Singapore's Green Plant Revolution

As Singapore's population booms, officials are working through plans to help the city absorb its people but also provide them with adequate green space.

1 minute read

July 31, 2011, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

"In Singapore's next "green road map," its 10-year development plan, the country aims to go from being "a garden city" to "a city in a garden." "The difference might sound very small," says Poon Hong Yuen, the chief executive of the country's National Parks Board, "but it's a bit like saying my house has a garden and my house is in the middle of a garden. What it means is having pervasive greenery, as well as biodiversity, including wildlife, all around you."

More and more cities are waking up to the need to be more than sweatshops on a citywide scale. Singapore rose to international prominence by constructing a country that was orderly and efficient. But being globally competitive today is about more than productivity. It is about sustainability, too."

It's a strategy the city-state has employed since the 1960s.

FULL STORY: An Urban Jungle for the 21st Century

Thursday, July 28, 2011 in The New York Times

Community / Economic Development Environment Government / Politics Infrastructure Landscape Architecture South Asia Parks Plants Population Growth Green Space Singapore View More

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