“I have always believed that a blighted urban landscape, a concrete jungle destroys the human spirit. We need the greenery of nature to lift our spirits.” 

– Mr Lee Kuan Yew, 1995

Mr Lee Kuan Yew has been affectionately called the ‘Chief gardener of Singapore.’, the pioneer who kick started the movement of transforming Singapore into a garden city. He recognized the value of incorporating nature and vegetation into our landscape adopting a biophilic approach towards urban planning.

We started small, planting trees by hand along our roadsides. Gradually we incorporated flowering species, working towards the improvement of the aesthetic appeal of our country. Finally, parks and nature reserves were established as part of conservation efforts. Today, we have successfully transformed our nation in a city in a garden, housing more than 2,200 plant species and having over 300 parks spanning across the island.

Take a look at the flipbook below to learn how it all started!

 Created and illustrated by blog author using Canva