Singapore and Tianjin Eco-city

This eco-city to show the way
Zul Othman, Today Online 17 Apr 08;

COULD Singapore spark the green revolution in China, a country recently named in a University of California report as the world's "biggest polluter"?

This possibility is being raised as the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City — the first collaboration of its kind between Singapore and Beijing since the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) in 1994 — takes off.

Using the lessons from the Housing and Development Board's 48 years of experience, the planners have opted for a practical approach in the quest to convert the wetlands and rivers of the site — 150 km from Beijing — into a city that is the model of sustainable development.

The best ideas of both countries will go into developing the 30-sq-km site into a living space for 350,000 residents in 10 to 15 years' time, with schools, housing areas, commercial and industrial services.

"We don't want it to be a laboratory experiment because 'cutting edge' suggests that it cannot be replicated elsewhere," said Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan as he unveiled the key features of the draft master plan on Tuesday.

Indeed, the experiment will in turn provide lessons for Singapore. "We are learning from each other but will take the higher of the two standards and try to implement it here," said Mr Mah.

The plan is spearheaded by the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute, and a Singapore planning team led by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Development will be headed by a joint venture between a Singapore group led by Keppel Corporation and Chinese companies.

Said Mr Mah: "It's a major challenge and all of us involved are under no illusions that this is something easy to achieve."

Maintaining the area's greenery while setting aside sufficient land for institutional, commercial and residential use was just one of the challenges.

When completed circa 2023, each block in the eco-city will conform to green building standards to ensure efficient energy use. Renewable energy sources such as solar power will be available, while an efficient public transport network of light rail trains and buses will be in place, alongside extensive cycling and footpaths to discourage motorised transportation.

Like the SIP project, the Tianjin Eco-City is expected to deepen bilateral ties and "provide new platforms for leaders, officials and business people to engage each other", said Mr Mah.

The Tianjin Municipal Government will release the master plan for public consultation next week. Work has commenced on the 3-sq-km start-up area to be completed in three to five years' time.

Tianjin Eco-city draft master plan unveiled
It will guide land use, development of 30 sq km site
Emilyn Yap, Business Times 17 Apr 08;

IN Mandarin, the description is almost poetic. Translated into English, it goes: 'One chain surrounds one core; six wedges to the river and sea; one spine connecting four districts.'

The phrase paints an overall picture of the proposed Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, the most significant collaboration between the governments of Singapore and China since the Suzhou Industrial Park project.

Unveiled by the Ministry of National Development, the draft master plan will guide land use and development of the 30 sq km site, located 40 km from Tianjin city centre.

Drafted with three principles in mind, the master plan aims to make the eco-city a practical, scalable and replicable model that promotes green living, economic development and social harmony for cities in China and elsewhere.

The heart of the green city will consist of an eco-core and eco-chain, conserved wetlands and rehabilitated water bodies. Connecting this core to surrounding rivers and the sea will be six waterways or eco-corridors.

Four main districts will encircle the ecological core, and a light rail will run through the city along an eco-valley, connecting major transit nodes, residential areas, community facilities and commercial centres.

To minimise commuting, residential areas, workplaces, education institutions and recreational spots will be close to the core, a 400m by 400m basic grid called an eco-cell. Various eco-cells will form neighbourhoods, districts, and urban centres.

The eco-city may house 350,000 residents when it is completed in 10 to 15 years.

A three sq km start-up area close to the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area has been marked for completion in the next three to five years.

Keppel Corporation is leading Singapore's effort in the joint venture. 'Keppel is looking at various other international partners and companies - Europeans, Americans and others,' said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan.

The Qatar Investment Authority has already been roped in, and according to Mr Mah, has announced that it will 'take 10 per cent of the part of the Singapore joint venture.'

Asked if Singapore companies stand to benefit from the eco-city project, Mr Mah said: 'I believe that many companies from Singapore have the expertise, so I think this will be a wonderful opportunity for them to be able to offer that expertise' - in areas such as waste-water treatment and energy development.

The Tianjin municipal government will put up the draft master plan for public consultation in Tianjin next week.

The plan may be refined before it is submitted for approval by the Chinese authorities.

HDB-style living in Tianjin eco-city
The $5.8b project is the biggest S'pore-China venture in 15 years
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 17 Apr 08;

A LANDMARK project to build an ecologically sustainable city from scratch in Tianjin will see a touch of HDB living in northern China.

It will feature an LRT station within walking distance of flats, which will also be close to amenities such as eateries and schools - all familiar sights in HDB estates here - to cut down on the need for transportation.

Many other Singapore touches are likely as the flagship Tianjin eco-city is being modelled on some of Singapore's HDB new towns.

A bold masterplan for the eco-city is being made public today by the National Development Ministry.

