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Singapore Seeks Public Input on Urban Makeovers

{PM Lee Hsien Loong attending the opening of Bishan Park. © WSJ}

In Singapore, individuals and communities alike have begun to become interested in the landscape, or rather, green-scape of their neighbourhood. These people are also increasingly vocal about their wants and needs, and their opinions about the government’s urban greening efforts. One good example would be the debate over Bukit Brown Cemetery, which faces impending exhumation for road works. Residents reluctant to see the place go have even set up a Facebook Page: Save Bukit Brown Cemetery, citing it affectionately as a place of Heritage, History and Habitats of countless organisms who have made their homes in the untouched vastness of greenery. Do not mistake this FB page to be a mere white elephant, on my checks, this page is constantly kept active by the administrators through the frequent postings of videos, photos and written sentiments of the community of people who have banded together in a bid to save this green space.

The Singapore government does not take the voices of the people lightly – it has started to actively involve the public in their urban makeover plans, decisions and designs. This ensures that the residents have a stake and a say in their natural environment. Here we start to observe a growing trend towards the residents’ desire to contribute and to be part of their neighbouring environment. As Singapore develops, it is near impossible for every household to accommodate their own personal garden, but Singaporeans appear to be very much eager to have a garden that they can be proud of in their own backyard, even if it is but a shared common space. They have shown that they wish to be involved in the planning process so that they may contribute their suggestions on what is mutually beneficial for the natural environment and for their sense of well-being and healthy living.

The transformation of 24-year-old Bishan Park is the first of the urban parks to undergo the redevelopment scheme.

According to the article by Wall Street Journal, the “destination parks” will incorporate a level of public consultation that is rare in Singapore, and communities will have a hand in deciding what they want out of their public parks. Following a session with the public last August, the National Parks Board will be organizing more dedicated group sessions and outdoor road shows to get feedback from members of the public, allowing them to “co-create” the spaces. People can also share their suggestions via a website that  includes ideas like converting roofs of multistory car parks into gardens with jogging tracks.

Here we can see, how human impact and the attitudes of people can make a difference  in urban landscape. The sentiments of individuals and communities towards large-scale changes in their physical environment can be a great motivating factor in shaping the government’s policies and actions towards sustainable urban design. The attitudes of the people towards changes in their neighbourhood and their natural environment play a big part in influencing the kind of urban architecture and infrastructure, and how much nature is taken into consideration in the urban infrastructure planning policies.