Learning from Rotterdam, Copenhagen and Malmö

Participants of CLC’s 9th MND Executive Development & Growth Exchange (EDGE) Milestone Programme visited Rotterdam, Copenhagen and Malmö in April to learn about Nordic approaches to urban planning and governance — from climate-resilient biophilic designs, to engaging citizens and civil society.

Rotterdam — Europe’s busiest port and the second largest city in the Netherlands — lies below sea level, which puts climate change and water management high on the city’s agenda. To address flooding, EDGE participants learnt how the city created floodable “water plazas”; used green roofs to slow run-offs; and doubled up underground carparks as water storage facilities. Also notable was the city’s strong focus on activating public spaces for leisure.

In Copenhagen, other than climate change adaptation, participants saw how the Danish capital attends to different generations of residents. For instance, it directly engages children in the planning and design of playgrounds, by using helpful drawings to seek feedback on site. Non-government actors are also deeply involved. Non-profit organisation Realdania has an extensive portfolio of projects that focuses on addressing elderly loneliness — demonstrating also that civic institutions can provide an alternative financing model for urban development.

In Sweden’s Malmö, participants were introduced to the city’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2020, and running on 100% renewable energy by 2030. Through a number of key policies, the city has set the stage to improve its green spaces as well as residents’ overall quality of life.

In all three cities, EDGE participants were especially struck by proactive citizen engagement efforts and how these created ownership of various public initiatives. Daniel Leong, a participant who is an Executive Planner at the URA, gave the example of Superkilen in Copenhagen: “The local people were actively involved in the process of choosing the different objects to be placed in the three different areas of the park. We experienced a community showcase of the value of diversity and well-designed public space.” He added, “For Singapore, our increasing diversity (in terms of nationality and age) actually holds great promise for our role as a world city.”

Twenty-nine promising young officers from 17 Singapore government agencies were selected to participate in the 9th MND EDGE programme conducted by CLC. Beyond a weeklong overseas study trip, it involved a two-week Singapore programme that included local field trips and dialogues with senior government leaders.

About the Writer

Mayers Ng
Deputy Director,
Capability Development,
Centre for Liveable Cities