A City in Blue and Green : The Singapore Story

This open access book highlights Singapore’s development into a city in which water and greenery, along with associated environmental, technical, social and political aspects have been harnessed and cultivated into a liveable sustainable way of life. It is also a story about a unique and thoroughgoing approach to large-scale and potentially transferable water sustainability, within largely urbanized circumstances, which can be achieved, along with complementary roles of environmental conservation, ecology, public open-space management and the greening of buildings, together with infrastructural improvements. TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1 INTRODUCTION a. ASPECTS OF ‘BLUE’ AND ‘GREEN’ b. SINGAPOREAN SIGNIFICANCE OF ‘BLUE AND GREEN’ c. ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK end notes 2 EARLY DAYS a. GEOGRAPHIC SETTING AND CONTROL b. TRANSFORMATION AND DEFORESTATION c. SECURING PROSPERITY d. WAR - TIME INTERLUDE e. POST - COLONIAL DEVELOPMENTS end notes 3 VISIONS OF CLEAN AND GREEN a. ONSET AND RISE OF ‘CLEAN AND GREEN’ b. FROM ‘GARDEN CITY ’TO‘ CITY IN NATURE’ c. METAPHORICAL PERSPECTIVES d. SINGAPORE’S CHANGING METAPHORIC LANDSCAPE end notes 4 WATER RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABILITY a. SINGAPORE’S CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN WATER RESOURCES b. SINGAPORE’S FOUR NATIONAL TAPS c. SINGAPORE’S CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM d. STOCK-FLOW DEPICTIONS e. SUSTAINABILITY, DEPENDENCIES AND VULNERABILITIES end notes 5 GARDENS PARKS AND GREEN RESERVES a. BOTANIC AND HORTICULTURAL GARDENS b. NATURE RESERVES c. THE ACTIVE, BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN WATERS PROGRAMME d. PARK AND OTHER CONNECTORS e. THEMES AND MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS f. TOWARDS A BIOPHILIC OUTCOME end notes 6 WAYS FORWARD a. SUCCESSFUL INGREDIENTS b. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION c. FUTURE CHALLENGES d. DEALING WITH FUTURE UNCERTAINTY end notes LIST OF INTERVIEWS IMAGE CREDITS BIBLIOGRAPHY GLOSSARY INDEX AUTHORS NOTE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS