5. e
Contents
Foreword
Plenary Sessions
Opening Plenary
Plenary 1
Plenary 2
Closing Plenary
Ministers and Mayors Programme
Ministerial Dialogue: Leading the Change
World Cities Summit Mayors Forum
Lee Kuan Yew City World City Prize Programme
Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Lecture
Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Forum
Dialogue with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
Expert Panel Session 1: Planning for a World-Class City
Making Cities Sustainable and Endearing: Strategies for Success
Pathways to Growth: Analysis from the Global Liveable Cities Index
Cities in Southeast Asia: Opportunities and Challenges in the Age of Globalisation
Expert Panel Session 2: Maintaining a Competitive Economy
Financing of Municipal Infrastructure
Sustainable Urban Solutions: Role of Innovation and Industry
Expert Panel Session 3: Shaping a Liveable Environment
Shaping World-Class Built Environments
Beyond Affordable and Quality Housing: Gracious and Harmonious Living Environments
Expert Panel Session 4: Working Towards Environmentally Sustainable Cities
Cities and Climate Change
Sustainable Waste Management –Turning Trash into Resource
Moving Beyond Plans to Implementation
Expert Panel Session 5: Balancing Resource Conflicts and Competing Demands
Challenges that Cities Face –Nexus of Energy, Water and Food Security
Expert Panel Session 6: Enhancing Cities’ Biodiversity
Urban Biodiversity and Ecology for Sustainable Cities
Acknowledgements
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7. 1
foreword
by Mr. Khoo Teng Chye
Executive Director
Centre for Liveable Cities
Cities have always been great
centres of enterprise, governance,
technology and art. From the 18th
century, the Industrial Revolution
produced cities of unprecedented
wealth, power and sophistication,
but also extreme poverty and
environmental degradation.
Today, the scale and speed of
growth in the developing world is
many times greater. Overburdened megacities struggle to
supply essentials like water and shelter to residents, but they
have also lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty. Cities are
now also more inter-connected and share more anxieties,
from financial crises and rising inequality to terrorism and
climate change.
Against this backdrop, liveability and sustainability have
become central concerns for many urban leaders in both
developed and developing countries. We believe that
liveability and sustainability are timeless principles for
designing and leading cities. A liveable city is prosperous,
healthy, harmonious and vibrant, while sustainability speaks
to the resilience of our environmental, social and economic
systems over the long term.
Since our independence as a city-state in 1965, Singapore’s
extreme resource constraints have compelled us to confront
liveability and sustainability with clear eyes and level heads.
Although sometimes difficult to reconcile, Singapore
holds that liveability and sustainability are compatible with
industrialisation and modern life. Our approach has been
to improve our governance and integrated planning, while
constantly seeking better ideas and technologies to organise
and run our city. Let me give some examples of this.
Lacking large rivers or lakes, we progressively engineered
our city to try to capture and recycle each drop of rainwater.
Unable to site industries far from populated areas, we
rejected some lucrative investments to avoid pollution,
while enticing cleaner industries to operate under strict
environmental regulations. Incapable of supporting urban
sprawl, we sought to build affordable and attractive high-rise
housing. Lacking space for large nature areas or parks, we
targeted our efforts so green areas are near everyone, and
the city contains substantial green cover and biodiversity.
Unwilling to sacrifice too much land for roads and cars,
we restricted vehicle ownership and use, while delivering
extensive public transport.
Like all cities, Singapore is an imperfect work in progress.
Nonetheless, the Singapore model seems to be robust and
functional, and well regarded by others. We have tried to
focus on good governance and integrated planning, applied
to the principles of liveability and sustainability. In addition to
devising our own innovative solutions, we have also consulted
foreign experts and studied other cities, to adapt their ideas
to our local context. Our experience has convinced us that
learning from each other is invaluable. We feel Singapore
has much to share, as do many other cities and experts. We
therefore set up the World Cities Summit (WCS) as a platform
for sharing practical knowledge and experiences.
Held from 28 June to 1 July, WCS 2010 drew 1,175
delegates from around the world to join a conversation on
‘Liveable and Sustainable Cities for the Future’. Among
them were more than 200 high-level participants from
50 countries, including ministers, mayors, governors,
senior officials, and heads of MNCs and International
Organisations. The event included Plenary sessions, a
Ministerial Dialogue, Expert Panel Sessions, Learning
Journeys and networking events. Mayors and governors
from 28 cities participated in the World Mayors Forum.
The inaugural Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize attracted 78
entries from 32 countries, while the WCS Expo featured
50 exhibitors and drew 3,000 visitors over three days. The
summit was also co-located with two other major events:
Singapore International Water Week, and World Urban
Transport Leaders Summit. In short, WCS 2010 was a
premier event, which gathered the world’s leading minds in
the fields of city governance, planning and development.
These conference proceedings aim to distil and share
the latest technologies, debates and best practices that
surfaced at WCS 2010. I hope that the many practical
and inspiring ideas in these pages will help readers effect
changes that will make our cities more liveable and
sustainable for present and future generations.
10. 4
opening plenary
sustainable cities: leadership and governance
Speakers presented diverse perspectives on leadership and governance in relation to the goal of sustainable cities.
Minister Mah Bow Tan’s opening speech set the tone by highlighting successful examples of sustainability leadership
in Bilbao, China’s Yellow River and Curitiba. Similarly, speakers from Korea and the Netherlands referred to the work of
their governments in addressing issues of carbon emissions and rising sea levels, respectively. Presenting an alternative
perspective, two UN Under-Secretary-Generals called for participatory government involving women and children, and a
greater role for civil society and the private sector. Indeed, the speaker representing private enterprise spoke of how his
products and technologies contributed to lower carbon emissions and clean water production. Urban leaders from Bahrain
and China presented their own viewpoints of sustainability, with a strong emphasis on economic and social sustainability,
while a speaker from India rejected the resource-intensive Western model, advocating instead practices like walking,
recycling and integrating smart technologies.
Left to right: Prof. Tommy Koh, Dr. Han Seung Soo, Mrs. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, H.E. Dr. Jumaa Ahmed Al Kaabi,
Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Mr. Huang Qifan, Mr. Wim Kuijken, Dr. Sadayuki Sakakibara and Mr. Amitabh Kant
11. 5
Mr. Mah Bow Tan
Minister for National Development, Singapore
Mr. Mah Bow Tan noted that
the need for sustainable
development has never
been stronger. The global
population is expected to
rise to 9 billion in the next
40 years. Over the second
half of the 20th century,
the world’s population
doubled, food intake tripled
and energy consumption
more than quadrupled. In
meeting the needs of our people, it is increasingly evident
that we face natural resource limitations. Indiscriminate use
of natural resources over many years has resulted in the
climate change issues facing many countries today.
Mr. Mah stressed the role of cities in sustainable
development. About 200,000 people move into cities and
towns every day, and every 3 days a new city the size of
Seattle or Amsterdam springs up. By 2050, 70% of the
world’s population will live in cities as compared to 50%
today. Planners and developers must rapidly scale up urban
infrastructure to provide for more than 6 billion city dwellers,
who will need good access to energy, water, mobility and
affordable housing. Due to their economic development and
high population density, cities are hotspots for high energy
consumption, pollution and deforestation. However, they
also have the economic and human capital, and technology
to counter these problems.
Mr. Mah then articulated the basic principles underpinning
sustainable urban development: strong governance, citizen
engagement, balancing development and environment,
prioritising and proper allocation of resources, stakeholder
engagement, innovation, and international collaboration. He
also shared three success stories: the urban transformation
of the Spanish city of Bilbao; the successful management of
its flood-prone water basin by the Yellow River Conservancy
of China; and innovative urban planning in the Brazilian city
of Curitiba.
Bilbao City Hall, winner of the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew
World City Prize, used an integrated and holistic approach
to urban transformation. This approach was backed by
visionary leadership, commitment to long-term planning,
strong processes and supporting infrastructure. As a result,
Bilbao has transformed from an obsolete industrial port to
a bustling centre of knowledge and culture in 25 years. The
critical ingredient that differentiates Bilbao from other cities
is its active citizenry. The city formulated ‘Bilbao Ria 2000’ in
close consultation with key public and private stakeholders
to instil in citizens a sense of ownership and responsibility in
sculpting their city. This was the main catalyst for the vast
improvements in Bilbao.
The Yellow River Conservancy Commission of China
implemented an integrated water basin management
system that is unrivalled in scale. In 10 years, China’s
second longest river was transformed through innovative
and sustainable water policies and solutions. It achieved its
aims of securing water for over 100 million people, restoring
extensive areas of wetlands and biodiversity, and protecting
some 90 million people living in flood-prone areas. These
efforts earned the Commission the 2010 Lee Kuan Yew
Water Prize.
Curitiba’s comprehensive and integrated public transit
system, as well as its pedestrianised downtown walkways,
helped to significantly reduce its people’s dependence on
motor vehicles. The driving force behind this change was
Mr. Jaime Lerner, who envisaged the city as one for
people not cars. Curitiba has inspired and influenced the
transportation policies of many other cities.
Mr. Mah also elaborated on the importance of international
collaboration in elevating the standards of sustainable
development practices. The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City
project shows how a vision shared by two governments,
to build a thriving, environmentally friendly and resource-
efficient city based on the concept of harmonious
urbanisation, has spurred innovation in both technology and
methods of governance for sustainable development.
12. 6
Dr. Han Seung Soo
Former Prime Minister, Republic of Korea, and
Honorary President, Korea Water Forum
Dr. Han Seung Soo noted
that clean and safe water
was increasingly scarce
due to growing urbanisation
and climate change. Water
security was therefore
becoming an important
international issue. He
observed that average global
temperature have gone up
by one degree centigrade
over the past 10,000 years,
of which 0.74 degrees rose since the Industrial Revolution.
