Singapore: a window to the future - Marina Bay Sands Case Study

SINGAPORE: A WINDOW TO THE FUTURE MARINA BAY SANDS CASE STUDY

SINGAPORE: A WINDOW TO THE FUTURE MARINA BAY SANDS CASE STUDY

Politecnico di Milano School of Architecture Urban Planning Construction Engineering Master of Science in Management of Built Environment Course of Methods and Tools for Analysis of Urban and Territorial Systems A.Y. 2017 - 2018 Prof. Giulia Pesaro

Group 04 Edoardo Cataldi 8898047 Andrea Dealexandris 898372

Federica Delle Donne 897711 Giacomo Gaglione 899501

Javier Higuera 886253 Mirko Rossi 904065

Tiantian Wei 893447 Jianing Zhang 891975

INDEX 0. Abstract

......................07

1. Singap ore

.....................09

1.1 G eo g r a ph i c c o ntext ......................1 1 1. 2 Ac tua l ma i n data .........................1 2 1. 3 M a r i na B ay Sa n d s br iefly ..............1 6

2. Historic development

2 .1 H i sto r i c t i me li n e .......................2 2 2 . 2 P o pulati o n . . . . . ...........................2 5 2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data . . ...........................2 7

3. Urban strategies

......19

...........39

3 .1 U r b a n d e ve lo pme n t .....................41 3 .2 H o us i n g p o li c y ..........................48

3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7

Tran sp o rts i m pl em en tati o n ..........54 Ce n tral Busi n ess Di stri c t ...........62 Sustai n abi l i ty am o n g skysc rapers ...66 Singap o re SWOT an alysi s ............74 Mari n a Bay: explo re, exc h an ge, en tertai n ...................................75

4. Mari na Bay Sands: a futuristic icon ..........85

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4

Detai l s o f th e pro j ec t ................87 Target an d goal s o f th e pro j ec t .....92 MBS SWOT an alysi s ....................97 Future sc en ari o s .......................98

5. Final part

...................105

5 .1 C o m pari so n s wi th oth er c i ti es ...10 7 5 .2 Co n c lusi o n ..............................110

References

.......................112

Index of figures

...............120

0. ABSTRACT We chose to study the building “Marina Bay Sands” in Singapore. It is definitively an impotent and fascinating building. Its shape and how it rises, between the sea and the city, make it one of the most important construction works of our century. It is not only the entertainment centre (it hosts an hotel, a museum a pool and other attractions): it is an icon of the city, it truly represents the spirit and the great ideas behind all. It roars like a lion, that not casually is the symbol of the city (the word Singapore comes from Sanskrit “Sihapura”, “siha” is lion, “pura” is town or city). As the designer architect Moshe Safdie declared in its interview to the magazine Dezeen1, he shaped the building in three towers that could define two windows to the sea. The sea is one of the most important elements that brought to the birth, the growth and after the rise of this state-city. From 1965, when the city gained its independence as the Republic of Singapore, to nowadays this little piece of territory has come

a long way in almost every possible field. Singapore is a bustling metropolis in Southeast Asia and home to one of the world’s busiest ports. It is one of Asia’s four economic tigers: Gross Domestic Product per capita is high and unemployment is low, making Singapore one of the wealthiest nations in the world.

It is densely populated, with most citizens living in urban high-rises. It ranks as n.2 of the world smart cities according to Smart Cities Index 2017 released by EasyPark Group2 by considering the factors: smart parking, traffic, car sharing services, clean energy, public transport, smart building, environment protection, waste disposal, digitalization of government, urban planning, business ecosystem, internet speed, smart phone penetration and living standard. The assessment has also taken into consideration the steps a city is taking to become smarter in the near future. In front of all these established awards we cannot ignore anymore the importance of the results of this big planned experiment. Our goal is to analyse the data, salient features, to understand the events and the decisions that contributed to create such a charming city. We want to discover if all this splendour is really gold, not just an

Fig 0

Marina Bay Sands (Google images)

illusion, and to discuss different points of view.

If we will succeed in this we could admit that Singapore could really be a model for the municipalities and urban areas of the rest of the world in the future.

1.

