Creating a Regenerative City: Opportunities, Challenges, and Measuring ROI

Under the CLC-Ramboll MOU inked at COP28 in Dubai in 2023, the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and Ramboll had initiated the Regenerative City exploration, which included the launch of a joint publication in June 2024 titled Creating a Regenerative City - Insights from the Centre for Liveable Cities-Ramboll Urban Lab. As part of our collaborative efforts, CLC participated in a panel discussion at a workshop hosted by ULI and Ramboll to continue the conversation around Regenerative Cities. The workshop convened experts from the real estate, urban planning and finance sectors.

Echoing the multidisciplinary spirit of the workshop, the panel discussion was helmed by experts from various backgrounds – Professor Khoo Teng Chye, Director of NUS Cities, Benjamin Towell, Executive Director for the Global Wholesale Banking Sustainability Office at OCBC, and Pritha Hariram, Head of Department for Water Infrastructure and Climate Adaptation at Ramboll, and Elaine Tan, Director, Research, Centre for Liveable Cities.

The MeTTA Forum, hosted annually by alternating member institutions, serves as a platform for members to showcase their latest research work, exchange knowledge and foster collaboration on pressing urban issues. For its 8th edition, this year's Forum centred around the theme of "URBANISM NEXT 3R+: Reimagine, Reinvent, Revitalise & Reconnect", which emphasised a more holistic and progressive approach to urban development.In brief, Professor Khoo Teng Chye shared insights into scaling best practices to address the urban density and limited land resources of Singapore; Benjamin Towell spoke about the role of the financial sector in driving regenerative practices; and Pritha Hariram also discussed how regenerative practices could be integrated into Singapore’s urban planning strategies to enhance resilience against climate change. Elaine Tan then shared more about CLC’s role in supporting regenerative practices in Singapore—emphasising that regeneration is a potential pathway to reconciling the tension between liveability and a climate changed, resource constrained operating environment.

Following the panel discussion, participating industry professionals took part in focus group discussions to tackle critical questions on advancing regenerative strategies in Singapore. The discussions acknowledged the limitations and opportunities offered by the operating landscape of the built environment sector in relation to the adoption of regenerative strategies. That is the financial implications, nature- and climate-related risks, and other regulatory barriers. These discussions underscored the importance of regulatory and policy mandates in enabling financial feasibility, risk mitigation, and strategic partnerships to align with and drive regenerative efforts.

Ultimately, the lively and synergistic discussions shared by panellists and industry professionals attested to the importance of a collaborative ecosystem in the journey of building more resilient and regenerative urban landscapes.

To read the full publication Creating a Regenerative City - Insights from the Centre for Liveable Cities-Ramboll Urban Lab, please click here.