Global temperature is projected to rise 6.4 degrees by
the end of this century, if no action is taken to mitigate
carbon emissions. Powerful hurricanes and cyclones,
such as Hurricane Katrina, are clear reminders that the
scale and pace of changes wrought by global warming are
unprecedented. Dr. Han emphasised that as environmental
problems transcend boundaries, we have all become
stakeholders and there is the need to encourage global
cooperation. He also emphasised the symbiotic relationship
between economic growth and environmental sustainability.
In his native country, South Korea, the government adopted
a strategy of ‘low carbon, green growth’ on 15 August
2008. It aimed to transform the current quantity-oriented
growth paradigm into a new quality-oriented model. The
government hopes to create new engines of higher growth,
while ensuring climatic and environmental sustainability.
Korea has introduced various measures to set ‘low carbon,
green growth’ into policy. Examples include the presidential
commission on green growth, which was set up in February
2009, as well as a five-year green growth plan. The National
Assembly also passed a framework on low carbon, green
growth, which came into force in April 2010. This framework
was the first of its kind in the world. The Korean government
has declared its intention to cut carbon emissions by 30%
by 2020. It also established the Global Green Growth
Institute, chaired by Dr. Han, to promote South Korea’s ‘low
carbon, green growth’ paradigm across the world.
Mrs. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka
UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director,
UN-HABITAT
Mrs. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka
began by highlighting
Singapore as an example of a
newly sustainable, inclusive,
friendly and green city. She
informed the audience that
one billion people still lived in
slums in squatter settlements
across the world. Many slum
dwellers and urban poor were
in the Asia Pacific region,
but the greatest challenge
was in Africa, where the depth of urban poverty and squalor
was greatest. About 70% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s urban
population lived in slums and squatters without water,
sanitation, durable housing or secure tenure. One approach
to address this challenge was to share the best practices of
countries that had successfully solved the housing problem
for the urban masses, such as Singapore, where the low-
income were able to afford housing as well.
Mrs. Tibaijuka explained that UN-HABITAT promoted the
idea of participatory governance, where women and children
could participate in developing safe and clean habitats. She
noted that, in particular, the development of clean sanitation
would greatly improve their human dignity. Progress has
been made, and about 227 million slum dwellers have
been raised out of poverty. However, another 55 million
became slum dwellers during this time. Mrs. Tibaijuka
also emphasised that we must continue to prepare for
new challenges, such as rising sea levels, which will cause
people to lose their homes.
13. 7
H.E. Dr. Jumaa Ahmed Al Kaabi
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture,
Kingdom of Bahrain
Dr. Jumaa Ahmed Al Kaabi
shared Bahrain’s plans
for sustainable urban
development. Bahrain is
located at the heart of
the Arabian Gulf, with an
area of 750sqkm and a
population of 1 million
people. He emphasised that
collaboration is needed to
find innovative and serious
solutions to issues like
formulating development policies, encouraging investment,
integrated transportation, safe environment, and sustainable
and social development.
Dr. Al Kaabi said Bahrain has become a modern state where
much emphasis is given to public participation in decision-
making and comprehensive sustainable development.
Development policies at the local level are managed by
an elected council. As part of the world’s aim to attain
the Millennium Development Goals, Bahrain has outlined
a vision and formulated an initial strategy with 2030 in
mind, designed to give a central focus to the principles of
sustainability, competitiveness and fairness.
Bahrain has shifted from an oil-based economy to a
competitive and productive economy on an international
scale. The private sector now plays a key role in boosting
the economy, with the aim of increasing productivity levels.
Bahrain aims to emphasise high-potential local sectors,
emerging economy possibilities, and building international-
standard infrastructure. To realise this vision, a national
plan has been developed, taking into consideration various
economic, environmental, social and urban planning factors.
The goal of the national plan was to show Bahrain’s evolution
and expansion through thoughtful land use and economic
growth. It aimed to develop Bahrain into an intelligent island
and the financial, business and banking capital of the Gulf
region, with private-sector driven financial businesses.
Dr. Noeleen Heyzer
UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary,
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(UNESCAP)
Dr Noeleen Heyzer
highlighted the Asia
Pacific region’s four urban
challenges. The first was the
sheer scope and rapid pace
of urbanisation. Cities in the
Asia Pacific are home to 1.6
billion people, and by 2025
they will house 2.3 billion.
This means we must provide
jobs, housing, water, energy,
transport, education, health
and cultural infrastructure for an additional 120,000 people
every day for the next 15 years. This mission is especially
daunting, as governments find it difficult to provide for
existing city dwellers, and the situation is made more
complex by unplanned urban growth.
The next challenge was unsustainable development. The
region had achieved spectacular economic growth, social
progress and poverty reduction, and cities are at the
forefront of this. Ho Chi Minh City’s per capita GDP was
almost three times that of Vietnam. Mumbai, Singapore
and Shanghai were centres of regional and international
business and connectivity. However, a ‘grow first, clean
up later’ strategy came at a cost. The ecological footprint
of some cities is three to five times global per capita
averages. Our cites account for 67% of all energy use, 71%
of all greenhouse gas emissions, and 300 million tonnes
of solid waste a year. They face problems of congested
roads, and energy and water shortages. Urban waterways
in some cities are so polluted that no life can survive in
them. Maintaining this trajectory would be environmentally,
economically and socially devastating.
14. 8
Climate change was the third challenge. Over half of the
Asia Pacific’s urban residents live in low-lying areas. They
are at risk from extreme weather such as floods and
typhoons, which can wipe out years of development and
poverty reduction measures in hours or days. The frequency
and intensity of such extreme weather will grow with climate
change, affecting energy, water and food security. Natural
disasters affect both rich and poor, but it is the poor who
suffer most as they do not have assets to cope with risks.
The final challenge was the ‘urbanisation of poverty’,
manifested in slums and squatter settlements. Around 35%
to 40% of the region’s urban residents live in slums. Urban
Asia reveals persistent disparities in income and access to
services and opportunities. Left unaddressed, these can
lead to social grievances that can be mobilised for crime,
violence and social unrest.
Given existing and future needs, we must rethink our
development paradigms and lifestyles. Development should
be economically productive, environmentally sustainable,
socially inclusive and just, participatory in decision-making,
culturally vibrant, internationally and regionally connected,
and resilient to climate change and other disasters.
To realise these ideals, Dr. Heyzer advocated inclusive,
low-carbon, green growth strategies. Urban planning and
infrastructure design should make cities compact and
eco-efficient, and maximise the benefits of public transport
system. We should also invest in eco-efficient buildings and
infrastructure, clean water, better waste management and
smart energy grids. More efficient resource use will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and make societies more resilient
to shocks, like volatility in food and fuel prices.
We must engage civil society and businesses to reduce
consumption and promote sustainable lifestyles. The private
sector should embrace the wellbeing of people and our
planet, while generating profits. The right incentives could
encourage markets to adopt this agenda. We would need
to start internalising the real cost of using natural resources,
particularly water and energy.
Cities and communities, especially the poor, must grow
resilient to climate change. We need to identify vulnerable
areas in cities, and integrate disaster preparedness in
urban planning and management. We should also ensure
the poor have access to safer and more secure housing,
and strengthen their ability to recover from disasters
through strategies like urban-based finance and micro-
insurance schemes.
Dr. Heyzer acknowledged that adopting inclusive and
sustainable development strategies would not be easy. It will
require transforming the way we manage, plan and govern
our cities. But she felt we must move from piecemeal
planning and management to inclusive and integrated
approaches, which viewed urban and rural areas as part
of a continuous system. This would let us coordinate
national and local government efforts with civil society
and communities. Governments had to foster constant
learning, from both their own experiences and also other
countries facing similar situations. Finally, she advocated the
development of institutions that were inclusive, integrated
and adaptive to ensure our future.
Mr. Huang Qifan
Mayor of Chongqing, China
Mr. Huang Qifan outlined
Chongqing’s commitment
to harmonious living and
sustainable development
for its residents. Chongqing
has an area of 82,000sqkm,
and 32 million people, with
half living in cities. The
municipality is undergoing
rapid industrialisation and
urbanisation to become a
leading economic zone and
world-class metropolis. In the next 10 years, urban areas will
double from the current 500sqkm.
15. 9
Chongqing has many small urban areas under its
jurisdiction. It aims to link these through efficient transport
and industry integration into a megacity. As part of this,
the government advocates five attributes: environmental
conservation, seamless connectivity, liveability, peace and
health. It aims to solve environmental issues and increase
green cover from 35% to 50%. Transport networks are
being built, with eight railways and eight expressways
linking surrounding cities. Following Singapore’s example,
Mayor Huang said Chongqing aims to build 40 million public
housing apartments. The municipality’s public safety index is
now at 95%, and the average mortality age for residents is
at an acceptable 77 years old.
Chongqing’s developmental strategy was necessarily
people-centred. This meant providing jobs for residents.
The government was developing new industries to create
employment, focusing on six sectors: automobiles,
telecommunications, equipment manufacturing, heavy
chemical engineering, materials supply and energy
production. The government had also raised residents’
educational levels via better access to higher education.
A comprehensive social security framework was also being
developed, to meets the people’s healthcare needs.
Mr. Wim Kuijken
Government Commissioner for the Delta Programme,
the Netherlands
Mr. Wim Kuijken noted that
coastal regions and deltas
across the globe benefit from
their strategic locations, but
also face many challenges.
These mostly relate to
changing sea levels and
climate, freshwater supply
and water management.
With a long history in
water management, the
Netherlands saw for itself a
global responsibility and role in sharing its expertise. This was
seen in cooperation between the Dutch and many foreign
countries. A quarter of the Netherlands lies below sea level,
with some areas almost 6m below sea level. Almost a third
is prone to flooding from rivers. Hence, more than half the
country is flood-prone, and these are densely populated
areas, where two-thirds of GNP is earned and where the
main ports are located. However, due to consistent efforts,
this is also the world’s best protected delta.
On 1 February 1953, the fatal combination of a north-
westerly storm and spring tide drove sea levels up.
Dykes burst and water flooded a large part of the country.