Singapore

1.1

Geoghraphic

1.2

Actual

1.3

context

main data

Marina Bay Sands

briefly

1. SINGAPORE

Singapore is a small, heavily urbanized, island city-state in Southeast Asia, located at the end of the Malayan Peninsula between Malaysia and Indonesia, from which is separated through the Singapore Strait and the Straits of Johor.

Singapore is one-and-a-half degrees north of the equator, lying entirely between the 1st and 2nd parallels. Singapore’s climate is classified as tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af), with no true distinct seasons.

Fig 2

Fig 1

Singapore in the world (ontheworldmap.com)

Owing to its geographical location and maritime exposure, its climate is characterized by uniform temperature and pressure, high

10

Singapore geographic location (Worldatlas.com and Google Images)

humidity and abundant rainfall.

Therefore, it is almost always warm and wet.

The average daily maximum and minimum temperatures are around 31°C and 24°C respectively.

Singapore’s main territory is a diamond-shaped island, although its territory includes surrounding smaller islands (over 60). Of Singa-

pore’s dozens of smaller islands, Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the larger ones. Most of Singapore is no more than 15 meters above sea level.

The highest point of Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill, with a height of 165 m. Hills and valleys of sedimentary rock dominate the northwest, while the eastern region consists of sandy and

1.1

G eo g r a ph i c c o n t e x t

flatter land. Singapore is drained by a large number of narrow and short streams, some of which flow into the sea through mangrove swamps, or estuaries. Singapore has no natural lakes, but reservoirs and water catchment areas (mostly on the central area of the state) have been constructed to store fresh water for Singapore’s water supply. For these reasons Singapore’s main natural resources are water and its ecosystem.

Singapore has reclaimed land with earth obtained from its own hills, the seabed, and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore’s total land area has grown from 581.5 km² in the 1960s to 719.9 km² at the end of June 20163, and may grow by another 100 km² by 2033.

Fig 3

Singapore map (tr.maps-singapore.com)

11

1. 2

Ac tua l ma i n data

Singapore is a state-city and being a unitary state the capital city is the city itself.

The Regions of Singapore are urban planning subdivisions instituted by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore to aid in its planning efforts. The regions are further subdivided into 55 planning areas (according to Master Plan 2014), which include two water-catchment areas. While utilised by some governmental organizations, these regions are not administrative subdivisions. For administrative purposes, Singapore is divided into five districts and further divided into divisions governed by councils and headed by mayors.

These subdivisions are incompatible with the

Fig 4

12

Urban planning areas in Singapore (Urban Development Authority Master Plan 2008).

region subdivisions: for this reason the regions are fixed over time while the districts fluctuate with electoral redistricting. The demographics of Singapore include the population statistics of Singapore such as ethnicity, religious affiliations, population density, health of citizens, economic status.

Singapore hosts a multicultural population. It is composed of a 74.3% of Chinese residents, 13.4% of Malay residents, 9.0% of Indian residents and a 3.2% of other ethnic groups3.

Fig 5

Population and population structure (singstat.gov.sg)

This mixture is also evident in the multiplicity of official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil. Consequently also there are different religion groups: 33.9% Buddhists, 18.1% Christians, 16.4% Atheists, 14.3% Islamists 11.3% Taoists, 5.2% Hinduists and 0.7% others4. The population of Singapore is made up of citizens, permanent residents, and non-residents.

As of June 2017, the total population is 5.61 million. The indicator always followed an upward trend from 1970 to 2016. Total population

1. 2

Ac tua l ma i n data

Fig 6

Population and population structure (singstat.gov.sg)

Fig 7

Languages diffusion in Singapore (The World Factbook)

Fig 8

Religions distribution in Singapore (The World Factbook)

growth was almost flat in 2017, due to a decline in the non-resident population. The total population was computed by summing three indicators: Singapore citizens and permanent residents (forming resident population) and non-residents. As expected to June 2017 non-residents (1.65 million) are almost the half compared to citizens (3.44 million). The true difference could be noticed between the values of citizens (3.44 million) and permanent residents (0.53 million): people that decide to settle in Singapore are only a small piece of population. Population density per square meter is 7,8 person per m2. Also this indicator, in the timeframe between 1970 and 2017, followed a big numeric growth. As sex ratio shows in the following table females are numerically than males in Singapore in 2017 (961 males for 1000 females). It’s the only downward trend in the table. Median age in years is registered of 40.5 years in 2017 and the indicator went up during time. All data are taken from this source5. Singapore is ranked the most infertile country in the world by CIA World Factbook with fertility rate of 0.83 in 2017 4: this indicator reflects the results in permanent residents

13

1. 2

Ac tua l ma i n data

and median age higher limit. United Nations classified Singapore for population density 3rd out of 239 (2014)6 for number of immigrants 7th out of 192 (42.6% of Singapore’s population are foreigners) (2015)7 and fertility rate 224th out of 224 (2017)4.

