 122 SEOUL’s NEW LOW- IN INCLUSIVE CITIES SANTIAGO GROWTH DEVELOPMENT High Quality DR EMI KIYOTA CASTRO-GOMEZ MODEL of Life DR KIM SOO-HYUN 24 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 68 SINGAPore’s PUBLIC GOES HAND-IN-HAND WITH HOUSING STORY 123 HOW CITIES CAN ECONOMIC PROGRESS DR LIU THAI KER LEAD IN URBAN Competitive Sustainable TAN GEE PAW DEVELOPMENT Economy Environment 78 TOURISM’s SIZABLE PROF MARILYN 32 TRANSPORT PLANNING: INDIRECT CONTRIBUTION TO JORDAN TAYLOR Outcomes KEEPING SINGAPORE MOVING SINGAPore’s DEVELOPMENT JOSEPH YEE, PAMELIA LEE, 124 THE FUTURE OF PORT MOHINDER SINGH, LIM NEO CHIAN, CITIES: MORE THAN Systems Integrated Master Planning ASSOC PROF LOH LIK PENG, JUST SHIPS & Development GOPINATH MENON DR TAN CHIN NAM, BART DE WEVER, DR LIMIN HEE TOSHIHIDE HIRAHARA, 40 FROM “GARDEN ANDREW TAN Dynamic Urban Governance CITY” to “CitY 88 A TRUE SIGN OF A IN A Garden” LIVEABLE CITY: 134 NEW YORK CITY’s DR CHUA SIAN ENG, CHILDREN AND ELDERLY LESSONS FOR MAKING DR SHAWN LUM, USING PUBLIC SPACES GREAT PUBLIC SPACES POON HONG YUEN PROF JAN GEHL ALEXANDROS WASHBURN 41 India’s Cities 96 AUCKLAND ON THE 142 BIOGRAPHIES CRY OUT FOR WORLD STAGE 152 10 YEARS, 100 LECTURES INFRASTRUCTURE LEN BROWN 158 IMAGE CREDITS DR ISHER JUDGE AHLUWALIA FOREWORD Lawrence Wong Minister for National Development, Singapore PREFACE Khoo Teng Chye Executive Director, The Centre for Liveable Cities This year marks a decade since The Centre for Liveable Cities was founded in How does a city become more liveable? How did a crime-ridden city like Singapore to ask fundamental questions on how people can live well in cities. Medellín, once labelled by Time magazine as “the world’s most dangerous In these ten years, the Centre has become known globally as a thought leader city”, turn into the inspirational, socially cohesive place it is today? How did and champion for liveability and good urban development. It is respected for Copenhagen become an exemplar of a people-centric city, with cycling as a the way it has connected city leaders, private sector experts, researchers and way of life and with humanised streets and public spaces where everyone, advocates to share knowledge about the issues they are grappling with. including children and the elderly, can thrive? How did Singapore, in just There is an urgency to the Centre’s work, especially as cities everywhere 50 years, transform itself from a poverty-stricken former colony into an become increasingly dense and crowded. Good city living does not come affluent, modern and effectively governed metropolis? about naturally, or by chance. Cities must be carefully and thoughtfully The Centre for Liveable Cities was set up by the Singapore Government planned and developed, and effectively run, in order to be highly liveable. in 2008 to answer these questions. To make liveable cities, understanding Singapore is aware of the problems that arise when urbanisation goes the journey and process is key to the outcome. wrong. Just 50 or so years ago, the city had just about every urban ill one We have distilled the process behind Singapore’s urban development into could imagine—overcrowded slums, widespread poverty, water shortages, a framework that outlines how the country achieved its liveability outcomes, poor sanitation, flooding, traffic congestion, crime, and disease. However, which are: a high quality of life, a competitive economy and a sustainable Singapore succeeded in turning this around, and is now one of the most environment. It is the systems underlying these outcomes that are key, liveable cities in Asia and the world. emphasising the importance of integrated master planning and development, The Centre is working hard to understand and share knowledge about and a dynamic urban governance. Since its founding, the Centre has built up a how Singapore achieved its transformation. As cities mature and aspire valuable body of research centred on this liveability framework and how it towards new goals of walkability, ample green spaces, social inclusion, relates to Singapore’s past and future development. We share this knowledge public participation, and affordability, the Centre is also studying the with anyone interested to learn from Singapore’s experience. There is also a efforts of cities from all around the world, and sharing their lessons for lot that we can learn from others, and that cities can learn from one another. mutual learning. We organise the biennial World Cities Summit, which brings together city This book features valuable insights from the urban development leaders, industry experts and other urban practitioners, to discuss common experiences of Singapore and other cities, including New York City, Hong challenges, forge partnerships and share solutions. Kong, Copenhagen, Seoul, Rotterdam, and Auckland. I hope that countries Our CLC Lecture Series, on which this book is based, is another way we and cities across the world will continue to collaborate and learn from each enable learning about liveability. This commemorative publication gathers other’s experiences, and work together to tackle common challenges like lectures from some of the foremost urban thought leaders and practitioners urbanisation. Together, we can make all our cities great places to live in. we have invited to speak. The book captures their deep knowledge on city issues ranging from housing planning and people-centricity, to environmental sustainability, urban science and trends, heritage and ageing. Why do these lectures matter? Urban liveability is about real human lives, both present-day and in the future, and concerned thinkers are trying hard to find ways to improve this. This book, as well as our website, documents and shares these insights, not only as an aid to those interested in making liveable cities, but also to inspire more people to get involved. I hope that you enjoy reading it. 6 7 Dr Jane Goodall Date of Lecture: 05-06-2009 All the problems we find around the planet that have led us into the situation we are in today are interrelated: what was going on in Africa with the poverty and hunger, destruction of the forest, spreading of the desert, increasing lack of water, droughts and floods getting worse, and also ethnic violence, What Will Melt the often in competition for scarce resources. So much of this could be laid at the door of developed nations. The lifestyles of many of us are in the long run unsustainable if we don’t Ice in Human Hearts? learn to live in greater harmony with the natural world.