Over 1,800 people drowned. In response, the Dutch
then built their famous deltaworks to keep their land safe.
The population grew from 11 million in 1960 to 16.5 million
today, and invested capital has increased enormously.
The government thus believes the land deserves additional
protection. With rising sea levels and decreasing soil
levels due to global warming, the Netherlands will face
drier summers and wetter winters. If nothing is done, the
Netherlands may face water shortages in summer, and
winter flooding. Although they cannot predict exactly the
speed of these changes, the Netherlands’ policy is to act
instead of react. Government has planned for the future
in consultation with stakeholders from NGOs, research
institutes and private sector.
Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port, and is a major force in
the Dutch economy. It is near an open river and open sea,
but is also part of a large urban region. The government
is studying a few options. One is to build open levees,
with higher and wider dykes. These may even contain
residences. Another idea to build closed levees with locks,
or closable open dams with a system of flood barriers. The
government is also concerned that freshwater supplies will
be disrupted if sea levels rise, as saltwater will enter via river
estuaries. It is examining how to use water storage basins
to regulate freshwater supply. Dramatic physical intervention
requires sufficient implementation time, sometimes over 30
years. Therefore, there is a need to look further ahead, to
the end of century.
16. 10
In view of these concerns, the Netherlands set up the Delta
Programme to safeguard their economy and ensure future
generations will inherit a safe country to inhabit. Funding for
this programme has been guaranteed through a dedicated
fund, with 1 billion Euros per year from 2020, and the
programme will be updated yearly. Mr. Kuijken emphasised
it is important to not look at safety in isolation, but in
relation to other aspects. The Netherlands must retain a
pleasant, attractive and open landscape, and not become a
watertight bunker. The Dutch government considers issues
like urban development, agriculture and recreation. It seeks
to incorporate both safety and quality of spatial planning
in future plans, to make safety attractive. Recognising
the importance of citizen inputs, government works with
ministries, provincial water boards, citizens and focus
groups, while cooperating with knowledge institutes and
firms. This water partnership network brings together private
firms, government, knowledge institutions and NGOs. One
such venture is one with Singapore’s Public Utilities Board,
which culminated in the opening of the Netherlands water
house in Singapore.
Dr. Sadayuki Sakakibara
Chairman of the Board and CEO, Toray Industries, Inc
Dr. Sadayuki Sakakibara
explained Japan’s approach
to global environmental
issues, focusing on
industries. He described
the Japanese decision to
invest in green innovation.
In September 2009, Japan
announced ambitious
targets for greenhouse gas
reduction. The government
was advised to promote
green innovation, as the country had various advanced
technologies to contribute to solving global environmental
issues. The government thus decided to invest heavily in
environmental technologies, including water treatment.
Next, Dr. Sakakibara gave examples of industries where
Japan was trying to pursue green innovation. With
components like LCDs, ceramic condensers and lithium ion
batteries, Japan contributed to the mobile phone industry.
Another example was the desalination industry. Japan
sought to raise the competitiveness of desalination plants
using components like reverse osmosis membranes and
high-pressure pumps. In the last 10 years, Japan fostered
cooperation between industry, academia and government
to develop radical and innovative solutions for water needs.
In 2009, the All-Japan Collaboration scheme was set up to
solve global water issues by providing total solutions using
cutting edge components, materials and technologies.
A new growth strategy also committed the government to
supporting a wide range of water projects. Toray Industries,
which Dr. Sakakibara headed, was dedicated to developing
advanced materials, products, technologies and services for
a sustainable planet.
Toray manufactured carbon fibre, used in cars and aircrafts.
This lightweight material was superior to steel in tensile
strength. Manufacturing one tonne of carbon fibre emitted
22 tonnes of carbon dioxide. However, if used to replace
conventional automobile components, a tonne of carbon
fibre would cut carbon dioxide emissions by 70 tonnes
over the vehicle’s lifespan. Likewise, one tonne of carbon
fibre would cut carbon dioxide emissions by 1,400 tonnes
over an aircraft’s ten-year lifespan. Another Toray product,
the reverse osmosis membrane, was used to desalinate
seawater and treat wastewater. These membranes
produced some 16 million tonnes of water a day, supplying
drinking water to 60 million people globally. Compared
to conventional distillation, reverse osmosis membranes
emit 80% less carbon dioxide. Dr. Sakakibara said that,
collectively, these two products would cut 220 million tonnes
of carbon dioxide emissions by 2020. Advanced material
products would play a key role in emissions reduction.
17. 11
Mr. Amitabh Kant
CEO & Managing Director, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial
Corridor Development Corporation
Mr. Kant noted that India
would become a mostly
urban country by 2040,
with close to 350 million
new urban residents. A new
India was being built, with
around 80% of infrastructure
being created. This was
happening while India was
still young. 65% of Indians
were between 15 and 65
years old, and the country
was undergoing a demographic transition. Urbanisation in
India thus needed visionary leadership, capacity building
and creative decision-making.
The Indian government’s key objective is to sustain current
growth rates of 9% to 10% annually, over the next three
decades. To achieve this, India was developing world-class
industries, and had quarried New Delhi and Mumbai for
this purpose. India aims to enhance its manufacturing and
reduce logistic costs. On both sides of the Delhi-Mumbai
Industrial Corridor, 24 new cities were planned. This was a
unique opportunity to plan, develop and build new cities,
which were both ecologically and economically sustainable.
Mr. Kant told the audience India had completed
masterplanning various cities, with help from some of
the world’s greatest planners, including Singapore and
the United States. A strategic approach was being
adopted, with huge consequences for future generations.
Urbanisation presented major challenges, but also huge
opportunities. He noted that most planners persist with
models based on the West, where people had cheap
access to gas, water and other public resources. However,
today’s world is far more complex and crowded, and we
have more limited resources. New cities must be dense,
compact and polycentric, with mixed developments.
Massive recycling of water and waste was critical, as were
methods to reduce energy consumption. He also stressed
the need for public transport, cycling and walking.
To meet these aims, Mr. Kant felt smart technology, and the
converging and integration of technology, were key. India
was working with four Japanese consortia to introduce smart
cities in India. India recognised that smart cities were not
just about hardware, but also about softer elements like art,
culture, parks museums and theatres. These facilitate social
clustering and community interaction. In this regard, the Delhi-
Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation faced
immense challenges, as it was a public-private partnership,
and not a state-driven approach. Over their 30-year lifespan,
each city was already very economically viable. But in the
initial 10 to 11 years, revenue-expenditure mismatches had
occurred. Therefore, cities had to bring in large financial
instruments, capable of providing lending over a long period
of time at low interest rates.
Mr. Kant concluded by stressing the importance of India’s
development to the world. With its enormous population,
Indian development will have a critical impact on global
sustainability.
18. 12
plenary 1
sustainable and high growth cities:
balancing development and environment
This session focused on two aspects of the city. First, cities are major generators of national wealth, and act as engines
of poverty reduction in developing countries. Next, cities are sources of environmental problems, but also of solutions.
Moderator Patricia Clarke Annez noted a ‘pragmatic optimism’ during this session, combining a sober assessment of
the scale and urgency of problems, with a can-do sense of excitement. There was a reversal of the old message that
urbanisation was too rapid. Rather, it was now embraced as key to poverty reduction, linking populations to global flows
of investment and technology, and a source of positive change, from falling birth rates to higher energy efficiency. But for it
to be socially, economically and environmentally beneficial, urbanisation had to be ‘done right’. Several urban issues were
already well understood. One consensus was that Los Angeles style urban sprawl nurtured an undesirable reliance on cars.
Most speakers advocated compact, high-density cities with a high quality of life. Speakers discussed ideas for promoting
renewable energy, improving efficiency, retrofitting buildings and recycling water and waste. There was also attention to the
issue of how to effect changes, including ways to compel or incentivise green industries and behaviours, and how to improve
technical capacities in the smaller cities of developing nations.
Left to right: Dr. Patricia Clarke Annez, Mr. Lee Tzu Yang, Prof. Saskia Sassen, Mr. James Adams, Ms. Katrin Lompscher,
Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, Mr. Majid Al Mansouri and Mr. Peter Schwartz
19. 13
Ms. Katrin Lompscher
Senator of Health, the Environment and Consumer
Protection, Berlin
the EU strategy: 2020 targets,
Berlin’s responses
Before presenting Berlin’s achievements and success in
environmental policy, Ms. Katrin Lompscher qualified that
Berlin was different from many Asian cities. Berlin’s population
size was relatively stable. In fact, it may decline in the future,
requiring immigration for continued stability. It was not a
high growth city, and did not need many new buildings or
infrastructure. Berlin was also not as dynamic as Asian cities in
terms of economic development. Its urban infrastructure was
already highly developed and matched its economic needs.
Lastly, Europe, and especially Germany, had a tradition of
environmental thinking and policies, starting as early as the
1980s when the first Environmental Act came into force.
European Union (EU) collaboration enabled global issues
like climate protection and sustainable development to be
addressed. The first report by the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change in 1990 stated that carbon emission
reductions of 60% to 80% were needed to stabilise
atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. Since
then, the EU has been at the forefront of global efforts to fight
climate change. It developed a new energy strategy for 2011
to 2020, which promoted a resource-efficient Europe and a
commitment to deliver ‘20-20-20’ targets. These aimed to
cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, increase renewable
energy use by 20%, and save 20% of the energy used in
the EU, compared with 1990. Under certain conditions at
the international level, the EU was even aiming for a 30%
reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions. As the EU’s biggest
economy, Germany has played a leading role in climate
protection policy. In 2009, the federal government raised its
carbon emissions reduction target to 40%, a goal shared by
the city-state of Berlin.
Like other cities, Berlin faced the challenge of climate
change. According to forecasts, it would have to adapt to
a climate currently typical in Rome or Madrid in 50 years.
This threatened not just Berlin’s water supply and cultural
landscape, but also its people’s livelihoods and health.
To mitigate this, the city decided to improve energy efficiency
in all sectors and to increase the use of renewable energy,
focussing on the building sector. Buildings accounted for more
than 40% of the city’s energy use. Berlin also identified the
development of a highly efficient energy supply system, and
the reorganisation of urban traffic to be more environmentally
friendly, as key issues to tackle.
Ms. Lompscher gave a short overview of Berlin’s climate
protection measures, which began with the 1990 Energy
Saving Act, followed by the founding of the Berlin Energy
Agency in 1992. In 1994, the first energy concept was
developed. Since then, energy programmes were launched
every five years. Berlin Energy Agency was responsible
for the 1996 energy saving contracting programme which
aimed to reduce the energy needs of public buildings. This
was made possible by making it attractive for both building
owners and the private contractors who invested in the
energy efficiency of buildings. Owners were guaranteed
cost savings of 16% to 36%, which would be shared
with contractors. Contractors could then refinance their
investment through energy cost savings, within a period of
8 to 15 years.
To meet the 40% target for carbon emission cuts, Berlin also
concluded 12 self-committing partnership agreements for
private and public companies, including energy providers,
city cleaning firms, housing associations, hospitals and the
zoo. More such agreements were underway. As these efforts
still fell short of the targets, Berlin fostered the use of solar
energy, biomass and other renewable energy sources for
heating buildings. A Climate Protection Bill would come into
force in 2011. It stipulates that all existing buildings must
use renewable energy for heating and warm water supply.
All building owners must also take measures to cut energy
use. As a result, a further reduction of about a million tonnes
of carbon dioxide emissions per year was expected. Due
to these initiatives, Berlin’s 2050 greenhouse gas emissions
would be 85% less than 1990 levels, making it a sustainable
and climate-friendly city.
20. 14
Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss
Vice-President, Knowledge Management and Sustainable
Development, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
ADB’s strategy 2020: balancing the
economy and the environment - liveable
and sustainable cities for asia and
the pacific
Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss observed that Asia’s urbanisation
was multifaceted and involved a complex process. 1.5
billion Asians lived in cities in 2010, rising to 3 billion
by 2030. Asia and the Pacific’s urban infrastructure
deficit were estimated to be about US$60 billion a year.
Supplying infrastructure to these cities without damaging
the environment would be a major challenge in the coming
years. She also observed that Asian cities were merging
along trade corridors into ‘city-regions’, massive urban
areas that were larger in size and importance than the 20th
century’s megacities. City-regions were fast becoming
engines of growth. Managing these areas, to balance
economic development with improved quality of life and
sustainability, would be a great challenge. Cities generated
the majority of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in most
countries, but cities or urban consumers, were responsible
for 75% of greenhouse gas emissions on average.
In terms of poverty reduction and quality of life, Dr Schafer-
Preuss said cities had performed relatively well. The 2010/11
UN Habitat reports showed that slum upgrading had moved
227 million people out of slum conditions since 2000.
However, more effort was needed as the absolute number
of slum-dwellers grew from 770 million to 827 million in the
same decade. 505 million slum dwellers were in Asia. The
poor were also most vulnerable to the impact of climate
change, like flooding and other incidents of violent weather.
Hitherto, ADB’s urban lending of over $13 billion had
focused on physical infrastructure, but Dr Schaeffer-Preuss
recognised that new, multifaceted approaches were needed.
The priorities of ADB’s 2020 Strategy for the environment
and climate change included economic development and
poverty reduction. Guided by a new Urban Operation Plan,
ADB was adopting the 3E approach to sustainable urban
development, focusing on the Environmental, Economic and
Equity dimensions.
It was essential to understand how to cut urban energy
demand and the undesirable environmental impact of
economic growth. ADB’s Green Cities Agenda tried to
address this by bolstering the role of cities in improving quality
of life, as well as mitigating and adapting to climate change.
The challenge was to support the component cities of urban
corridors and regions in growing more productive industry
and spreading the benefits of growth. To do this, ADB would
target assistance at key supports for successful industry
clusters, identified as infrastructure, differentiated skills
development, research and development, specialised finance,
and regional cooperation. ADB would also assess cities’
vulnerability to climate and other related disasters.
Dr. Schafer-Preuss ended by saying ADB would support
governments by financing investments in the three core
foundations of liveable cities. To build efficient, sustainable,
and equitable cities for the future, she pledged that ADB
would proactively respond to current and anticipated needs of
its development partners. ADB’s focus was on practical ways
to improve the environment and cities, support economies,
and foster proper investments.
Mr. James Adams
Vice-President, East Asia and Pacific Region, World Bank
paradox of urban poverty versus wealth
creation in cities
Mr. James Adams said the
World Bank worked closely
with governments to provide
world-class infrastructure
in urban areas. It viewed
its objectives as improving
investment climates, and
enabling the urban poor and
disenfranchised to move into
productive activity.
Mr Adams noted that
more than half the world now lived in cities. Even more
significantly, 90% of urban growth would be in the
developing world over the next 20 years. The challenge to
deliver urban services and support to two billion new urban
residents would be considerable. Much of this growth would
be in small and medium sized cities. Already more than half
the world’s urban population lived in cities smaller than half
a million residents. The challenges faced were broader, and
went beyond those of global cities.
21. 15
Urbanisation’s scale and pace posed major challenges
to public policy. Rural-urban migration was a problem
faced by many governments. As a result, poverty was
urbanising. World Bank data showed that in the next 20
years, all regions except Eastern Europe would face rising
urban poverty. Massive urban congestion would also bring
fundamental structural changes to cities, with multifold
growth in built-up areas and urban sprawl. This raised
complex issues of urban management, higher infrastructure
costs and irreversible environmental challenges. In the
next 20 years, built-up areas in developing countries
would expand to an estimated 400,000sqkm, equal to the
world’s total built-up area in 2000. Recent events, such as
natural disasters and the financial crisis, brought additional
challenges to developing countries and policy-making.
Despite these problems, Mr. Adams argued urbanisation
provided remarkable opportunities for growth and
development. The World Bank 2009 World Development
Report found that much national wealth was created
in cities, with a strong correlation between urban and
overall economic growth. It noted that no country had
achieved advanced development levels without urbanising.
In particular, large primary cities were gateways to the
international economy. They provided access to trade and
globalisation, which play a key role in economic growth.
The report also found that density was critical for efficient
service delivery. Done properly, service delivery can reduce
per capita costs, attract investments and facilitate growth.
A key message in the report reversed the old message
that rapid urbanisation was problematic. Besides being
inevitable, urbanisation was essential to driving economic
growth, bringing prosperity and reducing poverty. The report
underlined the need to rethink how urbanisation could be
managed, within a sustainable framework. It also concluded
that urban development and high growth could be achieved
effectively and sustainably, through appropriate government
policies and investments.
Based on its 2009 World Development Report, World
Bank devised a framework for the East Asia region called
‘Eco2 Cities’. Mr. Adams called this an operational analytic
framework, to help cities design and develop sustainable
pathways for growth. Providing a set of methods and tools,
recommendations, and access to financial resources, it was
a city-based approach which focused on the capacity and
strategies of local government. It provided an expanded
platform to collaborate on design and decision-making,
engaging all key stakeholders. As a one-system approach,
it let key stakeholders work on issues simultaneously. It was
also an investment framework, focused on sustainability and
resilience. Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam,
were now adapting the Eco2 Cities framework for their work
programmes with the World Bank, and other development
partners, like ADB.
The World Bank was also developing an urban hub in
Singapore. Two key areas of focus were firstly, to tap
onto Singapore’s successful urbanisation experience, and
secondly, to draw on Singapore’s strong skills, to provide
support for World Bank regions. The urban hub would
showcase global best practices in urban management
and financing. It would help cities and counties to adapt
specific models, providing a basis for working with local
and national governments in implementing successful
urban frameworks. The World Bank would also work with
governments to improve technical capacity at national and
sub-national levels to address urban challenges. Mr. Adams
ended by saying the World Bank looked forward to working
with governments, the private sector and donor partners
to provide both financial and analytic support, and to
strengthen urban programmes, so as to provide a basis for
sustainable growth in East Asia and the Pacific.
H.E. Mr. Majid Al Mansouri
Secretary-General, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
developments in Abu Dhabi
Mr. Majid Al Mansouri said
that, as one of the world’s
fastest growing cities,
Abu Dhabi faced many
challenges. Its government
was trying to diversify the
economy away from a heavy
dependence on oil and gas,
to other sectors like services.
Three years ago, it introduced
a new policy agenda, which
focused on achieving a
sustainable balance between the environment, economy
and social development.
22. 16
The ‘Estidama’ programme promoted a new way of
constructing buildings and built environments, by focusing
on energy and water-saving. Abu Dhabi is now highly
dependent on natural gas for its energy needs, but the
government projected that by 2020, it aimed to derive 7% of
its energy from renewable sources, solar energy in particular.
A new US$600 million, 100MW solar energy project was
underway. A nuclear plant would also supply around 30%
of the country’s energy. For mobility and transport, the
government would put in place measures to convert 20% of
public and government transport to compressed natural gas
(CNG) by 2012. To support this, government would invest
US$1 billion in CNG infrastructure. This would cut emissions
and improve air quality.
Abu Dhabi aimed to reduce ground water depletion by
reusing treated sewage water. There were plans for a new
irrigation system and utilising new agricultural technologies.
By locally cultivating vegetables to meet 40% of consumption,
Abu Dhabi could significantly reduce its ecological footprint.
Another recent government policy allowed a maximum of
10% of waste to be sent to the landfill, while the rest would
be reused and recycled. A few years ago, the government
also launched the ‘Masdar initiative’ to turn Abu Dhabi
into a global hub for renewables. Now under construction,
Masdar City will host many innovative and new technologies,
while the Masdar Institute, started in collaboration with the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, would be the region’s
main renewables research centre.
The government had begun to raise public awareness of
sustainability and environmental issues faced by a new and
fast growing city like Abu Dhabi. By 2030, the government
planned to reduce the future growth of Abu Dhabi by 30%.
