Building Regenerative Cities: Singapore at the C40 Workshop in Jakarta

Presentations by Singapore delegation – Adib Jalal (left) and Diana Chin (right)

The workshop, part of C40's Urban Planning Accelerator initiative, brought together senior planners from Bangkok, Tokyo, Yokohama, Quezon City, and Amman. Singapore was represented by Diana Chin, Director, Planning Policies from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and CLC’s Elaine Tan, Director, Research, and researcher Adib Jalal.

Showcasing Singapore's Integrated Approach

The Singapore delegation put together two presentations. First, Diana shared on Singapore's compact and connected development model, which demonstrates how the city-state balances complex demands through collaborative governance and long-term strategic planning. Her presentation sparked extensive dialogue about Singapore's distinctive approach to coordinating government agencies and engaging the private sector through clear regulatory frameworks.

Adib then introduced CLC's Regenerative Cities Framework, expanding participants' thinking beyond traditional climate mitigation towards a holistic vision that enhances urban liveability. By incorporating examples from participating cities, his presentation made regenerative concepts immediately relatable and actionable. This also positioned CLC as a thought leader in progressive urban development approaches and set the stage for the official launch of the Framework at the upcoming World Cities Summit from 14 – 16 June 2026 in Singapore.  

Site Visit to Duku Atas Transit Oriented Development

Learning from Regional Innovation

The workshop revealed diverse approaches across the region. For instance, Bangkok demonstrated remarkable commitment through many years of comprehensive urban planning initiatives. Tokyo showcased advanced sustainable energy integration, including their innovative Harumi Flag hydrogen-powered district. Yokohama's focus on circular economy applications highlighted opportunities for technical knowledge exchange, particularly regarding Singapore's integrated waste-to-resource systems.

Site visits provided practical insights into Jakarta's urban transformation efforts. At Dukuh Atas, participants explored Indonesia's flagship transit-oriented development - a multimodal hub integrating MRT, LRT, and BRT systems to tackle the metropolitan area's notorious traffic congestion. The Kampung Akuarium vertical housing project demonstrated innovative informal settlement upgrading through in-situ development that preserves social fabric whilst improving living conditions.

Brainstorming exercise at the workshop

Collaborative Problem-Solving

The workshop was also an opportunity for counterparts to learn from each other as a Community of Practice tackling similar urban challenges. Two hands-on exercises demonstrated practical application of sustainable planning principles. Participants developed solutions for Amman's expansion challenges, proposing cable car systems for mountainous terrain and integrated green infrastructure addressing urban heat, flood management, and water security simultaneously. For Quezon City's 15-minute city implementation, creative solutions included land swap mechanisms and a dual-node strategy leveraging planned subway infrastructure.

Workshop participants with C40 organisers and the Jakarta Provincial Government

Strengthening Regional Partnerships

The workshop strengthened CLC's strategic engagements with C40 Cities, all sharing a desire for impactful climate action. Particularly, the workshop's in-person format proved exceptionally valuable in fostering high-trust communities of practice among urban planning professionals. Informal discussions also generated strategic opportunities beyond formal sessions, such as potential research collaborations and further study visits.

The workshop reinforced that cities across Asia-Pacific face similar challenges but are developing innovative, context-specific solutions. It also validated the regenerative cities approach as complementary to regional climate planning priorities. By sharing knowledge and building partnerships through workshops like this, cities can accelerate progress towards more resilient, regenerative urban futures.

Contributed by: Adib Jalal, Senior Assistant Director, Research