China news reports say investments of at least 30 billion yuan (S$5.8 billion) will be pumped into the project.

It is the most significant cooperative project between the two nations in about 15 years. And leaders in both Singapore and China believe that it could serve as an important blueprint for similar future eco-friendly projects.

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said the eco-city would have a 'clear Singapore imprint' and would reflect 'a lot of the experience that we have gathered for many years'.

It would pave the way for the further adoption of green features and technologies here, he added. It would also allow government leaders and businessmen from both nations 'to interact...broaden and deepen the engagement and relationship'.

The eco-city, 40km from the port city of Tianjin and 150km south-east of Beijing, will tackle the growing problems of pollution by providing a 'green lung' and eco-corridors with extensive greenery for 110,000 energy-efficient homes.

Singapore's Green Mark scheme - which sets environmental standards for buildings - will also be used.

Green technologies such as water recycling and harnessing waste heat from power stations will be adopted. The LRT will link four major districts, cutting the need for cars. The city will derive 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources as an initial target.

The masterplan will see 30 sq km of marshland transformed into a mini-metropolis. Construction of an initial 3 sq km will begin after a ground-breaking ceremony in Tianjin in July.

The eco-city, first mooted by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong during a meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing last April, is the most significant cooperation between the two countries since the Suzhou Industrial Park in the early 1990s.

A boon to Singapore firms, the project will provide opportunities for those with products and services, such as waste and water treatment, to expand into China, said Mr Mah.

About 20 per cent of the eco-city's homes will be public, subsidised housing - an idea put forward by Singapore to ensure the city is made up of residents 'from all walks of life', he said.

He said the project resonates now as 'countries all over the world are facing serious challenges in trying to grow but to do so without damaging the environment'.

The eco-city will be set apart because 'economic development will be balanced with sustainable development that is holistic and pragmatic...and it has to be practical, scaleable, replicable' .

It will be built by a joint venture - a Singapore consortium led by Keppel Corp and a Chinese consortium led by Tianjin TEDA Investment Holdings, with equal stakes.

Mr Mah acknowledged the project as a major challenge:

'We're under no illusions that this is...easy to achieve. but looking at the goodwill, amount of effort and commitment that's going in, I think there is every chance that we will achieve what we set out to do within the timeframe.'

Sino-Singapore Tianjin eco-city to be ready in 10 to 15 years
Channel NewsAsia 17 Apr 08;

SINGAPORE: The mega eco-city project in Tianjin, which is jointly planned by China and Singapore, will be completed in 10 to 15 years.

But a glimpse of the whole city can be seen in as early as three years when a start-up area is completed, according to National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, who is leading the Singapore team in the project.

This urban development will not take place at the expense of the environment as buildings in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin eco-city will be energy efficient.

Ninety percent of its over 300,000 residents will also be making 'green trips' by walking, cycling or using public transport to reduce carbon emissions.

Moreover, green technologies will be adopted to ensure effective and efficient recycling of refuse, sewage and wastewater.

The eco-city is located just 40 kilometres from Tianjin city and 150 kilometres from Beijing.

Mr Mah said Singapore hopes to incorporate some of its experience in environment-friendly practices to the eco-city. At the same time, Singapore wants to glean some lessons from the joint project.

The minister said: "Some of the ideas are derived from what we are already doing here. For example, we are specifying that all the buildings in the eco-city will be 'Green Marked'. We will take some of the Green Mark (certified) buildings, adapt it to the rules in China and implement a Green Mark in China.

"But in the process of doing it, I'm sure we will adapt and improve, and marry the best practices from both sides. I would expect that we will take the improved version and bring it back to Singapore. That's why I say that it's an interactive process - we are learning from each other."

Mr Mah said successful features in the eco-city will be implemented in new developments such as those in Jurong.

The eco-city will be built based on a concept very much like Singapore's town centres, so the new city will have educational institutions, medical centres, commercial and residential areas within walking distances.

A total of 20 percent of its residential area will also be allocated for public housing.

Singapore plans to share its expertise in wastewater management, urban planning and transportation as well.

"At the end of the day, there will be a clear Singapore imprint in this... it will reflect a lot of the experiences we have gathered in Singapore over many, many years," said Mr Mah.

The first development, which is expected to be ready in three years' time, is an area that covers over three square kilometres in the south of the eco-city. Facilities in this area include a business park and a university.

The masterplan for the eco-city will be released for public consultation in Tianjin sometime next week. But before that, work has already started on detailed plans for the start-up area.

When completed, the eco-city is expected to be a model for other cities in China, as well as other parts of the world.

It is the second joint project by the Singapore and Chinese governments after the Suzhou Industrial Park.

The Chinese government has identified the project as the third most important development in China after the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta projects.- CNA/so