‘Cities do not have to destroy nature’

In the grand push for development of infrastructure, India’s bustling cities are rapidly becoming concrete jungles where nothing grows. High population density and space constraints are the primary factors behind felling of trees and paving over of green spaces in metros such as Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, each with a population in excess of 10 million people.

Co-existence

But city planners at the recent GreenurbanScape Asia Conference in Singapore say that out-of-the-box thinking and involvement of people at the neighbourhood level, can help buildings and trees co-exist in harmony. Measuring just 716.8 sq. km. and housing a population of 5.3 million, Singapore has the same pressures as Indian cities when it comes to land utilisation.

The difference lies in Singapore’s strategy of striking a balance between man and nature, as attested by its tree-lined avenues and well-maintained public parks nestled amid skyscrapers and residential complexes. “It is important for us to integrate greenery into the urban fabric,” said Ng Lang, the CEO of Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, at the plenary session of the conference.

Nine per cent of the country has been set aside for nature reserves and parks, and 90 per cent of homes are within 400 metres of a park or “park connectors,” which are green belts linking green spaces within the city.

At present, the park connector network spans 240 km and the goal is to increase this to 360 km by 2030. These connectors were built on un-useable land and drains.

Vertical greenery is another concept applied by Singapore’s planners to beautify the city. Under the Government’s Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High Rises (LUSH) initiative, the country has been trying to promote the concept of greenery from the head-to-toe of buildings.

“Is the building of the future one big tree?” asked Ng, quoting renowned Japanese architect Toyo Ito. Gardens are being built on the rooftops of urban housing projects and multi-storey car-parks, waterways have been expanded and made suitable for leisure activities, and botanical research and development has helped identify flora flourish in an otherwise urban environment.

An important ingredient in the approach has been mandatory replanting of trees and other plants in case there is no other alternative to uprooting them. “If greenery is displaced, it is mandatory to put it on atop buildings,” said Ng.

The ultimate objective of the various initiatives is a concept called “pervasive greenery,” according to Poon Hong Yuen, the CEO of Singapore’s National Parks Board. “People have come to expect more,” said Poon, who outlined efforts taken by his agency to create “destination parks” that would serve as rest and recreation resources for the population. One example is the park at Jurong Lake, which is being transformed into “thousand island adventure playground,” he said.

The most important aspect to Singapore’s ambition of being a garden city has been fostering community ownership of green spaces. “The Government will not do everything, the community will also take ownership,” said Poon.

National Housing Board CEO Cheong Koon Hean dubbed this as the “common green” concept, asserting that the people of the city had recognised the benefit of reduced ambient temperature, reduced glare and improve aesthetics derived from trees and plants in and around their homes.

“Singapore is limited in land, so we virtually and psychologically create space,” said Cheong, who disclosed that the future of the city lay in a framework for a bio-philic town that puts nature on an equal footing with infrastructure.

“Cities do not have to destroy diversity. Cities can help build diversity, perhaps in a different way. We do not have to destroy nature,” concluded the National Parks Board’s Poon Hong Yuen.

(The writer was at the GreenurbanScape Asia Conference at the invitation of the Singapore Government.)

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