Melody Zaccheus The Straits Times AsiaOne 30 Apr 15;
By Singapore's 100th birthday, vertical crop systems could be part of every high-rise building on its shores. The waters hugging the island could also be home to a floating farm.
These are just some of the more than 1,300 ideas submitted to a contest seeking solutions on how to build a better and more sustainable community to live, work and play in over the next 50 years.
#BuildSG2065 has been organised by The Straits Times and CapitaLand, one of Asia's largest real estate companies, to mark the country's 50th anniversary.
The contest comes alongside Singapore's Smart Nation initiative to integrate daily life with technology seamlessly.
Participants stand to win prizes and the top 50 entries could be featured in the upcoming exhibition, Singapore STories: Then, Now, Tomorrow to be held at the ArtScience Museum.
Mr Lim Ming Yan, president and group chief executive officer of CapitaLand, said many Singaporeans have already shared their vision for the future of the country's built environment.
Suggestions include building underground homes and moving the workforce from offices to "home office pods". This could free up space in the Central Business District for residential properties.
Mr Lim, who also gave examples of suggestions to develop anti-gravitational playgrounds and floating skyscrapers, said: "Some of these ideas may seem far-fetched today, but they may well be breakthroughs worthy of The Straits Times' front pages in years to come."
Submissions can be made online at buildsg2065.straitstimes.com/
