tflugp 2013 - Centre for Liveable Cities

World Cities Summit Mayors Forum 2013
June 2013
From 13 to 15 June, over 250 city leaders and senior representatives from
international organisations and companies converged in Bilbao, Spain, for
the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum 2013. The forum is a key highlight
under the World Cities Summit (WCS), co-organised by Singapore’s Centre Susan Fainstein’s Urban Solutions
for Liveable Cities and Urban Redevelopment Authority. For the first time,
article argues that public
this Forum is being held outside of Singapore.
engagement in policy making can
undermine inclusivity as minority
Themed “Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Common Challenges, Shared
groups and the poor are likely
Solutions”, this fourth edition of the Forum saw 56 city leaders from all
excluded. Do you agree?
regions, including North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe, Africa,
the Middle East and Oceania, gathered at a peer-to-peer platform to
Take the Poll
share their experience in tackling issues ranging from urban planning,
economic resilience, to sustaining the urban environment and community
Urban Solutions #3 is now
engagement. Hosted by Mrs Ibone Bengoetxea, Deputy Mayor of Bilbao,
available. Read more here.
the forum was chaired by Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for National
Development of Singapore. The Guest of Honour was HRH Felipe De
Borbon Y Grecia, Prince of Asturias.
What’s Your Take?
In addition to plenary presentations, discussion sessions and networking
events, this year’s Forum comprised several new additions such as the
WCS Young Leaders Meeting and the Business Summit. At the Summit,
Singapore’s Housing and Development Board signed a Research
Collaboration Agreement with Électricité de France and VEOLIA
Environnement Recherche et Innovation, to create a modelling tool to help
HDB develop sustainable, urban planning solutions for public housing
estates in Singapore.
The next World Cities Summit Mayors Forum will return to Singapore in
June 2014, to be held in conjunction with the WCS 2014, the Singapore
International Water Week and the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore.
Snapshots from World Cities Summit Mayors Forum 2013
To view more photos from WCS Mayors Forum 2013, click here.
Stay tuned for more post-event reports in the next issue.
Panel of the Forum:
From left: José Luis Bilbao, Mayor Iñaki Azkuna, Iñigo
Urkullu, HRH Felipe De Borbon Y Grecia, Khaw Boon
Wan, Antonio Germán Beteta and Greg Clark
Mayor of Bilbao, Inaki Azkuna, with HRH
Felipe De Borbon Y Grecia
Moderator Greg Clark with Forum Chairman
Minister Khaw and Deputy Mayor of Bilibao Mrs
Ibone Bengoetxea
Mayors Forum in progress with sharing by mayors and
city leaders
Mayor of Fukuoka sharing insights into his
city’s development
Media interviews with mayors and city leaders
during the networking session
Delegates at the exhibition put up by Bilbao and
Singapore
Mayors and city leaders during networking
breaks
Networking at Bilbao City Hall
Leaders Design City Action Plans at TFLUGP
In response to real
challenges their
cities face, Temasek
Foundation Leaders
in Urban Governance
Programme (TFLUGP)
participants worked with
Singapore experts to
develop concrete action
plans to be implemented
back home. CLC
will help track the
implementation of these
plans over the next 12
months, and possibly
offer advisory inputs
in some cases... Read
More
Fresh Insights
Several interns from CLC — university and post-graduate students — attended the week-long Temasek Foundation
Leaders in Urban Governance Programme as observers. They had the chance to meet and hear from Singapore’s
urban pioneers on the latter’s experiences and guiding principles in developing a high-density and high liveability
city over the past 50 years. Subjects included environmental values, urban governance and transportation planning,
with a focus on key principles and challenges faced by the city in its development.
Hear their thoughts here.
Manila: A City For All
“We want a city not only for the rich, we want solutions that are very
socially inclusive. We also want to harness talents and opportunities
as we are heavily populated.” — Mrs Cristina Velasco, Consultant
for Metro Manila Development Authority at the Temasek Foundation
Leaders in Urban Governance Programme 2013.
Watch the Video
Housing Metro Colombo
Mr Rohan Seneviratne, Secretary (Technical) at the Ministry of
Defence and Urban Development, Metro Colombo, and a participant
at the Temasek Foundation Leaders in Urban Governance Programme
2013, shares that social mobility “is not only about the construction
of housing facilities, but there is a bigger dimension to this whole
exercise, that is building communities.”
Watch the Video
Park Connectors:
Living Large in Small Spaces
Singapore’s Park Connector Network developed by
the National Parks Board in co-operation with various
government agencies, involves the development of a
green matrix of paths connecting parks and nature areas
from underused spaces along roads, canals and railway
corridors. The popular and relatively low-cost solution has
brought recreation and nature much closer to people’s
doorsteps, and continues to evolve in interesting ways.
In land-scarce Singapore, these spaces promote diverse
benefits well out of proportion to their size — from
healthier lifestyles and sustainable transport to social
interaction and biodiversity.
Read more on page 32 of CLC’s Urban Solutions Issue 2.
Interview:
Mayor of
Quezon
City
Despite being one
of the youngest
mayors in the
Philippines, Mayor
Herbert Bautista
of Quezon City
has acquired
considerable
experience in government. Mayor Bautista’s
urban development framework is anchored on
environmental management — for which he is known
as an advocate — and disaster-risk reduction. Under
his leadership, Quezon City has become a pioneer
city in the Philippines in implementing sustainable
environmental and climate change measures.
