Singapore continues to develop innovative solutions to make it liveable & sustainable: PM Lee

Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 1 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE: Singapore is developing itself as a liveable and sustainable city, and at the same time learning from other cities to improve the lives of its people, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the opening of the World Cities Summit on Sunday.

Speaking to ministers and mayors from around the world, Mr Lee said urbanisation is moving at an unprecedented pace.

Mr Lee noted that since the last World Cities Summit two years ago, more than 100 million people have moved to cities.

He said Singapore has taken the long-term view of developing itself as a liveable and sustainable city.

"(We are) planning over generations, implementing programmes over several election terms, and rallying Singaporeans to forgo some immediate gains for future dividends," Prime Minister Lee said.

Mr Lee said Singapore's efforts have been recognised internationally, but improving the country is a journey without an end.
Singaporeans' expectations are rising, he added.

To meet these expectations, Singapore is developing better homes by making housing more affordable, and having reliable public transport.

It is also integrating green spaces and blue waters in its urban surroundings.

Mr Lee noted that other cities are also continuing to move ahead, developing innovative solutions and setting new standards.

He said Singapore is studying these cities carefully.

He cited examples of how the Republic is learning from London's public transport system, Copenhagen's integration of "pocket parks" downtown, and Bilbao's management of its arts and cultural spaces.

In addition, Singapore is harnessing technology to become a "smarter nation".

The island is being wired up to ensure ubiquitous connectivity and to enhance the business environment.

Singapore is also using data better to improve sustainability and piloting green technologies.

Mr Lee said the country is learning from other cities' experiences too.

The prime minister cited Rio de Janeiro, which is working with computer giant IBM to be a "smart city".

In Manhattan, the city has a central hotline and a dashboard for municipal services.

Mr Lee added that technology can facilitate strengthening ownership by engaging citizens and residents. This can be done through crowd-sourcing and location-based services.

Mr Lee said this year's Lee Kuan Yew prize winners are good examples of successful cities in action.

The World City Prize goes to Suzhou which developed a thriving economy while protecting its cultural landmarks, while this year's Water Prize goes to the US Orange County Water District. Its water reuse schemes are adapted in Singapore when it embarked on the NEWater programme.

- CNA/al

Government will learn from other cities to build better, smarter Singapore
KOK XING HUI Today Online 2 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE — As Singaporeans’ expectations of the liveability and sustainability of their city rise, the Government will continue learning from other cities to make the Republic a better home and smarter nation where citizens feel a strong sense of ownership, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Improving Singapore was “a journey without the end”, said Mr Lee, who was speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Cities Summit, Singapore International Water Week and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore last night.

A better home can be created by making housing more affordable and public transport more reliable, integrating green spaces and waters into urban surroundings, strengthening social capital by integrating new immigrants with Singaporeans, creating more arts and cultural spaces as well as building a compassionate society, Mr Lee said.

“And to do this, we are studying other cities carefully — for example, London and its way of public transport, Copenhagen, which integrates pocket parks into its downtown, or Bilboa, which has had great success building its arts and cultural spaces,” he said.

Last month, the Government announced it was embarking on a bus contracting model that will see operators bidding for a package of routes through competitive tendering, akin to systems in London and Perth.

Thus far, Singapore has taken the long view in its development by “planning over generations, implementing programmes over several election terms and rallying Singaporeans to forgo some immediate gains for future dividends”, said Mr Lee, citing Marina Bay as a prime example. Once the mouth of a dirty river occupied by industries that caused pollution and slums, it is now “a jewel in our cityscape, a place all of us are very proud of”.

Yet, as cities drive economies and innovation, new challenges have emerged. “Climate change is causing unpredictable consequences (and) extreme weather, like the first snowfall in Cairo in a hundred years or flooding in London,” he said. “And so, we must continue to improve our cities and give our people a high-quality environment in which to live, work and play.”

Mr Lee said Singapore was also wiring up the island to deliver connectivity and enhance the business environment for a smarter nation. “There’s no place where you can hide from your emails and Facebook,” he said, adding that the country was also making better use of data to improve sustainability, such as in managing the nation’s power consumption more tightly.

Singapore is also strengthening citizens’ and residents’ ownership of their shared future through the use of technology, such as crowdsourcing and location-based services.

“There are many examples of how Singaporeans are working together to build a more liveable and sustainable Singapore. For example, preserving nature in Pulau Ubin — one of our bigger offshore islands — through the Ubin Project,” said Mr Lee.

Draw lessons from other cities to make Singapore a better home: PM Lee
Use of technology and citizen ownership key to Singapore’s future, he says
KOK XING HUI Today Online 1 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE — As Singaporeans’ expectations of the country rise, the Republic will draw on lessons from other cities to make Singapore a better home by providing affordable housing and reliable public transport, adding green spaces and strengthening social capital, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today (June 1).

The country will do this by studying other cities carefully to learn from their experience, such as looking at London’s public transport system and Copenhagen’s downtown parks.

Mr Lee made those remarks in a speech at the opening ceremony of the World Cities Summit, Singapore International Water Week and Cleanenviro Summit Singapore.

In his speech, he also outlined how Singapore will harness technology to become a smarter nation, such as using data to improve sustainability by managing power consumption.

Thirdly, the country will strengthen citizens’ ownership by engaging them on Singapore’s future. This, he said, can be facilitated by technology such as crowdsourcing and location-based services.

Examples of such engagement already exist, said the Prime Minister, highlighting how citizens and Government are working together to preserve nature in Pulau Ubin through the Ubin Project.

So far, the Government has taken the long view when it comes to developing Singapore as a liveable and sustainable city, he said, where plans are made over generations and implemented over several electoral terms.

Urban issues: Singapore can learn from others
The Singapore city skyline MyPaper AsiaOne 2 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE - Improving Singapore is a "journey without end", and the island state can learn from other cities as new challenges emerge, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last evening.

He was speaking at the opening of the World Cities Summit, Singapore International Water Week and CleanEnviro Summit at Marina Bay Sands.

"People's expectations are rising," he said. "Other cities continue to move ahead, developing innovative solutions and setting new standards."

Mr Lee added that, in the past two years, more than 100 million people have moved to cities, and 70 per cent of the world's population is expected to live in cities by 2050.

And new challenges such as climate change have surfaced, producing floods in London this year and Cairo's first snowfall in a century last year.

Singapore has tried to manage water, energy and nature carefully, and transformed Marina Bay from a "dirty river dotted with pollutive industries and slums", but it can still learn from other cities' experiences, such as Manhattan with its central hotline for municipal services, Copenhagen with its "pocket parks" downtown, and the Spanish metropolis of Bilbao with its arts and cultural spaces, he added.

It is also engaging citizens and residents by preserving Pulau Ubin's nature through the Ubin Project, which asks for public ideas to protect the rustic island, and carrying out public consultations to review its sustainable-development blueprint, Mr Lee said.

At the three major biennial events this week, which run from yesterday to Wednesday, some 20,000 government leaders, experts and other delegates are expected to meet and discuss solutions to the world's urban issues.

PM Lee: Let's learn from other cities
The New Paper AsiaOne 4 Jun 14;

Improving Singapore is a "journey without end", and we can learn from other cities as new challenges emerge, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

"People's expectations are rising," he said at the opening of the World Cities Summit, Singapore International Water Week and CleanEnviro Summit at Marina Bay Sands.

"Other cities continue to move ahead, developing innovative solutions and setting new standards."

In the past two years, more than 100 million people have moved to cities, he said. That is about 20 times the population of Singapore. As much as 70 per cent of the world's population is expected to live in cities by 2050.

And new challenges such as climate change have surfaced, producing floods in London and Cairo's first snowfall in a century.

Singapore has tried to manage water, energy, and nature carefully and transformed Marina Bay from a "dirty river dotted with pollutive industries and slums", but it can still learn from other cities' experiences, Mr Lee said.

He gave the examples of Manhattan, with its central hotline for municipal services, Copenhagen with its "pocket parks" downtown, and the Spanish metropolis of Bilbao with its arts and culture spaces.

Singapore is also engaging citizens and residents by preserving Pulau Ubin's nature through the Ubin Project, which asks for public ideas to protect the rustic island, and carrying out public consultations to review its sustainable-development blueprint.

At the three major biennial events this week, which run till Wednesday, government leaders, experts and other delegates are meeting to discuss solutions to the world's urban issues.

City leaders from around the world discussed governance and community engagement at the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum yesterday. Delegates also discussed sustainable urbanisation and water management.

Pledge to boost climate change cooperation
David Ee The Straits Times AsiaOne 4 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE - Evidence is growing that climate change causes extreme weather and can affect food supplies. And rapid urbanisation can affect the liveability of countries.

This is why Hong Kong and six nations - Brunei, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore - yesterday pledged to expand cooperation and share experience on these issues, among others.

Ministers and senior officials, who gathered at the World Cities Summit for the 10th Ministers' Forum on Infrastructure Development in the Asia-Pacific Region, added in their joint declaration that more "smart city" technologies could be used to run cities better, and improve the lives of residents.

Citing the 2011 tsunami that struck Japan and last year's deadly Typhoon Haiyan, Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan told the forum that the effects of climate change "have manifested themselves more than ever".

Countries must ensure infrastructure is resilient to withstand more disasters, he said at the event held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

Speaking about the challenges of Asia's urbanisation, he said: "How do we enjoy the developmental upside, with minimal downside? Not an easy trade-off to manage... Fortunately, with sensitive planning and skilful execution, it is possible to optimise."

Smart technologies employing powerful data analytics and simulation models could provide some of the solutions to urban issues, added Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee.

For example, he told the forum, systems that automatically alert agencies when power infrastructure is faulty can save both time and cost.

Having broadband networks across Singapore and citizens using smartphone apps also improves lives, he said.

He cited the free "My Bus Mate" app, which aims to give parents peace of mind by telling them exactly when their child's school bus is arriving at their home or the school.

Meanwhile, at the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum also held yesterday, Senior Minister of State for National Development Lee Yi Shyan reiterated that these smart technologies "have the potential to transform urban living".

On the sidelines of the Mayors Forum, the Centre for Liveable Cities launched a 274-page publication, available on its website, that summarised the key players and principles of Singapore's development journey.

It was presented to mayors and city leaders as a resource for them to tap.

Lessons from a top green country
Grace Chua The Straits Times AsiaOne 5 Jun 14;

DENMARK - Denmark. which has a population roughly the size of Singapore's, was in the spotlight at yesterday's World Cities Summit and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore for its green-growth successes.

The Scandinavian nation has ambitious renewable-energy targets and the world's happiest city dwellers.

So it was no wonder that Ms Kirsten Brosbol, the country's 37-year-old Environment Minister, fielded several questions on how it got to where it is today.

Denmark's rivers in the early 1970s, however, were so polluted that they teemed with dead fish, said Ms Brosbol at the World Cities Summit's opening plenary session yesterday. Faced with that and a serious oil shortage, Danish mayors finally bit the bullet and found ways to, among other things, use less fuel and improve air quality by switching from driving cars to cycling.

Ms Brosbol said three other things helped Denmark sustain its efforts to live better: First, it showed how easy it could be to live responsibly, by installing water-saving taps in supermarket toilets for instance. Then, it let people get as close to nature as possible so they would learn to love their surroundings. It also tried to solve as many problems as it could at once, such as by managing heavier and more frequent rainfall by building reservoirs that doubled up as water parks that everyone could enjoy.

At the CleanEnviro Summit's leaders' plenary in the afternoon, Ms Brosbol explained that Danish businesses are now able to sell their environmental solutions.

"Ten per cent of total exports from Denmark are green exports; 20 per cent of our companies provide green solutions," she said. "We have made the business case that business is growing within the green industry."

The Danish government's clear policies, such as strong environmental regulations, pricing water and resources correctly, and green public procurement, have also reassured firms of its stance.

Denmark now aims to go entirely fossil-fuel free by 2050, by switching to a diverse cocktail of clean energy sources like wind, solar and biomass.

It is also tackling food waste, by working with supermarkets to sell smaller portions to match changing household sizes, and by working with a Danish civil society movement called Stop Wasting Food, said Ms Brosbol.

To change everyone's behaviour for the better, however, the stick worked better than the carrot, she said. "Strong regulation is the key, otherwise we would not have made any progress."