Under the ‘Abu Dhabi Urban Planning 2030’ initiative,
30% of the city’s population would shift to a new capital
district of the United Arab Emirates. This would also reduce
the number of buildings in the city. The government also
sought to facilitate mobility, by raising the provision of
public transport, including underground trains and stations,
under its ‘Abu Dhabi Mobility 2030 plans’. Ultimately, these
measures aimed to address the challenge of environmental
sustainability, while seeking to ensure that a high quality of
life in the city was preserved.
Prof. Saskia Sassen
Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology,
Columbia University
globalisation and cities
Prof. Saskia Sassen observed
that much had been said
about how globalisation
made cities similar to each
other. However, she argued
this was only partly correct.
She emphasised that this
era of globalisation was
not just economic, but also
political and cultural. It ‘pulls
out, develops, values, the
specialised differences of
cities’. The deep economic and cultural histories of cities
would grow in importance. Previously, and particularly
during the Keynesian era and in the West, there was more
standardisation across cities. Today, the variability of cities
should mean that knowledge – for example, about the
environment, or how to handle a financial crisis – should
emerge from the particularities of cities. This represented
a ‘marriage between fairly standardised, often extremely
abstract forms of knowledge, and the specifics of a place’.
Prof. Sassen spoke of the particularity of the current financial
crisis. There had been a number of financial crises, especially
if country-adjustment crises were counted. There had
been more than 70 crises, including a few big ones. The
particularity of the current crisis involved leveraging, and
extremely speculative activity. Regions were also affected
differently. Expected bank losses were largest in the United
States, followed closely by Europe, with significantly lower
losses expected in Asia. The compositions of these crises
were also different. The critical component of the current crisis
was that it was ‘Made in America’. From 2001 to 2007, credit
default grew from US$1 trillion to US$62 trillion – larger than
global GDP. The estimated notional value of derivatives was
US$600 trillion, 14.5 times that of global GDP. Prof. Sassen
said the crisis was so severe that it offered an opportunity for
innovating, rethinking and trying alternatives. She described
the West as dominated by financial logic, and the idea that
a financial crisis could be addressed through a financial
solution. She saw this as problematic.
23. 17
Turning to the environment, Prof. Sassen argued that
complexity in cities allowed for ‘a bridge between the
multiple ecologies of the city and the multiple ecologies
of the biosphere’. The approach should not be to flatten
or reduce problems to common denominators, but rather
to use the complexity of the city. She cited two aspects
of cities that should allow for such bridging: cities were
multi-scalar, and they had multiple ecologies. She noted
that other presenters would address environmental issues
from the perspective of science and biology, which she
would not elaborate on. Instead, she proposed the notion
of ‘reorienting the material and organisational ecologies
of cities’. Cities already had multiple bridges with the
biosphere, but these were mostly negative and destructive.
Prof. Sassen posed the question of how the balance of
these bridges could be altered, so that they could protect
and be conducive to environmental sustainability.
Mr. Peter Schwartz
Co-founder and Chairman, Global Business Network
climate change: urgent and real
Mr. Peter Schwartz said his
presentation would convey
two main points: one, climate
change was urgent and real,
and two, choices made about
the future of cities would have
the most important impact
on climate change in the
long run. He described the
two decisions made by US
policy-makers that shaped the
environment and energy use
for decades. These were, first, building the inter-state highway
system, and, second, providing cheap loans to Korean War
and Second World War veterans to buy suburban homes on
small land plots. This resulted in people being spread across
the landscape and they had to use cars for everything. This
has shaped America’s energy and environmental policies over
the last 50 years.
Mr Schwartz stressed that climate change would not unfold
in a gradual pattern. Climate change was already underway
and it would come ‘suddenly, abruptly and extremely’. We
faced an era of global climactic extremes and variability,
such as droughts, severe storms and rising sea levels. He
warned that climate change was already upon us and would
occur quickly, dramatically and in more places than we could
imagine. The situation was extremely urgent and we did not
have decades to wait.
Referencing Peter Calthorpe’s forthcoming book, Urbanization
in the Era of Climate Change, Mr Schwartz said urban density
was one of the most important factors determining energy
and environmental impact. Manhattan was the most energy-
efficient place in the US, as buildings were close together and
everybody walked, rode elevators and took public transport.
Energy use could be reduced in this way. ‘New Urbanism’
patterns were developing in ‘transit villages’, as also seen
in Singapore. Finally and most importantly, urbanisation
led women to move to cities and enter urban economies,
resulting in lower birth rates. A falling global birth rate was a
key factor in our long-term environmental future. Therefore,
the city was among the most important engines for reducing
environmental impact.
There were two basic arenas where change could occur: land
use, and policies relating to energy alternatives. Decisions
about the distribution of land and people were key. Also
key were energy standards and costs, building efficiency
and retrofitting, and the use of renewable energy or coal.
A standard pattern of extreme automobile use could be
seen in all emerging markets. Auto-oriented development
was predominant, with some degree of compact growth
and a modest degree of urban infill. Instead, Mr Schwartz
advocated a smart growth model. This would be 10% auto-
oriented, and with 55% more compact growth and urban infill
to increase densities and use otherwise wasted land.
In the policy arena, he highlighted the role of energy choices,
fuel use, renewable energy portfolio, and especially, building
efficiency standards.
24. 18
Mr. Schwartz explored future scenarios involving two
dimensions of uncertainty. To continue with standard
development and policies, we would likely see continued
sprawl across the world, akin to Los Angeles or São Paolo.
By relying on new technology, we would only bring about
‘green sprawl’. In other words, we would drive more efficient
vehicles, but we would drive further. Just managing land
use and development patterns, but without using green
technologies, would produce ‘simple urbanism’. Mr. Schwartz
argued for the model of ‘green urbanism’, which involved
controlling land use, as well as using new transport, building
and electricity technologies. The policy combination of
managing sprawl and improved technologies for energy use,
production and efficiency, would be the most important lever
in the long run to reduce the impact of development, and the
likelihood of devastating climate change.
Mr. Lee Tzu Yang
Chairman, Shell Companies in Singapore
world faces transition to energy future
Mr. Lee Tzu Yang noted a consensus that the world faced
a transition to a new energy future. Global population was
expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, with much of that growth
in Asia. Rising affluence would propel demand for cars,
air-conditioners and computers, while development would
address the problem of poverty. As such, energy demand
could double by 2050.
Addressing the issue of sustainable mobility, he said car
numbers could double to 2 billion by 2050, with much
growth, again, in Asia. Vehicles in Southeast Asia were
expected to triple to 92 million by 2030. The critical question
was how to meet the demand for energy, or rather, mobility,
while enabling our cities to be liveable. Mr Lee responded
with three points. First, the quest for mobility was a given,
but how we met this demand would impact local and global
conditions. Next, cities could meet this challenge through
planning and design. Finally, low carbon options were being
developed but more had to be done.
To stress the point that the quest for mobility was undeniable,
Mr Lee noted that transport accounts for half the world’s
oil production, a third of its energy use, and 25% of carbon
dioxide emissions. Demand for fuels would likely grow, much
of it still in the form of liquid hydrocarbons. Every day, 14,000
new cars arrive on Chinese roads. Shell anticipated that
renewables could form up to 30% of the world’s total energy
mix by 2050. This represented unprecedented growth,
compared to 4% today. However, this shift would take 40
years, and only if we hurried. Nuclear and fossil fuels would
still make up the remaining 70%.
The critical questions for transport was ‘how to get the most
out of every drop’, in terms of efficiency, fuel usage, choice of
fuel type, journeys taken and variety of transport modes. He
asked how we could incentivise the most efficient transport.
Currently, there was great inequality in fuel efficiency. The
average car in Europe was 40% more efficient than in the US.
This saved Europe around 3.5 million barrels of imported oil
daily, equivalent to the total oil consumption of France and
the UK. Raising the kilometre per litre would emit less carbon
dioxide per litre. More countries were now addressing this.
China had leapfrogged the US with higher fuel efficiency
standards for its car production. The winner of the Shell-
sponsored Eco Marathon had set a record of 4,896km to one
litre, enough to drive from Singapore to Beijing. This showed
what could be achieved if we put our minds to it.
Mr. Lee felt the future of sustainable mobility was hybrid.
Varied fuels – from conventional gasoline to bio-fuels and
electricity – would meet future transport needs. Bio-fuels
were part of the mix as they could use existing infrastructure.
They were already a feature of the mandated approach in
several countries. Not all bio-fuels were the same, and the
end-to-end impact on greenhouse gas emissions had to
be understood. Brazilian sugarcane ethanol was judged by
most to be among the most carbon-efficient, and so Shell
concluded a deal with Brazilian bio-fuel producer Cosan.
Next generation bio-fuels look promising, like algae grown
in seawater. While electric vehicles would also be part of
the energy mix, the full benefits of lower carbon dioxide
emissions may not be realised if they were powered by
coal-fired power plants. In contrast, natural gas plants emit
half the carbon dioxide for the same amount of electricity.
Compact cities like Singapore, which use natural gas to
generate electricity, were ideal for testing electric vehicle
use. However, replicating it elsewhere may not be so easy.
Electric vehicles would improve air quality, but their impact
on global warming depended on electricity sources.
25. 19
Mr Lee said travel needs could be minimised through city
planning and design, such as by locating homes and schools
closer to offices and services, or promoting e-access and
e-working. Public transport could be integrated with city
facilities, and connectivity improved between different parts of
the public transport system. More passenger kilometres could
be achieved with fewer vehicle kilometres. Staggered work
hours could cut congestion, improve fuel efficiency and save
time for people. Compact cities were said to use a third less
energy than sprawling ones.
Other green city measures include green lungs and green
roofs, to curb the urban heat island effect and reduce
air-conditioning. Bicycle paths, comfortable walkways and
pedestrian-friendly precincts would also encourage human
energy use. Better telecommunication infrastructure and
connectivity could spur online services and change working
methods, reducing the need for travel. It also made the
movement of goods more efficient. Online ordering allowed
for better logistics planning, from manufacturing scheduling to
delivery. But even with the best designs, mobility needs would
endure, as people would still want to go out to work, play,
meet face-to-face and live without doing everything at home
or in virtual reality.
Providing mobility infrastructure, like roads and buildings,
was now carbon dioxide intensive. Low-carbon alternative
materials were needed. Shell created a line of bitumen
products that allowed roads to be laid at lower temperatures,
thus lowering energy use and carbon dioxide emissions
by 30%. Beyond environmental benefits, technologies like
‘Instapave’ minimise disruptions by enabling rapid road
surfacing. This saved time whilst connecting communities.
Mr. Lee noted something as basic as proper road
maintenance helped lower carbon dioxide emissions.
Concrete was another big source of emissions. It required
cement, which was made from limestone conversion at high
temperatures. Every tonne of cement generated 0.8 tonnes of
carbon dioxide. Using sulphur as the base instead of cement,
Shell developed ‘Thiocrete’, a concrete substitute for selected
applications. On a life cycle basis, it cut carbon dioxide
emissions by 30% to 50%. As it did not need water, it also
cut water-related energy and infrastructure costs.
Mr. Lee said the critical question was how to make
alternatives worthwhile, so consumers, companies and
communities adopt low carbon options in both fuel and
materials. A key step would be to put a price on carbon
dioxide emissions, through a carbon emissions market.
A market that limited emissions and capped allowances,
while enabling allowances to be traded, would shape
consumption via higher prices of goods and services.
Businesses would be motivated to channel ingenuity
and investments to find the most efficient way to reduce
emissions. This was why Shell backed a cap-and-trade
system. Mr. Lee recognised there were difficulties associated
with this system, like setting realistic and acceptable
baselines for countries, and monitoring and certifying
outcomes. Discussions in Copenhagen and Cancun were
the first steps of a necessary journey. While countries and
cities could tax emissions to discourage consumption
or favour particular technologies, such measures would
not ultimately produce the best alternatives. Taxes risked
distorting outcomes, while impacting competitiveness.
Mr Lee concluded that whatever short-term measures
were adopted, the importance of a market-based approach
in the long term could not be ignored.
26. 20
discussion
Dr. Patricia Clarke Annez (moderator)
Research Director, ‘Making Cities Work for Growth
Project’, and Non-Resident Senior Fellow,
Brookings Institution
Dr. Patricia Clarke Annez opened the discussion by noting
that speakers had painted a rich tableau, touching on
different points of scale. While there was some sober talk
on the scale of the challenge, she also observed a can-do,
pragmatic optimism.
Responding to the first question on the challenge of green
urbanisation, Mr. Schwartz stressed two elements: one,
the need for consensus on the reality, scale and urgency
of climate change, and two, an agreement that urbanisation
could be a powerful force, if done right. This meant raising
urban density, effectively managing energy use, and ensuring
the right energy sources were used. The answers were
obvious, not very difficult, nor particularly controversial, but
people desired single-family suburban houses as an ideal.
He cited Singapore as a vital alternative, where people
lived richly and deeply, with minimal environmental impact.
Emulating several of Singapore’s policies could provide
the urban development most likely to provide a high
quality of life and a growing economy with minimum
environmental impact.
Another participant observed there seemed a consensus
that urban sprawl led to significant energy waste and
environmental problems. Cities like Los Angeles, São Paolo
and Mexico City spread out, instead of inwards or upwards.
He asked if there were realistic signs that urban sprawl
was changing, and if there was an actual shift towards the
Singapore model. Prof. Sassen felt this was not a simple
issue. ‘Sprawl’ may not be the most appropriate term for
what occurred in megacities. Many slums had considerable
density, and São Paolo, Mumbai or Mexico City were
quite different from LA. Ironically, slums were often more
ecologically reasonable than parts of LA; many garbage
pickers there were self-defined eco-entrepreneurs. She
saw Singapore’s model as expensive, although it would
incur lower costs than the LA model. Even so, she felt it
was probably not feasible for much of the world to aspire
to Singapore’s model. For every Singapore, there would be
many global slums. We would have to change our systems
radically to achieve the Singapore model across the globe.
Therefore alternative models to the Singapore model were
needed as well.
Referring to her discussion of bridges between cities
and biosphere, a participant asked Prof. Sassen about
environmental services that could be applied using this
idea. Prof. Sassen described work she was doing with a
biologist, a nanotechnologist and an environmental engineer,
to capture complexities in cities and biospheres and to
identify linkages. A central problem was to identify activities
now occurring in factories, which could be ‘delegated back
to the biosphere’. One example was self-healing concrete.
Bacterium thrives here, where it builds calcium, creates
insulation, and purifies air. Experiments were now being
done with sidewalks. In general, Prof. Sassen felt the city
was ‘pregnant with possibilities’. Unlike other approaches
to efficiency, which flattened differences, she advocated
recovering particularities.
Dr. Annez noted Mr. Adams had described future population
growth as mostly in smaller and poorer cities in developing
countries. She asked him and Dr. Schaefer-Preuss how to
reach cities with less capacity, and which were not as tidy as
larger global cities. Dr. Schaefer-Preuss cited ADB’s Cities
Development Initiative in Asia, supported by the German,
Swedish and Spanish governments. This helped medium-
size cities tackle future problems by looking into climate
change, congestion and various social issues. Support and
advice were given to help partner cities develop capacity and
get better organised. Mr. Adams highlighted three ways the
World Bank engaged clients. One, decentralisation allowed
resources to be deployed locally so decisions could be made
there. The World Bank recognised that cities everywhere
were experimenting with different ways of doing things
and developing their own best practices. Where federal
governments faced many difficulties and found movement
difficult, a more dynamic range of services and actions
were available at the local level. The second issue was
how the World Bank could generalise these best practices
appropriately so they could be made available more broadly.
The final issue was capacity building, which presented
special problems with small cities. This was one area the
urban hub in Singapore would try to address, so that skills
could rise to levels where they could make a difference in
small urban areas.
A participant asked how to overcome sanitation and waste
management challenges in developing cities. Even without
climate change or population growth, there were tremendous
challenges in cities where only 10% to 15% of wastewater
was treated. Pathogens and chemicals that affected the
environment, human health and productivity were not
treated. He asked if speakers had any strategies, policies
27. 21
or technologies that could address this need. Mr. Al Mansouri
cited Abu Dhabi as a fast-growing city that had a strategy
for wastewater treatment. Government policy was to
treat sewage as a water resource, and to change public
perceptions of sewage water. Abu Dhabi now treated all
sewage, and a new strategy was being developed to divide
the water equally between landscaping and vegetable
production so that 40% of vegetable consumption could
be met locally. To do this, Abu Dhabi was working with a
Dutch university to adapt the latest greenhouse and crop
development technologies. In addition, indigenous plants
would be incorporated into urban landscaping. This would
mean all sewage-treated water could be recovered and
reused. The impact on ground water and desalination would
also be reduced.
Ms. Lompscher noted that when Europe underwent
industrialisation, its urban infrastructure was quickly
developed through large investments in public and private
partnerships. She stressed the importance of integrated
development of infrastructure and other urban sectors. If this
did not take place, the problems highlighted would surface.
Prof. Sassen added it was important to recover practices
and knowledge from the past. For example, the poor in Latin
America devised their own ways of purifying contaminated
water, as in the Rio Grande. She cited the two cycles of
nitrate, the nitrogen and carbon cycles. In the nitrogen cycle,
algae cleaned and revived water bodies. In the carbon cycle,
similar processes let us ‘delegate back to nature’. While this
was inapplicable to severe contamination like sewage, it
could apply to ‘chemically-killed water and earth’. We should
not be too focused on finding yet another new technology,
but rather use knowledge we already have from biology and
the sciences, to let nature do what she can do.
Dr Annez noted a lot of the discussion involved things that
were already known. She asked Mr. Lee how we could
mobilise this diversity of ideas into investments. Although
he had spoken about higher energy prices, she noted
the fluctuations in recent years and asked if a floor for
energy prices was required. Mr. Lee described himself as
a ‘technological optimist’ and said there was already a
great deal of technology, which if deployed correctly, could
improve lives tremendously. Still, there was a need to further
incentivise technology development and deployment.
This was where the right economic signals were required.
Fluctuating energy prices and market expectations worked
against long-term investments. Mr Lee agreed with Dr. Annez
on the pitfalls facing new technologies. Our environmental
problems demonstrated the failure of current market
mechanisms. We had to price greenhouse gases into
consumption, for individuals, businesses and communities.
This was why prices had to go up. In the short term, this
would be partly addressed by municipalities or countries that
use taxes to bring prices to a level where it formed a base
layer and helped bring prices to a level that may incentivise
change. However, the key question was whether the revenue
from these taxes would go back into the development of
new technologies needed for the future. He felt the market
was still needed to direct some of those resources into the
most efficient technology and deployment methods.
A participant noted a trend where failed technologies or
obsolete vehicles were exported from Singapore to Africa.
He asked Mr. Lee how this could be stopped, as it just
shifted environmental degradation from a developed to
developing country, and sweeping the problem under the
carpet. The same vehicle would still pollute the environment
be it in Africa or Asia. Mr. Lee was unfamiliar with this specific
trend, but he knew that Singapore’s secondhand vehicles
used to be exported, as the government gave tax returns
for taking the vehicle off the road. He did not know where
the vehicles went, but he believed they could have gone to
New Zealand and even Africa. He did not have an economic
solution to this problem, but from a technical sense, it would
help to improve the fuel used even in an older vehicle, albeit
not as much as replacing the vehicle. In terms of energy
efficiency, the biggest factor was driving behaviour, and this
was true of both old and new vehicles. When and how one
chose to drive were the biggest determinants of how much
fuel was used.
A participant from the floor felt excitement was missing
from this plenary. He wanted to hear more about how
cities should be organised so that development and the
environment could be balanced. He cited Singapore’s
example of balancing open spaces and density. Singapore
was successful in bringing into the city, public parks,
water features, green open spaces and areas where water
technologies could be developed, bringing excitement and
fun into the city. Dr. Annez disagreed and said that while
there was a lot of sober realism and a sense of urgency
conveyed by the speakers, there was also a great sense of
optimism and excitement. She stressed the ‘answers were
there already’. The key was to find the answers for each
given place. As highlighted by Prof. Sassen, there was ‘a
lot of diversity out there’. While Singapore had a unique and
tremendously successful model, each and every country had
to ‘strap on their safety belts’ and ‘start moving’ to prepare
for change.
28. 22
plenary 2
harmonious, creative & liveable cities:
balancing community needs
As globalisation raises competition among cities to attract talent, the issues facing urban governance have sharpened intensely.
Much as cities draw talented and high net worth individuals, they are also destinations for people seeking better jobs, livelihoods
and opportunities. The confluence of wide-ranging cultures, interests and beliefs could be complimentary, but are also often
jarring. These differences grow more pronounced due to shrinking public spaces arising from heightened urban migration.
Apart from seeking sustainable and high-growth strategies, a particular challenge for policymakers and urban planners involves
balancing the needs of urban communities, to create more harmonious urban societies, and more liveable cities.
Left to right: Mr. Jonathan Mills, Mr. Richard M. Rosan, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Mr. Ong Keng Yong, Mrs. Carrie Lam and Mr. Jim Clifton
29. 23
Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan
Minister for Community Development,
Youth and Sports, Singapore
living with one another: Singapore’s
management of diversity
Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan
discussed how to balance
community needs, while
building a harmonious society.
He pointed out that Singapore
came about almost by an
historical accident of trade and
immigration. Lacking natural
resources, the country’s basic
challenge had always been
how to make a living. For
it to survive as a city-state,
Singapore had to remain economically vibrant, to create jobs
and businesses.
A second order – but no less fundamental – question was how
to live with one another. As an immigrant nation, Singapore
did not choose its ethnic composition. Ethnic Chinese made
up about 75% of the population, 15% were Malay, while 8%
originated from the Indian sub-continent. Managing diversity
was difficult, and it was a challenge faced by all cities, because
cities – by definition – attract diverse peoples.
Dr. Balakrishnan said Singapore manages diversity based
on three principles. First, it provided a safe and secure
environment that was attractive to people. Next, it gave space
for individuals to express their uniqueness. Finally, it ensured a
sense of fairness. If people did not feel they were treated fairly,
they would not live peaceably side-by-side. There were ample
examples from history of previously harmonious communities
that eventually broke-up due to a lack of a sense of fairness.
Dr. Balakrishnan reiterated that Singapore would always face
the challenge of how to make a living, and how to live with one
another. Security, the willingness to give space to one another,
and the willingness to be fair, would always be the cornerstone
of its approach.
Mrs. Carrie Lam
Secretary of Development, Hong Kong SAR
conservation of central: meeting diverse
needs of the community in Hong Kong
Mrs. Carrie Lam used the
conservation of Hong Kong’s
Central District to explain the
city’s attempt to embrace
social harmony, liveability,
creativity, and ultimately, to
meet community needs,
even as it developed to
remain competitive as a
global city. For a city with
a small land area like Hong
Kong, catering for sustained
growth necessitated tighter planning through land zoning and
infrastructure integration. This approach has involved high-
density development and maximising land use. Against this
backdrop, the conservation of Central District represented
a paradigm shift as far as the Hong Kong government
was concerned.
In addition to being an internatioal financial centre, Central
was a dynamic and culturally diverse place. In 2009, while
many countries were developing new financial districts, the
Hong Kong government decided to redevelop Central. Mr.
Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR, set out the
rationale for Central’s redevelopment: ‘Central in Hong Kong
is a very distinctive business district endowed with rich cultural
and historical heritage, which we will do our best to preserve.
This reaffirms my belief that Central has unique historical and
cultural features suited to sustainable development that have
yet to be realised.’
Given the district’s prime location, Mrs. Lam pointed out that
each development site would be worth billions of Hong Kong
dollars, if sold on the commercial market. Instead, through
a series of innovative projects, the government planned to
conserve various old buildings and revitalise them with new
purposes. For example, the New Central Harbourfront site
would be developed into a civic node of low-rise structures
for exhibition, retail, entertainment, civic and community
uses. Other projects included transforming the Police Married
Quarters into a creative industries landmark, the Central Police
Station Compound into a contemporary hub of heritage, arts,
30. 24
culture and tourism, and the Sheng Kung Hui Compound,
where the Anglican church will redevelop and preserve its
historical buildings and open its doors to the community with
a new Community Complex. The church redevelopment was
the only non-government initiative in the eight Central projects.
Mr. Richard M. Rosan
President, Urban Land Institute Foundation
liveability through well-designed
public space
Mr. Richard M. Rosan
observed that the most
successful cities foster
liveability through well-
designed public spaces.
Well-laid out public spaces
draw people and stimulate
economic development. They
also engender a sense of
ownership and belonging in
the community. For instance,
Campus Martius Park in
Detroit turned around one of the city’s poorest areas by
making it a place where people wanted to spend time. Its
2.5 million visitors a year catalysed US$700 million worth of
adjacent development.
One approach that had led to successful urban revitalisation
involved incorporating green infrastructure. Mr. Rosan referred
to examples from across the world, like Singapore’s Southern
Ridges, the Hong Kong Wetland Park, Olympic Sculpture Park
in Seattle, and Dublin’s Elm Park. In particular, he highlighted
China’s Zhongshan Shipyard Park and the High Line in
New York City as industrial areas that were converted into
public places. Mr. Rosan believed that such creative uses of
urban space to trigger economic development would gather
momentum, as cities sought to attract people by becoming
more appealing places to live and work.
Many cities in the United States had revitalised public
spaces to boost their competitiveness. A recent surge
in urban migration, particularly by affluent and educated
individuals, was driven by their desire to live in places that
were well-connected to work and recreation. At the same
time, older and younger people were increasingly living in
smaller homes near transit nodes. For its part, the public
sector also encouraged compact developments, to reduce
car dependency, ease traffic congestion and reduce carbon
emissions. Taken together, these developments gave rise
to more community spaces. With green infrastructure and
thoughtful planning, many public spaces have drawn residents
and economic activities, thereby improving residents’ quality of
life and creating new jobs.
Mr. Rosan concluded that a growing urban population has
elevated the importance of open spaces. Well-designed open
spaces can better connect people with their environments,
redefine urban lifestyles, and contribute to a sense of liveability
in dense urban environments.
Mr. Jim Clifton
Chairman and CEO, Gallup Organization
Gallup’s world path
Mr. Jim Clifton’s presentation
centred on Gallup’s ‘World
Path’ – a global study involving
interviews with a million
people, and which aimed to
discover what was on people’s
mind. The study highlighted
the link between each
individual’s contributions, and
a country’s success. Across
the world, from Khartoum to
Kansas City, the study found
that people were primarily concerned about jobs. This implied
that every decision by policymakers had to have an impact
on job creation. Furthermore, these efforts had to be visible to
their constituents.
Gallup World Path: a behavioural economic model for social well-being
Quality GDP
Growth
Institutions &
Infrastructure
Brain Gain
Good Jobs
Food & ShelterLaw & Order
Wellbeing
31. 25
Mr. Jonathan Mills
Festival Director and Chief Executive, Edinburgh
International Festival
festivals and liveability
Mr. Jonathan Mills said that,
like the reclamation of land for
public space, festivals revitalise
space through activities
involving people. He felt the
festival phenomenon was the
best way to explore ideas of
community engagement and
liveability. Festivals were an
important and enduring part
of cities and residents’ lives.
They were also opportunities
for collective hope. While acknowledging the efficacy of the
hardware and software paradigm, Mr. Mills said it was not the
only way to approach urban challenges. While there was an
engineering future, he felt there was also a design future.
The Edinburgh International Festival began in 1947, in
the aftermath of the Second World War. At a time when
the tragedies of Auschwitz and Leningrad were still fresh
in people’s minds, this festival brought together different
cultures, to embrace values of fairness, respect and hope.
Since its inauguration, and without central control, Edinburgh
Festival had spawned nine festivals. These include the fringe,
international, tattoo and book festivals, and even one for
politics, attesting to the entrepreneurial spirit. Collectively, it
sells more tickets than any other event, except the World Cup
and the Olympics. It attracts 950,000 visitors from around the
world to a city of just 400,000.
Mr. Mills went on to observe that our senses were sensitive to
the uniqueness of our environments. As French philosopher
Maurice Merleau-Ponty said, ‘just as places are sense, senses
are placed.’ We were able to get a sense of our space through
sensory stimuli. Defining cities were those that allowed their
uniqueness to engage our senses. In that regard, Mr. Mills
cautioned against following fads, to prevent different cities
from converging into composite versions of each other.
Mr. Clifton went on to list the key factors for job growth,
or what he called the Petri dish of job creation. The most
important of these was law and order. If people lived in
a state of fear and insecurity, they were not mobile. The
statement that best reflected this was, ‘I feel safe to walk
alone in my community at night’. In Ethiopia, a woman could
not walk 300m from her home without fear of being raped
or robbed. She therefore could not actively participate in, or
contribute to, the economy. Drawing on his own experience,
Mr. Clifton said his wife decided their family should not
venture out of home after dark, after a spate of crimes in
their affluent neighbourhood in Washington, D.C. Indeed,
sales in neighbourhood restaurants and bars had dipped.
This showed that the question of security cut across all
economic levels. Mr. Clifton stressed that this was behavioural
economics; if the sense of security were enhanced, it would
lead to economic growth.
The next factor for job creation was food and shelter. Without
adequate food, water and shelter, one would lack the energy
to be productive. Cities where more residents had sufficient
food and shelter had a larger pool of productive energy. For
cities starting from a low base, the good news was that even
a small improvement was enough to impact GDP growth.