Read more on page 15 of CLC’s Urban Solutions
Issue 2.
Training Future Leaders
The second run of MND City EXCEL was
held between 3 and 7 June 2013, with
nominations coming from the Ministry of
Law, the Singapore Land Authority, PUB,
the National Water Agency, the Economic
Development Board and the Singapore
Tourism Board. Lasting 5 days, the
participants were exposed to the challenges
in Singapore’s dynamic city transformation
and learnt invaluable institutional history
shared by high level speakers. The group
discussions inspired the participants to think
beyond, or even challenge, the status quo.
Some also considered how Singapore’s
experiences may be applied to other
The group work that resulted from the Our Singapore Conversation Format adopted
societies. As one of the participants shared, for the assignment. This saw the participants really getting involved and using a more
“Singapore’s historic transition from labour to innovative way of presentation rather than the normal powerpoint presentation
knowledge intensive industries suggests that
there is a logical sequence in economic development. Are there any factors that might make it easier for developing
economies today to shortcut the process?”
Pedagogy wise, this run saw the innovative adaptation of the format used in the Our Singapore Conversation. It
was a dual challenge for the participants. Not only did they have to role-play, they also had to hone their facilitation
skills. Applying the principles of sustainable development, participants shared their thoughts on sustainable
initiatives, social and housing issues with Mr Benny Lim, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National
Development. The last day of the course saw participants strolling along the park connector at Bishan Park before
they were introduced the inter-agency collaborative effort between PUB The Water Agency, National Parks Board
and Designer Architect, Mr Atelier Dreiseiti that made the transformation of a hard canal into an Active, Beautiful,
Clean Waterway successful.
Ms Jaszmine Lau & Dr Michele Chew
Assistant Directors, Centre for Liveable Cities
5th USS Booklet Launched –
Housing: Turning Squatters into Stakeholders
Housing: Turning Squatters into Stakeholders is the latest in CLC’s
Singapore Urban Systems Studies Booklet Series. In the 1950s, housing in
Singapore was overcrowded, unhygienic and in short supply. Today, some
80% of people live in quality public housing units that they own. Drawing on
interviews with pioneer and current leaders, this study looks at how this was
achieved. It also looks at how public housing supported wider goals, like
building a home-owning democracy, eradicating ethnic enclaves, meeting
middle-class aspirations, caring for the less fortunate, and fostering a sense
of community. This publication was developed in collaboration with the
Housing and Development Board (HDB).
Below is an extract from Housing: Turning Squatters into Stakeholders:
The cost of
developing public
housing centred
on two main components: construction and land
costs. To tackle construction costs, the government
relied on a reconstituted and empowered HDB,
and in particular, the dynamism and effectiveness
of its new top leadership. Then PM Lee Kuan Yew
appointed businessman Lim Kim San as HDB
Chairman, with the authority to hire the people
who could get the job done. Lim brought Howe
I also made it known that if by the 1st and 15th of every
month they are not paid, they can have access to me
and I’ll find out why . . . And gradually it became known
that contractors can get their payments on time. There
is no fooling around, no corruption . . . we made sure
that we do not over specify . . . once the contractor
understood what we wanted, where they stood and
how we treat them, then we have no more further
problems with them. Standard of work improved.
— Lim Kim San, The first Chairman of the HDB
Yoon Chong on board as Chief Executive Officer. Teh Cheang Wan was made Chief Architect. This trio
constituted the core group that directed the work of HDB in its crucial early years.
The Singapore Urban Systems Studies Booklet Series can be bought online at www.amazon.com or at Kinokuniya,
MPH and Popular bookstores in Singapore.”
Upcoming Event
In Collaboration with
In Commemoration of
From Garden City to City in a Garden
Details
15 July 2013 | 3:00pm – 5:30pm | MND Auditorium
Networking & Registrations from 3:00pm (guests are requested to be seated by 3:30pm) | Free Admission
Prior registration required here.
Panellists:
Dr Chua Sian Eng
Former Commissioner, Parks
and Recreation Department
Mr Shawn Lum
President, Nature
Society Singapore
Mr Poon Hong Yuen
Chief Executive Officer,
National Parks Board
Moderator:
Prof Neo Boon Siong
Former Dean of Nanyang
Business School, Nanyang
Technological University
Synopsis
Singapore commemorates 50 years of greening this year. In 1963, then Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew planted a
Mempat tree which signified the start of the city’s greening movement. What began as a move to soften the harsh
effects of urbanisation and to attract economic investors has resulted in the lush greenery we have today. What
were the strategies that made Singapore successful? What were the challenges faced in maintaining the balance
between economic growth and conservation of natural areas? What were the tradeoffs and lessons learnt over the
years? Looking ahead, how will the city evolve itself into a City in a Garden and maintain its liveability with increasing
densification? Join Dr Chua Sian Eng, Dr Shawn Lum and Mr Poon Hong Yuen as they answer these questions.
May’s Poll Results
85.7% of the respondents agreed with Prof Wang Shu that Asian cities are neglecting their culture for the sake of
technology, economic growth, and a materialistic life.
World Cities Summit Newsletter June Issue Available.
Read more
The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Newsletter June
Issue Available. Read more