Cities Taking the Lead

Once a dead part of town, Denver Union Station has transformed into a mixed-use development where people work, live and play today. This successful development was one example of how cities can take the lead, said Professor Marilyn Taylor at her recent CLC lecture.

The transformation of this train station was led by a public-private partnership that successfully attracted investors and presented opportunities for people to work and live in the creative economy. This, combined with the will of the mayor and citizens, helped realise the ambitious project, said Prof. Taylor.

“It was a big vision that got knocked off the track four or five times, and someone was always there to put it back on track,” said the professor of architecture and urban design at the University of Pennsylvania. “It also brought out the importance of not just (private sector space), but also creating places that people can adapt to their own use and using design to bring people together to change the way places are used.”

To achieve this, the station was remodeled into a major transportation hub that today connects 23 different municipalities in the region, and in the city itself, through various transit modes. Such a complex undertaking required an adaptable approach. For instance, things are shared rather than individual, flexible rather than long-term and permanent, and very much site-specific. Alongside the train station is also a boutique hotel with eating spaces and retail, as well as a public space that serves both the neighbourhood and the region.

“We wanted to take advantage of the citizens’ request that we shift to a transit-oriented world, and away from a car-oriented world,” she said.

This project saw five different government entities coalesce into a single Denver Union Station Project Authority. This organisation hired architectural firm SOM under a design-build contract to create the masterplan, and it focused on creating a project that lived up to the expectations of the people of Denver. A parallel entity, the Denver Union Station Neighbourhood Development Company and its architects, ensured the project was attractive to the private sector and offered the flexibility of choice.

Working together for Singapore’s future
Having worked on major projects in Singapore over the last few decades, Prof. Taylor also shared her admiration for the great strides the city has made. She urged Singapore to continue giving the public realm more attention, such as creating more space for walking, cycling, and simply hanging out.

“In the efficiency of the process to attract international financial firms, to build more public housing and encourage private housing, it’s possible to see places in Singapore where the mix of scale is being lost. It’s one of the things I worry about in Marina Bay — every parcel seems to be getting bigger and going to its maximum possibility,” she said.

What makes Singapore so vibrant for the professor is the mix of scales that give the city “personality, specificity and identity”. This can be seen when looking out over the roofs of Chinatown, one of her favourite views of the city.

“I would urge you to make not dictated forms, but strategies by which that mix of scale is always maintained,” she said. “Not everything has to be a housing estate or a dense office district, these things are better when interwoven.”

Prof. Taylor also touched on new levels of engagement between the public sector and communities around the world. In her view, this is no longer just about seeking opinions from citizens and adjusting plans, but asking them what comes next.

“It’s important for government to look to the people around, and ask: ‘how would you like to engage with us to make these things happen’,” she said. After all, the most resilient communities that can respond to a crisis are not the ones with the most financial resources but have the closest social network and can make things happen together.

Citing how the Singapore leadership engages in “more constructive self-criticism than any other set of public officials I’ve ever seen”, Prof. Taylor suggested the local community and government work closer together and recognise that this selfcriticality does exist.