Asean Vision, Joining the Dots

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ASEAN VISION

Singapore studio leader Jeremy Farrington espouses an holistic outlook to development in Southeast Asia

There is a proverb in Southeast Asia that loosely translated says “When gentle breezes stick together, they can have the power of a typhoon”. This captures the spirit of the continued growth of the collective group of countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Often considered the powerhouse of the region, Singapore is an anomalous exemplar. It is a well-manicured model of prosperity and urbanisation that most of the region’s other countries and cities aspire to. Economic development among developing Southeast Asian countries brings productivity, income and access to healthcare, education and transport. But it also presents challenges. From Yangon to Manila to Hanoi to Jakarta – they are all on parallel growth trajectories, where population increase and mass migration to the cities will

drive urban populations to triple within the next 15 years.

The concern expressed by many Southeast Asian governments, policy makers, planners, developers and investors is that without a connected approach to growth, unrestrained urbanisation could bring congestion, pollution, alienation and social dysfunction, resulting in unhappy citizens. They must therefore face key interdependent challenges: how to promote economic growth and employment while ensuring protection of the environment and addressing climate change; how to develop social infrastructure that enhances sustainable urban living while preserving the customs and values that define the identity of a region.

Smart cities is part of this emerging picture, or forms part of the solution. Using communications technologies

to improve traffic flow and public transportation, healthcare, working, education, energy and water usage in buildings and city neighborhoods is a key aspect of making life better.

There are a growing number of examples throughout Southeast Asia where this approach is being piloted. In the Philippines, Singaporean based masterplanners and architects Surbana Jurong have envisioned the New Clark City Masterplan, which adopts smart use of data and digital technology integrated with new transport infrastructure to address Manila’s legendary congestion. In Thailand initiatives focus on digitally empowered ecosystems, traffic management and townplanning while Vietnam and Malaysia have collectively targeted the creation of no fewer than 100 Smart Cities over the next 20 years.

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(Top left and current page) Bach Dang Harbour

Masterplan, Vietnam.

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Ciliwung River Regeneration Project, Jakarta.

Urban Design Strategies

Urban Centres

Green Fingers

Urban Edges

Transport Links

River elbow - water, nature and people in harmony.

ASEAN TRIANGLE51

One of the most polluted rivers in the world flows through Jakarta. The Ciliwung River Regeneration Project reclaims the river as a new transport link and catalyst for urban development, tackling pollution, congestion, and social alienation

But if the ideal of ASEAN integration is to be realised, programmes in individual countries need to be linked and best practices and successes shared. The ASEAN Smart City Network (ASCN) was founded to realise this aim and includes regional capitals like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Manila, Jakarta, along with many smaller cities. The ASCN has helped attract global investment into the region. The World Bank, Japanese International Cooperation Agency, and Swiss government are all helping to fund projects and support initiatives across public and private sector developments.

The principles of a connected, smart approach to growth and improvement don’t stop at city level. Transport oriented development (TOD) or mixed use communities are all emerging as key elements to successful, connected cities. Much of the projected growth stems from new infrastructure. Roads, rail, airports and deep sea ports are being planned and delivered across Southeast Asia to provide both physical and economic connectivity. BDP, Nippon Koei and its regional partners are currently working on numerous infrastructure projects, such

as the metro line extension in Manila, subway networks in Ho Chi Minh and deep sea ports in Myanmar. These projects are very attractive to private sector developers and often spin off from civil engineering infrastructure, such as the Bach Dang Harbour project in Saigon where BDP and Nippon Koei have developed proposals for the city centre, connecting public realm and commercial retail spaces above and below ground level, directly linking to the extending metro line. This new city neighbourhood naturally clusters around transport infrastructure, including trams and new pedestrian river crossings, and sets the city context for a new cultural quarter. This all connects together in a coherent city masterplan.

Similar BDP and Nippon Koei collaborations include central Bangkok where we are working on the Bang Su high speed rail station masterplan, Kuala Lumpur on the Bandar Malaysia Masterplan, and most recently in Jakarta on the Ciliwung River Regeneration Project, a 17km long urban riverside design proposal that reclaims the river as a new transport link and catalyst for urban development.

Although TOD and mixed use developments are nothing new globally, changing public policy, market demand, and a growing understanding of evolving retail and commercial habits along with the benefits of connected work, life and play amenities are fueling the demand for mixed use destinations. Across the region governments, developers and investors are keen to attractive new urban environments to promote economic prosperity, social equality and environmental equilibrium. It will remain to be seen how successful and sustainable these developments in social infrastructure will be, but the outlook is positive. For our new studio in Singapore, these issues of connectivity - urbanism, global climate change, local and regional social value and technology are at the heart of our day-to-day concerns as designers. The motto for the ASEAN group states ‘One Vision, One Identity, One Community’ and the collective ambition of Southeast Asia to embrace advancement and progress represents an opportunity for BDP and Nippon Koei to improve people’s lives in this fast growing region.