A major issue
With a flourishing economy, Singapore seems to have been launched on a springboard since its independence, pushing it to maintain its exceptional financial position. The Asian dragon has not ceased to prove itself, benefiting from a privileged geographical location in South-East Asia, a true commercial hub. Singapore has been able to attract a lot of foreign capital, propelling it to the top 5 of the world's economic powers, and this dazzling growth in such a small space must now be compatible with the new ecological codes. How to reconcile urbanism and vegetation? The challenge is huge, and yet everything seems possible in Singapore..
Pulau Ujong, the main one of the 64 islands of the city-state, covers about 600 km2 with a population of about 5.6 million inhabitants, which lets us imagine the impact of modernism on the territory of the past. The dizzying figures of Singapore's economic growth do not suggest that nature still has its rights in this small area, yet this model of a cosmopolitan city proves that harmony between nature and urbanism is now being established. What are the means used, besides the climate favoring such dense vegetation, to claim gigantic vegetation projects?
When millions and nature go hand in hand
The equatorial, hot and humid climate is conducive to the development of lush vegetation, visible from Changi Airport to the city center, through the nature reserves in the north. With more than 300 parks and about 7 million trees, the Asian city boasts of its natural elements. Among them, the famous Botanic Gardens, inspired by the English gardens of the 19th century, offer the largest number of varieties of orchids in the world, no less than 1000 species and 2000 hybrids. In the heart of downtown Fort Canning Park and its huge reservoir give a real impression of urban jungle... Mac Ritchie Reservoir Park to the north covers more than 2,000 hectares with the oldest freshwater reservoir in the city. As for the western part of the territory, the authorities decided to preserve the area to provide a jungle training area for the army. To these elements offered by Mother Nature, investments were naturally added with a view to generating even more green spaces. The unique concentration of great wealth on the territory has also allowed for innovative techniques that allow for the wildest projects. The greatest engineers, architects and botanists are interested in the garden city and the result seems more than convincing: the Tree House Condominium is an emblematic example, a private residence composed of four 24-story towers, each one entirely vegetated, the project remains a real technological feat allowing energy and water savings, while offering a very pleasant perspective for the residents. Another fine example is theOasia Hotel, which offers a breath of fresh air among the buildings. The building is entirely covered with vegetation and offers a beautiful perspective of the city's future construction projects.
Strong government involvement
To cope with a growing population and the inevitable disappearance of the original green spaces for the benefit of urban development projects, the Singaporean government has put a lot of resources into play, the mission being to make their city-state a good place to live. Since the proclamation of Singapore's independence on August 9, 1965, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has made it his leitmotiv to develop the city-state into a garden city. The idea was, in addition to improving the quality of life for the locals, to become an exceptional destination attracting foreign capital and to be envied by the great megalopolises of Asia such as Seoul or Shanghai. The emphasis was therefore placed from the outset on planting trees and creating infrastructure to allow residents to enjoy as much green space as possible. In 1975, the Department of Parks and Recreation was created, a state organization proving that this greening campaign had a concrete objective. In 1996, the department became the National Parks Board, promoting Singapore's flora and controlling large sites such as botanical gardens or large national reserves. The idea is to sensitize industrialists and to organize competitions for the highest bidders and the most ambitious... Thus, through projects such as Skyrise Greenery, the government now grants subsidies to projects integrating greenery into the urban landscape, selecting engineers, botanists and architects proposing innovative projects. The objective is now to transform the garden city into a city in a garden!
Delusional infrastructures become symbols
Among the symbols of Singapore, besides the famous Merlion and the luxurious Marina Bay Sands hotel , you can't miss the Gardens by the Bay. The project is probably the best example of the government's strategy to promote the garden city. Composed of three gardens, south, center and east, Gardens by the Bay covers an area of 100 hectares. A competition was launched in 2006 by the government to attract the best international projects. The result is stunning and attracts millions of visitors each year. The largest of the three, Bay South, opened in 2012, was designed by Swiss architect Luc Schuiten. Two gigantic greenhouses, the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, reproduce Mediterranean and mountain climates, all surrounded by waterfalls and thousands of species of trees and plants that are admirably well maintained. The highlight of the show is undoubtedly the famous Supertree Grove, an Avatar-like walk through gigantic metal trees covered with increasingly lush vegetation. Singapore seems to be well on its way to sustainable development with a plan summarized in 5 pillars: city in nature, sustainable future, green economy, energy reset and resilient future (www.greenplan.gov.sg). Nice challenge!
