Treasure the old: infrastructure that lasts

Letter from Lau Ying Shan (Miss), Straits Times Forum 13 Oct 08;

THE Singapore Seminar is organised by the Public Service Commission for Singapore scholarship holders studying overseas. On Oct 4, it was held in Boston, Massachusetts, for scholarship holders studying in the United States.

One discussion touched on Singapore's obsession with all things new - new infrastructure, new buildings, new layout, new packaging. Unlike other countries which have a culture of stretching the value of their assets to the maximum, Singapore prefers to depreciate the value of its assets quickly, so they can be replaced with some other new thing.

Aircraft were cited as an example: The planes in the Singapore Airlines fleet are normally replaced after six years of use, way before the end of their expected lifespan.

Much as it is good that infrastructural assets are replaced for safety reasons, taking this quality to excess may not be environmentally prudent. For example, some shopping malls in Singapore are constantly being refurbished. The mentality of the new is also ingrained in everyday Singapore culture, from our obsession with newly packaged goods to technology that is newly off the factory line. New shoes, new clothes, new mobile phones, new cars, new DVDs. Undeniably, there are health and safety concerns that cannot be compromised. One can argue that the Japanese are equally fascinated with the new and the clean. However, the pertinent question is: Does Singapore have a recycling system comparable to Japan's? I doubt it.

In his book, Cradle To Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things, architect and designer William McDonough has compared the exuberant feeling one gets from using something new, be it the simple act of opening the package of a new product, to the satisfaction of 'virgin defloration'. This comparison may be a little far-fetched, but the environmental consequences of this Singaporean obsession are a constant and excessive flow of materials, resources and energy. In contrast, Bostonians like their buildings old and quaint, yet the cities of Boston and Cambridge are home to Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and many leading medical institutions.

The key is to design infrastructure that is not only environmentally friendly, but also adaptable so the main frame of the infrastructure can be kept intact while minor changes are made to suit changing preferences and advances in society. In the face of current economic difficulties, perhaps it is also time for us to rethink our culture to make it even more resilient and sustainable.