WHAT makes a city liveable may change with economic factors and expectations, and governments will need to be more responsive to emerging aspirations and divergent needs and views, attendees at the World Cities Summit in Singapore heard on Monday (Jun 3).
On its part, Singapore has updated its Liveability Framework to reflect an expanded understanding of what constitutes a liveable city, beyond basic needs.
Speaking at the World Cities Summit held at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said: “Over time, the issues that cities around the world face have grown more complex, and our understanding of liveability has evolved too.
“This is why we reviewed the framework, incorporating current and emerging perceptions of liveability from city leaders and experts around the world, as well as from members of the public.”
Singapore is also studying the impact of the urban environment on mental well-being, with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research leading a research project on it, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat announced on Monday.
“To better understand the direct and indirect relationship between our built environment and mental health, the study will examine factors such as urban design features, density (and) human behaviours,” he said.
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First developed more than 10 years ago, the Liveability Framework distils key insights and lessons from Singapore’s urban transformation since the city-state obtained independence in 1965.
Organised by the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the World Cities Summit is a biennial event for government leaders and industry experts around the world to share knowledge and forge partnerships.
In an electronic publication titled Building Liveable and Sustainable Cities – A Framework for the Future released on Monday, CLC provided more details on the updated framework.
The report noted that perceptions of liveability may change with socio-economic diversity and growing expectations.
“This may mean greater demand on governments to not only provide the basics well, but also be more responsive to emerging aspirations, as well as diverse and sometimes divergent views,” the CLC said in its report.
As cities become increasingly built up, planning and developing within more brownfield environments will mean limited land and resources at our disposal to balance contesting needs.
CLC said: “Over the last 10 to 15 years, it has become clear that Singapore is moving into a markedly different development stage – one that is increasingly characterised by challenges associated with redevelopment (or revitalising of existing neighbourhoods) as well as the diminished availability of large greenfield sites to build anew.”
The effects of Singapore’s earlier rapid pace of urbanisation and population growth are starting to manifest, for example, in public infrastructure stretched to capacity, public concerns about overcrowding, pollution, the loss of green spaces, and rising “not in my backyard” sentiments, the report noted.
Since 2010, Singapore has seen an accelerated rise in spatial tensions within its tight physical reality. These tensions are between development and heritage conservation, nature preservation, and community ties.
Singapore, which has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, will also have to re-evaluate how its built environment can benefit from a mix of its ageing and modern building stock sustainably, CLC said.
Demolishing existing buildings and infrastructure, especially if they are recently constructed, can result in a significant amount of waste and carbon emissions, even as it is possible for redevelopment projects to incorporate sustainable design features, energy-efficient technologies, and renewable energy sources which can help to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the city, the report added.
Policymakers will also have to respond to changing demographics and social diversity.
In Singapore’s case, the report noted, its ageing population has heightened the need for senior care, health facilities and accessible green spaces; among young people, smaller households and rising singlehood could increase demand for more affordable and flexible housing.
Renewing cities
At another plenary held on Monday, which was moderated by URA’s deputy chief executive officer and chief planner Adele Tan, mayors and urban planners came together to discuss how cities achieve urban renewal.
Speaking in Chinese, Shanghai’s vice-mayor Chen Yujian said to renew and energise urban spaces, the city has opened a 45 km waterfront along the Huangpu River and a 42 km waterfront along Suzhou Creek in the downtown area. It is also striving to build 15-minute community life circles, he shared.
Meanwhile, New York City has been focusing on expanding public spaces and creating more pedestrianised green spaces, said Liu Ya-Ting, the city’s chief public realm officer.
To achieve this, New York City will be rolling out its Open Streets programme to about 300 streets in the city. The programme aims to transform streets into open public spaces with outdoor dining, retail and bike-friendly features.
