It might seem like a ridiculous thing to say about such a dense high-rise city but Singapore is working hard to live up to its name as Garden City. The island was probably once, in the dim recesses of history, a jungle, so it is possibly not hard to grow stuff here (if you pick the right stuff, and give it half a chance).
Singapore has lots of trees.
Currently the goal is to plant another million trees by 2030.
Shouldn't be all that difficult.
Should it?
A million trees?
Believe it or not architects now have to design green space into buildings. This one is across the road from our office.
Reportedly this one even has a veg garden on the roof, the produce of which supplies a flash restaurant on the premises. The claim is voiced in such a way that I suspect you are meant to believe that it is the exclusive supplier of said restaurant and cuts food miles to effectively zero.
I have seen how much fresh produce restaurants can get through, and I don't believe any claim that a restaurant is supplied exclusively from its roof. It might get a few herbs, a percentage of its baby salad leaves (which can be grown in about a three week rotation) but any other interpretation of that claim is probably green-wash (which is the latest fashionable version of hog-wash).
Restaurant marketing aside however, Singapore is taking regreening very seriously. Greenery reduces temperatures, improves the air quality, reduces rainwater run-off and flooding, and genuinely makes people happier and calmer, less stressed.
So here are some examples .... better photos of all of them can be found easily on t'internet but this is what you get from ground level (and the office window) with a basic model eye-phone.
When we visited around 20+ years ago, we took the MRT North/South line that does a loop. We sat on the train and just went all the way round for an airconditioned sight seeing trip. You could clearly see back then how it must have been when covered by jungle.
ReplyDeleteGood ideas, but I hope they have the funds to maintain it all properly.
ReplyDeleteNo apparent shortage of funds here. Frankly they can't afford not to try and reduce city tempertures this way; the alternative looks like tomorrow's post.
Deletewow, they are serious about the green. I like the word green wash, because to hear usa talk they take it seriously to, yet they continue to remove 120 mature trees and build more houses on concrete and replant tiny trees that are ornamental and will never replace the ones they removed. these are awesome photos and beautiful buildings. are you living in a high rise?
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteIt is carefully curated but you are right it is trying really hard to be a beautiful city state - and succeeding.
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteWell, you know I am loving the architectural innovation that all this greening of the urbanscape is engendering! I know that at some level it can see like 'greenwashing' - but it has to start somewhere and S'pore looks to be heading the spear on this one. YAM xx
In many ways the more people who live in high density cities, the less ppressure it puts on wilder parts of the planet, but the energy consumption to cool such cities is astronomical. Cities in places like Pakistan can't maintain the power supply on the hottest days. Even there the realization is dawning the regreening has to be part of the answer. I do wonder how long it will take Athens to catch on - hottest capital jn Europe.
DeleteSingapore is a very interesting place. I like it, but then again there are so many rules, I feel a bit trapped. I've only been there once and it was a while ago, but it was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea.
ReplyDeleteLooks like they are trying hard..all praise there
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised to see just now innovative they were with the growing of greenery on their building. Making them look beautiful as well as all the benefits you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the most recent history it’s a remarkable city that has grown in beauty
I've heard that Singapore is very green and lush, great idea a restaurant growing it's own produce.
ReplyDelete