Cities everywhere face challenges in ensuring high quality of living: PM
Phua Mei Pin and Cheong Suk-Wai Straits Times 2 Jul 12;
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke of the shared challenges that cities worldwide face in ensuring a high quality of life for residents, as Singapore welcomed 15,000 experts from around the world to three summits on cities, water and the environment.
Addressing some 3,000 city leaders and experts at the joint opening, Mr Lee said: 'Cities share similar broad objectives. To generate a vibrant economy, create good jobs. To provide a safe, secure environment for residents. To deliver good public services... And, to make all these pieces work, to have effective governance.'
He said proper planning and efficient administration are vital to make a city work. 'Otherwise, the cities will strain their resources and degrade the environment.'
He also shared Singapore's own experience as a small city with no resources.
Even though it has gained some recognition for its achievements, faring well in liveability and sustainability indices, Mr Lee stressed that the work of improving Singapore 'never ends'.
'We may be a densely populated city but we're determined to continue improving Singapore, so that our people live comfortably and pleasantly, and this becomes one of the jewels in the tropics,' he said.
There are ongoing efforts to build new housing estates and upgrade older ones, improve the public transport network and integrate more green spaces and blue waters into the landscape, with the newly-opened Gardens by the Bay a prime example.
Mr Lee also noted the challenge of meeting rising expectations. 'We have a population which is growing and we're now more exposed to beautiful cities elsewhere. Expectations are higher and there are more interests to balance one against the other.'
Beyond infrastructure, he said Singapore is also strengthening its social capital. That means 'integrating Singaporeans, newly-arrived immigrants and foreign workers, preserving ethnic harmony and building a more compassionate society'.
'This is what we have to do to make Singapore the best home for us all,' he added.
The increasing complexities of urbanisation are why the summit organisers decided to bring the World Cities Summit, CleanEnviro Summit and the Singapore International Water Week together this year. The aim is to facilitate an integrated approach to urban planning.
There are also three exhibitions taking place, to showcase the technologies and best practices of more than 900 companies across a range of sectors such as water, energy, waste and environment.
Yesterday, on the first day of the summits, delegates were busy picking up tips from one another.
What impressed Copenhagen's deputy mayor Pia Allerslev about Singapore is how green it is. 'You have the planning of a city where you can always see something green... In Copenhagen, we have beautiful architecture but we don't have the green thinking.'
World Bank vice-president Pamela Cox said: 'Singapore put quality of life as an important goal. Some of the other countries have not necessarily done that with urbanisation - they focus a lot on the economic side, a lot on the physical side but maybe not so much on the quality of life.'
The three summits continue today, when the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize and Lee Kuan Water Prize will be awarded.
Singapore will continue to improve itself, says PM Lee
Joanne Chan Channel NewsAsia 1 Jul 12;
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore will continue to improve, so that its people can live comfortably and pleasantly.
And more than just having better physical infrastructure, it's also about strengthening social capital.
Mr Lee said this at Sunday's official opening of three global events held in Singapore.
The World Cities Summit, the Singapore International Water Week and the CleanEnviro Summit are being held together for the first time - all with the common goal to promote sustainable cities of the future.
Building new housing estates and upgrading old ones, improving public transport with more train lines and buses, and introducing more green spaces in the city.
These are just some of the efforts made over the years to make Singapore a more liveable city.
But more than just infrastructure, a liveable city is also about its people.
"Integrating Singaporeans and newly-arrived immigrants and foreign workers, preserving ethnic harmony, building a more compassionate society... This is what we have to do to make Singapore the best home for us all, and this is what we will do year after year, continuing to improve as we raise our standards step by step," said Mr Lee.
Mr Lee said such efforts to make Singapore better will not end, as the country will need to meet the public's growing expectations.
He also noted that this transformation is not easy.
"Because it's easy to sacrifice long-term objectives, environmental objectives or urban planning objectives, for short-term advantage. And it's difficult to rally political support for the right choices. Enforcing planning norms is not easy, acting against polluters is equally hard, and pricing resources like water and electricity which affect the lives of millions of people is even harder," said Mr Lee.
Singapore's commitment to sustainable development makes it the ideal location to exchange best practices.
Some 15,000 people are expected to attend the five-day convention. What's on offer - the latest in water technology, high-level meetings to discuss sustainable urban development, and the sharing of best green practices from around the world.
- CNA/cc
'Making S'pore our best home'
More green spaces and blue waters have been integrated into our surroundings: PM Lee
Sumita Sreedharan Today Online 2 Jul 12;
SINGAPORE - It would have been easy for the Republic to "sacrifice long-term environmental objectives for short-term development", as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong put it. But as he highlighted the challenges that Singapore faced in transforming itself into a liveable and sustainable city, Mr Lee reiterated yesterday that "efforts to make Singapore our best home will never end".
Speaking at the joint opening ceremony of the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), World Cities Summit and CleanEnviro Summit, Mr Lee cited having the "right policies" as well as pricing resources such as electricity and water correctly as some of the challenges.
Mr Lee said: "It is not easy to transform a city and it requires long-term planning and careful execution."
He noted that as Singaporeans are exposed to cities abroad, they would have high expectations of what they want Singapore to be. At the same time, more interests would have to be balanced, Mr Lee said.
Over the years, policymakers have risen to the task of ensuring Singaporeans live "comfortably and pleasantly" in a densely populated city: Apart from new and upgraded housing estates, more MRT lines and buses to improve public transport, "more green spaces and blue waters" have been integrated in the surroundings.
He noted that these efforts strengthen the "social capital" by integrating Singaporeans and new immigrants, as well as preserving ethnic harmony and building a compassionate society.
Mr Lee added that Singapore's efforts to improve liveability have been recognised. The country was ranked 25th in Mercer's 2011 Quality of Living worldwide survey and ranked the highest in environmental sustainability in Siemens' Asian Green City Index 2011. "Rankings aside, Singaporeans and visitors can feel and enjoy this high-quality living for themselves."
Nevertheless, "we have much to learn from others who show how strong leadership and community participation can transform mature cities", he added, citing the example of New York, which won the 2012 World City Prize. The conferences being held here are "valuable platforms" for Singapore to learn and exchange views, Mr Lee noted.
Centre of Liveable Cities Deputy Executive Director Cheng Hsing Yao said yesterday that Singapore is a good place for such conferences - given that the country is an example of one that has been "forced by circumstance to innovate" and is a "living laboratory" for firms to develop, test and demonstrate solutions.
