Issue 8: Building with Nature

Nature’s place in the city

The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first Prime Minister, once said, “A blighted urban jungle of concrete destroys the human spirit.” This issue of Urban Solutions, with a special focus on “Building with Nature”, explores how nature enhances a city’s liveability.

Our experts set the stage in Opinion, by discussing biophilia, i.e. humans’ affiliation to nature, and the relationship between nature, people, and the city.

In Essay, Professor Peter Edwards of the ETH Centre proposes that the resiliency of natural ecosystems lends itself to being adapted by cities. Professor Peter Rowe of Harvard University explains how a city’s identity can be rooted in nature, while Kenneth Er and Dr Lena Chan from the National Parks Board of Singapore describe how biodiversity can thrive by way of city networks. I also contemplate on how our interaction with nature can be expanded to include water, to further enrich city living.

In Interview, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, shares how Amaravati, the new capital city, will be a green and blue city. Professor Herbert Dreiseitl, esteemed landscape architect, discusses the importance of symbolic capital, or a city’s image, and how it will convince city leaders to invest in nature. In Young Leader, Søren Smidt-Jensen shares that a green and technology-savvy generation is emerging, while Dr Wei Yang sheds light on how 21st century garden cities give value to the city dweller.

But nature’s place in the city is best conveyed through success stories. In Case Study, Portland solved flooding with greenery, and Tokyo went back to nature for emissions-free landscaping. Singapore managed to integrate greenery and conserve biodiversity in three diverse scenarios—the building of a hospital, an eco-industrial park, and the most unlikely case, a landfill. Last but not least, Rotterdam in City Focus showcases how nature is used to contend with the forces of climate change to create a liveable city.

As the trend towards bigger and more cities intensifies, it is timely to review our vision of a liveable city—is it one with grey towers of concrete and steel, or one that includes green and blue elements? We hope this issue inspires you to lean towards the latter. I wish you all an enjoyable read.

Khoo Teng Chye
Executive Director
Centre for Liveable Cities