Singapore
Biophilic Cities Member since October 19, 2013The island city-state of Singapore occupies a small space – about 700 square kilometers, on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, and is home to 5.4 million people. Efforts at fusing population density and nature began back in the 1960s, when the city’s motto was “Singapore – Garden City”. Recently, the city has put forth a new motto, “Singapore – City in a Garden”. Singapore has an impressive network of trails and pathways that connect parks and green spaces to one another. These park connectors allow people to walk, bike, and jog between various green spaces without leaving vegetated areas. The city-state has also made considerable efforts to integrate nature into its vertical spaces. A number of high-rise apartments, office buildings, and hotels have installed green roofs and indoor hanging gardens to help reduce the effects of urban heat island (wherein a metropolitan area is warmer than its surroundings because of escalated human activity). Landsat Images show that while the city grew in population by some 2 million between 1986 and 2007, percentage of the island in green area actually increased as well, from 36% to 47%. Few dense cities can truly boast being “in a garden” in the way that Singapore can. In many ways, Singapore is the shining example of a biophilic city.
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City Contact: Lena Chan, Director of the National Biodiversity Centre (NBC)
- National Parks Board (NParks) is dedicated and committed to providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. Beginning with the first Tree Planting Campaign in 1963, NParks has come a long way in greening up our island city, with 4 nature reserves and more than 300 parks sprawled across Singapore to date and still growing. Adding to this is the extensive streetscape, or roadside greenery, that forms the backbone of our City in a Garden.
- The Garden City Fund was established by the National Parks Board (NParks) but managed independently as a charity, with 100% of donations raised go towards projects it supports. These projects complement NParks’ efforts towards fulfilling its City in a Garden vision through:
- Optimising the green spaces in Singapore
- Supporting the urban biodiversity conservation mode
- Engaging the community
- Enhancing competencies of the landscape industry in Singapore
- The Garden City Fund was established by the National Parks Board (NParks) but managed independently as a charity, with 100% of donations raised go towards projects it supports. These projects complement NParks’ efforts towards fulfilling its City in a Garden vision through:
- Singapore Botanic Gardens: With more than 150 years of history, the 82-hectare Gardens holds a unique and significant place in the history of Singapore and the region. Through the botanical and horticultural work carried out today, it will continue to play an important role as a leading tropical botanical institute, and an endearing place to all Singaporeans. The Gardens has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) on 4 July 2015.
- Center for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE) provides professional skills training programs for all levels of professionals and is a national training institution of the Landscape Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ). CUGE serves as a regional repository of best practices to advance urban and green living environment. CUGE will serve as the lead training provider for all levels of the landscape industry workforce. It will use the Singapore WSQ System to train and certify skills training and facilitate career development in the landscape industry.
- Gardens by the Bay aims to make Gardens the leisure destination of choice for all. They hope to delight guests with an enthralling experience, excellent service and enriching programs. They also hope to inspire pride of ownership in every Singaporean for our Gardens. Finally, they aim to be a model for sustainable development and conservation.
Videos
Local News
Singapore: City in a Garden
June 4, 2012There has been unprecedented priority given in recent years to sustainable cities and green building (a very positive trend), but too often the result…
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