Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Day One--March 17th--National Planning






First Day—We visited the Urban Redevelopemnt Authority (URA) to see the vision of Singapore’s planning. There is a long range goal of creation of further land volume by filling in strategic areas. Previously Sg bought land/ soil from Malaysia and brought it by barge to fill areas on Sg’s coast. After years of settling, it could be used for development. Stone seawalls would be retainers. They hope to increase landmass an additional 20% but now find resistance from other nations to the idea of sacrificing their shoreline and land mass to enable Sg to continue to grow. This may be coming at a good time—that could allow ecological dabate and advocacy to protect the remaining natural shoreline ecosystem which would be otherwise radically altered.

Singapore is a nation of 4 an a half million people in a land mass 0f 244 sq. miles—15 by 25 miles roughly. They want to increase land mass another 20% and hope to increase population to 6 &1/2million to support a work force for economic sustainability. Although their birth rate is an enviable (in on view) 1.8 or so and the average # of children is 1.24 per family, the government encourages and financially rewards having additional children—preferring to have citizens of their own cultural basis instead of immigrant populations. Population growth and density would seem to a visitor to be over-saturated but goals of sustainability in Singapore does not focus directly on environmental impact and loss of natural settings/biodiversity as much as on economic growth. To their credit, Singapore can boast, if they chose, an adult literacy rate of 98% male and 88% female and the country has a net wealth of one and a half million dollars per person. This contrasts strongly with the US where we live with deficits and grow a massive national debt to pass to our children and grandchildren. This financial health, apparent good housing for all or most, health care as good or better than the US, along with strong banking, industry and effectively no unemployment enables the country to act on what long term goals it chooses to set. Since independence in 1965, focus was on the above items and others directed as a first step to give citizens a stable leg up. Now being a leader in the world in many areas, they have the ability to focus more on ecology and improved standards of living. These things we plan to study to see how they make choices and advocate for responsible change.


Photos of planning presentations----then we were off to the food stalls. Every meal has been good--even to a generally inflexible southerner.

No comments: