Blog 12: Sustainable Cities

NeWater desalinates and recycles water

(https://www.pub.gov.sg/watersupply/fournationaltaps/newater)

Renewable energy: solar farm

(https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-now-home-to-one-of-the-worlds-largest-floating-solar-farms)

Public transport: efficient, clean MRT 

(https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltagov/en/getting_around/public_transport/rail_network.html)

HDBs provide affordable housing

(https://dollarsandsense.sg/5-types-hdb-flats-not-longer-built-singapore/)

Semakau Island: landfill turned island

(https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/shell-and-jtc-plan-solar-farm-the-size-of-112-football-fields-on-semakau-island)

Blog 11: Smart Cities

As Ms. Singh shared examples of tech-based SMART interventions both in Singapore and around the world, I realized that I experience many of these interventions in my day to day life. For example, I typically use e-payments like apple pay when shopping or at restaurants. Even for transportation, I use my e-wallet when paying for the MRT or taxis. Besides e-payments, another SMART intervention in my life are sensory systems related to electricity within my house. For instance, the light in our lift turns off when it is not in use; the fridge beeps when the doors are left open for too long; the gas in the kitchen turns off when there isn't something over the stove. All of these systems help save electricity and are therefore energy efficient and more sustainable. A third SMART intervention is locally grown food that my family often buys at supermarkets. By using farming techniques such as vertical planting and hydroponics, as well as cutting out the energy costs of transportation and the supply chain, locally grown food is more sustainable than importing food. Therefore, all of these SMART interventions are key for a resilient, sustainable city.  

A research question could be how is SMART intervention used in the healthcare industry in Singapore and particularly how was it beneficial during the pandemic? 

Blog 10: Designing New Cities

If I could plan my own town, I would emphasize the importance of small, local businesses like bookshops, cafes, and locally owned clothing stores by only allowing a certain number of chain stores. I think that doing so would create a stronger, more unique town culture that would also attract more tourists (I'm thinking of small towns in France, Spain, and Italy). Alongside small shops, I would ensure that there are wide boulevards and bike paths, so that people are less reliant on cars for transportation. I'd also plan for lots of gardens and incorporate nature whenever possible, ideally building a town near forests or a lake. For the buildings, I would want housing to be more unique and not all uniform, and would want meandering pathways to make the view more interesting. Having interesting monuments that have beautiful architecture would also help attract tourists, and make the city nicer to live in. 

As for Singapore, I think that it is over-planned to a certain extent as I think that there's definitely a stiller feel to it. You don't get the same feeling as when you walk through the night markets in Bangkok as you walk by graffiti and chipped paint, for example. Despite there being a strong cultural presence in Singapore with Chinatown, Haji Lane, and Little India, I think that the city feels less vibrant and alive than other cities because of how picture-perfect it is. That being said, I would still prefer living here as compared to many other cities that aren't as well-planned, so there are pros and cons to it.  

My research question is what is the urban plan for New Clark City, a city currently being developed that's set to be the first green and sustainable city in the Phillipines?

Blog 09 - Preservation

I was interested in the concept of adaptive reuse as I hadn't previously considered how many historical buildings in Singapore had been repurposed rather than demolished. The balance between adaptive reuse and facadism also intrigued me and I realized that finding a balance between preservation and demolition to make space for new buildings is a difficult task. I also found the critique that preservation stifles creativity interesting as while I agree with it to a certain extent, we also saw many examples of historical buildings being repurposed in extremely creative ways such as the amusement park in Germany. 

In Manila, an area that I might want to further study is Intramuros as it is a 'Walled City' where historical Spanish architecture has been preserved. I'm curious to understand the economic benefits (ex. tourism), how the locals feels about Intramuros, whether the land that it is on is valuable, why that specific part of Manila was chosen for preservation, etc. I also know that there are many squatter settlements there living amongst the beautiful architecture.  Therefore, a research question could be what are the advantages and issues with preserving Intramuros? 

Blog 08: Singapore Homeless

Although the homeless population in Singapore is not large, that does not mean that homelessness is entirely eradicated here. In a nationwide study conducted by NUS's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in 2019, it was found that there are around 1000 homeless people living in Singapore. 

Photo taken on March 18, 2020 of homeless people found behind Kranji MRT Station.

According to the survey, majority of homeless people were older men; therefore, some suggest that citizens need better wage protection and more comprehensive old age pensions. The main reasons for homelessness were economic, family, housing-related and health issues - 6 in 10 homeless people actually did work, but had such low-paying jobs that they couldn't afford housing. To combat this, there are three transitional shelters which provide temporary safe places for people to live at while they find more permanent solutions with the assistance of social workers. 

New Hope Transitional Shelter

Moreover, in 2019 the MSF launched the Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers Network which is a partnership involving the government, social service agencies, and community groups where organizations offer their premises as safe places for homeless people to sleep at. Besides this, there are other organizations such as Homeless Hearts of Singapore that help integrate homeless people into the fabric of society.

Some research questions that I have are as the wealth gap increases and Singapore's population continues to grow, how will the government continue to maintain a small homeless population in the country? Moreover, how does Singapore have such a small homeless population and how does their model compare to solutions other countries have for eradicating homelessness, and can the Singaporean model be replicated elsewhere? 

Blog 07 - Incentives and Negotiations

As in all countries, there are a few areas in Singapore that add value for the public, but do not directly make money. For example, the Botanic Gardens is a beautiful green space for the public that is also a tourist attraction and is free of charge. Likewise, the National Museum of Singapore provides engaging exhibitions for the locals and tourists and has free admission. Another instance is Haw Par Villa as it is a theme park showcasing traditional Chinese myths and is thus a cultural piece of Singapore that is free of charge. 

An area that required a lot of public/private negotiation in Singapore was the reallocation of one of the Singapore Island Country Club's two 18-hole golf courses to the government for public use once the club's lease expires in 2021. This is because the Keppel Club and Marina Bay Golf Course  - two public golf courses - will not have their leases extended as the government wants to repurpose the land for housing development. Members of SICC were unhappy with this agreement having become members because of the advantage of two courses, but to compensate for this, SICC's golf course was offered a new lease until 2030 with the condition that they work with the labour movement on how to reconfigure the courses, and extending their lease was obviously something that the club desired. 

Another example of an ongoing negotiation between the government and private enterprises is the debate on the extension of The Arcadia's 99-year lease. As one of the oldest complexes in Singapore, the condo is approaching the end of its lease. Therefore, The Arcadia's management committee appealed to the Singapore Land Authorities to top up the lease after gaining 100% consent from residents, but this was rejected by the SLA. However, residents are continuing to appeal for an extension.  

Some avenues for potential research topics would be researching how the government determines what is a fair compensation for seizing control of private enterprises and whether private enterprises generally find this compensation to be just. Other topics could include researching instances where after negotiating, the government has ended up with an urban development that was worse than before it intervened. I was also wondering whether the rigidity of the urban planning in Singapore was a deterrent to private enterprises to build in Singapore. 

Blog 6: Urban Planner

The two urban planners that I will be sharing my thoughts on are Daniel Burnham and Andres Duany. 

Burnham pioneered the City Beautiful movement, aiming to implement neoclassical architecture, grand boulevards, and broad highways within cities in an attempt to increase harmony, promote civic virtue, and make American cities more aesthetically pleasing (which can be seen in Washington DC, Kansas City, etc). I agree with many of Burnham's principles as I think that the majority of us enjoy living in pretty cities, and that living in one can elevate one's mental and physical health. That being said, I don't like all aspects of it as this movement has been critiqued for failing to socially reform cities since it mostly influenced areas of cities with middle and upper class residents.  

Meanwhile, Duany pioneered the New Urbanism movement which was characterized by sustainability, walkability, and high-rise, low density, diverse neighbourhoods (which can be seen in Seaside, Florida, Harbor Town, Tennessee, etc.). I support this movement because of its holistic, pragmatic approach and care for the future. While living in pretty cities is a bonus, I think that it's more important to consider pertinent issues such as climate change and social justice issues when reforming and planning a city. 

While the City Beautiful movement largely ended in the 1930s, new urbanism continues to be implemented in our world today. 'Garden cities' like Singapore that emphasize nature and renewability echo Duany's principles of environmental sustainability, and cities are beginning to become more pedestrian friendly by implementing more walking and biking paths, also mirroring Duany's ideas of walkability. Therefore, I think that overall Duany was more influential than Burnham.

What is a City?

I agreed with most of the defining characteristics that Kostof elaborated on; however, I also saw Singapore as an exception to some of them. 

To begin with, I found it interesting that Kostof commented on both the physical aspects of cities such as cities being in clusters and engaged with the countryside, as well as the more social domains like the social hierarchies and high density of cities. I could connect many of these aspects to Singapore. For instance, it was interesting to me how the physical circumscription of Singapore is based on its geography as it is an island. Going back to the concept of modernism, I could also see monumental definition in Singapore with buildings that had significant form such as Marina Bay Sands and the Esplanade. I also believe that Singapore exemplifies Kostof's point of how cities cannot be homogenous and how a social hierarchy is necessary. Here, there is a diverse mix of races and religions, as well as an unequal distribution of wealth. I wondered if certain ethnic groups are disproportionately represented in the higher or lower classes, and I found that the upper class is unsurprisingly predominantly composed of European and Chinese men. The working class composes the bulk of the Singaporean population (75%), and current trends point towards Singapore being more divided in terms of class as opposed to religions or races. In regards to sources of income, Singapore doesn't have much land space for agriculture; however, utilizing its geographic resources, it is a large port and trading center. 

However, there are also some characteristics of cities that I don't think Singapore entirely mirrors. For example, Kostof explains how cities come in clusters which creates an urban hierarchy. But, there obviously aren't other cities within Singapore. Perhaps on a smaller scale, an urban hierarchy in terms of the districts in Singapore can be seen with Marina Bay being richer and more esteemed than the Woodlands. Kostof also adds how cities are intimately engaged with the countryside, but Singapore doesn't have a countryside. Instead, it relies heavily on imported goods and in return offers a source of income. 

Finally, Kostof writes how the most enduring feature of a city is its physical build (taking into account modern trends while preserving past urban culture). Although Singapore is a new country, I think that to a certain extent it exemplifies this concept well: it has higher-tech buildings like Keppel Bay, but also more antique places like the Sultan Mosque. Therefore, I believe that Kostof's definition of a city holds true to a large extent but perhaps cannot be generalized to fit all cities. 

Modernism

The influence of modernism is evident when viewing Singapore's architecture. Evidence of Corbusier and Gropius's urban development styles can be witnessed in Singapore's HDB blocks and other condos such as Braddell View and Clementi Park as they are identifiable by their uniformity, tall height, and high density. They are functional buildings that minimize land space, so that more space can be allocated towards creating nodes and other green spaces.

Braddell View

https://www.propertyguru.com.sg/project/braddell-view-199

Besides these architectural designs, remnants of the Brutalist era which spanned from the 1950s to the mid 70s can also still be observed in Singapore when viewing the People's Park Complex. Built in 1973, the People's Park Complex was considered an exceedingly successful project as Singapore's first shopping center atrium was built within the building which revitalized Chinatown. The building consists of strict geometric lines and had an exposed raw concrete exterior (this was later changed), and along with its large size (103 meters tall), it clearly mirrors the principles of Brutalism.

People's Park Complex

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/peoples-park-complex-peoples-park-centre-visited-covid-19-cases-while-infectious

In addition to these styles, evidence of post modernism - the direct opposition to brutalism - can be seen when looking at Reflections at Keppel Bay or Marina Bay Sands as these buildings overlook the water, appear 'futuristic', and architecturally have more interesting designs than brutalist buildings. Besides Marina Bay Sands, some other buildings that have significant form include the Helix, Bishan Public Library, and the Esplanade, as modern advancements in engineering have allowed architects to expand beyond straight blocks.

 

Reflections at Keppel Bay

https://libeskind.com/work/reflections-at-keppel-bay/

Helix Bridge

https://www.essentialhome.eu/inspirations/lifestyle/helix-bridge-spectacular-bridge-singapore/

Engels and Faraday

The Industrial Revolution transformed the landscapes of cities. As it gave rise to ground-breaking inventions such as the cotton gin and steam engine, the topography of cities and social hierarchy were also reshaped. This can particularly be seen when looking at Manchester and London. As Engels and Faraday observed respectively, the River Irk in 1844 and the River Thames in 1855 were filled to the brim with debris and refuse. Foul odors omitted from the rivers and there was a lack of care for health. This demonstrates how becoming more economically successful and developed than other cities was a main objective for cities at the time as this was prioritized over human health, which contrasts with the current more biotechnic era that we are living in. Besides this, Engels expounds on how the working-mens quarters were extremely small, densely populated, and unsanitary. The horrible living conditions and physical separation of these men from the rest of society illustrate how deep class divide was at the time. The Industrial Revolution widened the gap between the rich and the poor with struggles of class and power changing the topography of cities, so that these working-men lived in separate districts of their own. Therefore, the commentary that both of these men provide exhibit how the Industrial Revolution was both detrimental for the environment and influential in changing the city's social structure.

Human Scale 02

 What did you see in this chapter that you care about?

Did you have any ‘aha!’ moments?

From this chapter, I realized the necessity of pedestrian streets for fostering a vibrant public life. I hadn't previously realized that without public spaces, our lives are privatized, which isn't ideal considering that humans are inherently social beings. The need for social interactions was made clear when I learnt that once major squares (like Time Square) and roads (like Broadway) were closed to cars, bike paths were built, and seating areas were created, 74% of those living in New York City applauded the changes. Likewise, Copenhagen is also applauded for its public life. I can understand why as the prioritization of bikes over cars in major cities makes a substantial difference to one's experience of the city. For instance, when visiting Amsterdam, the sprawling bike and walking paths created a far more open, inviting, and interactive atmosphere compared to the claustrophobic, crowded feeling that the city that I'd been living in at the time - Gurgaon - gave off as there traffic was a given and sidewalks were far and few between. Therefore, having lived in a place where public spaces are scarcer, I care about and can appreciate how Singapore is designed to foster a sense of community. This is apparent when viewing how Orchard Road is currently a one-way road as opposed to the two-way road it once was as this allowed Orchard Road to become an attractive destination for tourists and locals alike and overall improved the shopping experience. As I often go to Orchard, I can now appreciate its design and realize the importance of planning for spaces open to the public.

Human Scale 01

 Does the way we build cities lend itself to human community or human separation? 

I believe that the way that we build cities lends itself to human separation. In the past, humans lived in tribes which fostered a closer community bond; however, with the urbanization of cities, our relationships with others continue to weaken. For instance, in China, traditional households were courtyard residences separated by hutongs, which encouraged social interactions and gatherings. As people increasingly move to cities, and as cities expand, the neighbourhood tightness formed in rural areas is being lost. Instead, smaller households are becoming the standard where relationships with neighbours are no longer a priority. 

As cities become larger, the commute to get from one place to another, such as from home to work, also increases. Consequently, more time is spent in solitude on the road. As more highways are built, I think that the reduction of walking streets with stalls, like the hutongs in China, also leads to less community interaction, and discourages wandering around the city to engage with others. Additionally, I think that the skyscrapers exacerbate a feeling of insignificance and isolation in cities. 

When I lived in Gurgaon, I felt the effects of crowded skyscrapers and high traffic on social interactions. There was sense of business and constant motion as people seemed to only leave their houses to get from one place to another rather than to enjoy the city. In Singapore, I can appreciate that urban planners have set aside areas designed specifically for encouraging community engagement such as parks, community clubs, and recreational centres. That being said, I don't think that these spaces can recreate the tight-knit bond felt in less urban areas.