Urban city leaders need to be prepared for 'transformative influences': Desmond Lee

Challenges that cities currently face, and will face in the future, can be capitalised to benefit their people, says Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee.
Alice Chia Channel NewsAsia 10 Jun 15;

NEW YORK: Trends such as urbanisation and globalisation are shaping the development of urban cities, and leaders need to be flexible to capitalise on these "transformative influences" to benefit their people, said Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee on Wednesday morning (Jun 10).

"Increasingly intertwined, the confluence of these forces has had, and will continue to have, a tremendous impact on societies around the world. As city leaders, we need to be prepared for these transformative influences, and be flexible and adaptive enough to capitalise on these forces to benefit our people,” Mr Lee said at the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum in New York City.

This year's forum aims to explore innovative solutions to urban challenges. Into its sixth edition, the three-day event brings together about 70 mayors and city leaders from around the world.

By 2050, around 70 per cent of the world's population will live in cities. Cities account for 80 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP), but they also produce more than half of greenhouse gases.

Deputy Secretary-General for United Nations Jan Eliasson speaking at the forum. (Photo: Ministry of National Development's Facebook page)

Deputy Secretary-General for United Nations Jan Eliasson said: "Urbanisation is one of the strongest defining forces shaping the 21st century. Urbanisation can be a transformative force for the sustainable development goals by making cities and human settlements safe, resilient and sustainable."

"City leaders who best adapt to these demographic, social, economic and cultural shifts will be the ones whose cities are more economically viable, more environmentally sustainable, more socially vibrant and alive," he added.

Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio said there have been examples of national governments looking away from problems rather than taking them on directly.

"Sometimes it's more politically convenient to ignore problems or minimise them, than to accept the challenge. But then, in that environment, mayors become even more important. We become the bright shining lights, the actual leaders willing to accept challenges, to talk about them bluntly and honestly with our people, to show people that even amidst the complexities, that there are real and tangible solutions," he said.

Mr de Blasio also spoke about his administration's plans for sustainability and equity as the city develops. For example, he said New York City has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

This is the second time the event is held outside Singapore. This year, New York City was chosen because it won the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize in 2012. Organisers hope that by holding the forum in New York City, participants will have a chance to observe how policies were implemented successfully in the city.

The Singapore delegation did just that, by visiting sites on Monday, including the Brooklyn Navy Yard industrial park.

Rooftop garden at the Brooklyn Navy Yard industrial park in New York City. (Photo: Ministry of National Development's Facebook page)

There, the officials visited a rooftop vegetable farm, which supplies produce to restaurants. Executive director of Centre for Liveable Cities Khoo Teng Chye said this could be adapted in Singapore, with the advantages going beyond food production.

"It's the idea that you bring communities together," he said. "There is a lot of community bonding when you do this urban farming. It looks very simple, but actually, you're applying a lot of knowledge, a lot of technology, to try to successfully cultivate - as they say - high-yield, high-density farming."

The farm also plants microgreens, which are the shoots of salad vegetables, that can be sold to restaurants at higher prices.

- CNA/fs/ek