Confidence in institutions and infrastructure was the third
factor. Institutions referred to education, transport and court
systems. The problem of corruption, which was especially
crippling to job creation, was captured under this heading.
Good jobs were next on the World Path. Citizens had to
feel they were making a contribution and doing something
important in a good job. This helped to establish their
relationships with their family, their city and the world.
Under the next element, well-being, Mr. Clifton drew attention
to the idea of hope. This was reflected in the question ‘do
you think the best part of your life is behind you or ahead of
you?’ Leaders had to appreciate that cities with hope could
empower them, to lead and effect change. Finally, Mr. Clifton
said that every city was somewhere on the path to brain gain,
but each may use different levers to impact productivity and
create employment. This led to the good jobs produced by
quality GDP growth, the final step in the World Path.
32. 26
discussion
Mr. Ong Keng Yong (moderator)
Ambassador-At-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore
The importance of leadership in urban governance, though
not the immediate subject of this plenary, surfaced in the
discussion that followed. Responding to a question about
how a big city like Mumbai, with wide-ranging socio-
economic struggles, could address the different needs
and aspirations of its population, speakers were almost
unanimous in their views on good leadership. Mr. Clifton felt
that, left to their own devices, people tended to make short-
term decisions that were not beneficial to their lives.
Leaders had a role to play in taking the longer-term view.
For example, when Rwandan President Paul Kagame said
his people wanted to earn their success and did not want
aid, he forfeited immediate grants. But by changing his
people’s state of mind, he reinvigorated them, creating a
sense of hope and pride. Conversely, Detroit had declined
from being the world’s richest city 40 years ago, to its
current poor state due to weak leadership in various sectors.
Mr. Rosan agreed, and cited Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership,
and Singapore’s remarkable success. He added that
some American cities had recently enjoyed extraordinary
leadership. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley was known for
his leadership, while allowing many voices in the community
to be heard. In particular, government transparency was
critical. While Mumbai’s task was daunting, he believed that
leadership, either by an individual or group, could make a
huge difference. Mr. Ong added that leaders needed strong
political will to ensure implementation.
Dr. Balakrishnan drew on Singapore’s experience to
suggest that different development phases required different
tools and emphases. When the British military withdrew
50 years ago, Singapore’s greatest challenge was high
unemployment. As it lacked the entrepreneurs to create
enough jobs, the city welcomed multinational corporations
to develop its infrastructure and people. As jobs were
created and people were drawn to the city, housing became
the priority. Singapore did not have slums today. 86% of
people lived in public housing, and over 90% owned their
homes. These numbers did not evolve naturally, but were
due to sheer political will and organisation. Existentialist
challenges remained, but the focus had changed as people
had moved beyond the basics.
Mrs. Lam felt that even in mature cities that were developing
quality city projects, there were still problems of a rich-poor
divide. The challenge was how to bridge that gap. She then
spoke of the role of social enterprises. While the private
sector’s main goal was profit maximisation, and government
may not be efficient in many ways, there was an emerging
school of thought that a third sector was needed. In this
regard, Hong Kong’s government was trying to develop
social enterprises.
Issues of public engagement and inclusiveness also
emerged in the discussion. Dr. Balakrishnan highlighted the
need to engage and win support from the whole population.
The social edifice would collapse if people felt insecure,
if they could not welcome new people with new and
disruptive ideas, and if they were not ready for the changes
that would occur. Agreeing, Mrs. Lam said Hong Kong
also embraced community engagement, because it valued
collective wisdom and the process of devising solutions.
The government there reached out through web-based
debates, Facebook discussions, town hall meetings and
idea shops. She added that, no matter how governments
chose to engage people, they needed the right mindset: to
be prepared to listen and change course.
Mr. Clifton reported that engaged employees were more
likely to create new business opportunities. He was
particularly proud of the high level of engagement among
Gallup employees, having spun-off 100 companies in the
last 22 years while he was CEO. Moscow, on the other
hand, had very low employee engagement, which he
believed would hold back job creation. He added that
volunteerism was key to personal well-being and was highly
associated with employee engagement. Employees who
were actively involved in the community – coaching teams,
heading rotary clubs, or working on soup lines – were more
fulfilled individuals and had more energy. They were also
more likely to create new business for the company. Higher
incomes enhanced well-being only up to a point, while
volunteerism brought happiness beyond that.
Mr. Clifton lamented that insufficient effort had been put
into real job creation. As this was difficult, governments
tried to get away with ‘pretend job creation’ by generating
more innovation and creativity. Unfortunately innovation and
creativity were not scarce; what society needed was more
entrepreneurship. Responding to feedback from a delegate on
the bureaucratic hurdles faced by Singapore entrepreneurs,
Dr. Balakrishnan agreed that government should not be in the
business of judging the quality of entrepreneurial ideas. This
was the job of the market. Government’s role was to facilitate
their work, and not get in their way.
33. 27
Responding to a participant on the role of spirituality in
governance, Dr. Balakrishnan said the best guarantee for
religious freedom was a secular system, where everyone
could profess his or her own faith. Rules and common spaces
had to be imposed fairly on all. Once people understood
that it was not a matter of competition between different
religious groups, and that fundamentalism and violence were
not tolerated, the situation became one of greater religious
freedom, and people could seek spiritual fulfilment. The
paradox of religious freedom was that it needed a brutally fair
system based on secular values. Dr. Balakrishnan said this
was why Singapore would never be a theocracy, and would
not let any single religion dictate the agenda or set the norm
for society. Mr. Clifton reported that while Gallup had not
found any link between spirituality and good governance, it
found that religious individuals were more disciplined.
Dr. Balakrishnan felt three elements contributed to happiness:
a good family, a good job, and a good future. These were
guides to policymakers. Singapore sought to be attractive to
people with families, as this set the tone for society. People
with families were, by definition, invested in the future. They
were prepared to create and leave something for their children.
Singapore had to be a place of opportunity, because without
that, young people would move elsewhere. In the midst of
diversity, a sense of cohesion or community was also needed.
He asked why people would want to stay, be engaged and
contribute if they were unable to identify with each other. He
added that this remained a great challenge for Singapore.
Even after its hardware was completed, the country had to
keep reinventing and renovating its software and soul. The
challenge for planners and administrators was how to ensure
their cities remained attractive to people. People had to believe
their best years were ahead of them, and that they could
make a positive change. Everything policymakers did had to
centre on making cities attractive to a wide range of people,
giving them opportunities to express themselves, feel they
made an impact, and that they could create the future.
Mrs. Lam felt that, in places like Hong Kong and Singapore,
people took for granted basic elements like law and order
and job security. Instead they were interested in higher order
issues of brain gain and well-being. She wondered if a point
of saturation would be reached, when people grew fatigued
with innovation, creativity and the arts, and were driven
back to the basics. Mr. Mills countered that creativity and
innovation were in fact basics. To see them as optional extras
would be a mistake. He saw the elements in the Gallup World
Path as an integrated whole, and felt that a society cannot
opt out of any of them. Taking Dr. Balakrishnan’s point on
creating space, he submitted that society had to work out
how creative, intelligent individuals could express themselves in
intimate ways within any kind of system.
Picking up a question on public transport, Mr. Mills lamented
that a third of the space in almost every city was dedicated to
automobiles, while only 4% was set aside for parks. Beyond
efficient transport infrastructure, cities should dedicate space
for pedestrians. Perambulatory experiences transformed our
appreciation of, and our relationships with, cities. Successful
regeneration in cities like Copenhagen had included well
planned pedestrian precincts as part of urban masterplans.
Mr. Rosan added that insufficient funds were allocated to
public transport, to the detriment of urban mobility.
Asked to elaborate on his concept of a design future, Mr.
Mills shared his experience in teaching architectural students,
who were gifted in visual terms. When asked to describe their
works, students used exclusively visual terminology, and were
stunned when asked how their works would sound. Mr. Mills
felt there was a strong correlation between multi-sensory
engagement and ecological design. If architects only used their
visual sense to design buildings, they would not be ecologically
sustainable. All five senses had to be used to ensure more
sustainable design. He cited the example of the building
within which the conference was held, as being inefficiently
designed. It was visually designed, acoustically renovated, and
then economically designed. The process of integrating such
elements made for sustainable design. Such solutions were
design-driven, not merely engineered.
Dr. Balakrishnan stressed the need for balance in governance.
Singapore had to strike balances between urban sprawl and
greenery, between different races, languages and religions,
and between modernity and tradition. One of the greatest
contemporary challenges was inequality. As an open and
globalised city, Singapore offered immense opportunities for
talented people. But it also had to consider those who lacked
the same skills or opportunities. It had to maintain a sense
of unity, for people to coexist peaceably in a small city-state.
Striking a balance across several dimensions was vital to
places like Singapore.
Mr. Ong closed the plenary with three observations. First, a
strong mental make-up, will and capacity were needed to
face urban governance challenges, and to enforce plans and
solutions. Next, there was no one-size-fits-all solution. Each
city had to find its own path, from the slums of Mumbai to the
scarcity of green spaces facing Singapore. Finally, inclusiveness
was critical to building harmonious cities. Even if we could not
include everybody’s idea, people needed a sense that they were
contributing to determining their city’s future.
34. 28
closing plenary
liveable and sustainable cities: the way forward
The closing plenary highlighted the multi-dimensional and interconnected considerations in city planning, enriched by the
panellists’ personal experiences. The session covered issues of culture, society and demography. Other topics that emerged
included the day-to-day functioning of cities, and preserving cities’ unique identity and character. The central theme was
the role of sound governance and community engagement in designing cities for people, regardless of size, prevailing
constraints, or stage of development. The plenary pointed the way towards developing better-informed policies and
solutions, as well as capabilities that cities need to invest in today, for a better home for tomorrow.
Left to right: Dr. Vishakha N. Desai, Dr. Lui Thai Ker, Dr. Dieter Salomon, Mr. Joshua Cooper Ramo, The Rt. Hon. Robert Doyle
and Mr. Joel Kotkin
