As Singapore celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence, the country can take immense pride in its rapid transformation from a humble fishing village to the modern, first-world city it is today. What is particularly remarkable is that this amazing transformation has happened despite its inherent limitations of size and availability of natural resources. Not only has The Little Red Dot – an adoring and self-deprecating reference to the country’s physical size on the world map- overcome serious existential challenges in the early years following its breakaway from Malaysia but has also shown itself as a shining example of nation development.
The Singapore story- from third world to the first- is the tale of an unfinished journey from survival to sustainability, one that the city-state pursues relentlessly with unflinching commitment and great vigour. The first seeds to make Singapore the Garden City that it is today were sown by the country’s founding father, Mr.Lee Kuan Yew back in 1963, as he believed that “we need the greenery of nature to lift our spirits.”
Since its very inception as an independent country, densely-populated Singapore has been at the leading edge of promoting excellence in urban planning and management. When combined with a highly-evolved and efficient governance and a steady focus on continuous innovation in the use of both technology and commercial models, the result is a city that’s achieved enviable success.
Singapore has consistently fared very highly against the parameters that characterize great cities: liveability, vibrancy, sustainability and quality of life. The vast expanses of greenery that envelope high-rises all across Singapore is the outcome of a continuous effort from the outset to ‘go green’. Today, the city can boast of its water and energy capacity to meet industrial, commercial and residential needs. It’s public transport system is one of the smoothest in the world and its residents get to breathe clean air, surrounded by greenery and waterways. Not surprisingly, Singapore is the best-performing city in the Asian region when measured against a range of sustainability criteria, according to the Green City Index, a project conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and sponsored by Siemens. (more…)