Singapore is the fourth world’s healthiest

Fig 10

Fig 9

Key demographic indicators 1970-2017 (Department of Stati stics June 2017)

country, according to a ranking that uses data from the United Nations, the World Bank and the World Health Organisation. To identify the healthiest countries in the world, Bloomberg Rankings created health scores and health-risk scores for countries with populations of at least 1 million. It determined the countries’ rank

14

Key demographic indicators 1970-2017 (Department of Statistics June 2017)

by subtracting the risk score from the health score. The health score is based on mortality rates in each country, while the health risk score is based on different factors likely to limit health, such as the proportion of young people smoking and the number of immunisations8.

Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries (GDP - per capita (PPP): $90,500 2017 est.). Unemployment is very low (2.2% 2017 est.). 9 4 (Table 4). The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly

Fig 11

Fifty healthiest countries in the world 2017 (Bloomberg)

1. 2

Ac tua l ma i n data

of consumer electronics, information technology products, medical and optical devices, pharmaceuticals, and on its vibrant transportation, business, and financial services sectors.

The economy contracted 0.6% in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, but has continued to grow since 2010. Growth in 2014-17 was slower than during the previous decade, at under 3% annually, largely a result of soft demand for exports amid a sluggish global

Fig 12

economy and weak growth in Singapore’s manufacturing sector. The government is attempting to restructure Singapore’s economy by weaning its dependence on foreign labour, addressing weak productivity growth, and increasing Singaporean wages. Singapore has attracted major investments in advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology production and will continue efforts to strengthen its position as Southeast

Selected economic and social indicators 2014 (Singapore in Figures 2017)

Asia’s leading financial and technology hub.

Singapore is a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiations with the nine other ASEAN members plus Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. Singapore is the world’s most expensive city for the fifth straight year in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Worldwide Cost of Living report (2017), with second place for another Asiatic city (Hong Kong) and in the following position other European and Asiatic cities10 11.

Fig 13 The most expensive cities in the world 2017 (Dyfed Loesche, statista.com)

15

1. 3

Fig 14

M a r i na B ay Sa n d s b r i e fly

Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort Sketch by Moshe Saf die (Safdie Architects)

As part of the continuous necklace of waterfront development and activities, the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort forms a gateway to the city and is central to the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s vision to redefine its city central piece, the Marina Bay reservoir.

Marina Bay Sands is located in Marina Bay planning area in the Central Area of Singapore (number 12 in Figure 6) surrounded by the perimeter of four other planning areas, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View and adjacent to the Central Business District. It is located in Bayfront subzone.

16

Fig 15

Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort aerial view by Moshe Safdie (Safdie Architects)

The budget for the project was US $5.7 billion.

Commissioner was Las Vegas Sands Corporation. The integrated resort occupies an area of 845,000 m2 (9,096,000 sqft).

The project was designed by Safdie Architects, project director Moshe Safdie. Executive architects were Aedas, Pte, Ltd. Structural, civil, geotechnical, façade and acoustical engineering was cured by Arup. Parsons Brinckerhoff, R.G. Vanderweil, LLP as the MEP engineers. Landscape design was assigned to Peter Walker & Partners, landscape construction to Peridian Asia International Inc. Howard Fields Assoc.

International was in charge of water feature

design12. The main contractor was Ssangyong Engineering and Construction.

Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, secured the project through competition in 2005 and was open and fully operational 5 years from start of construction (official opening 23 June 2010, originally set to open in 2009, Las Vegas Sands faced delays caused by escalating costs of material and labour shortages from the outset. The global financial crisis also pressured the company to delay its projects elsewhere to complete the integrated resort13). The project was awarded Singapore’s President’s Design Award.

The integrated resort comprehends: an hotel (55 storeys, 2,560 luxury rooms in three hotel towers), Sands SkyPark (public observatory, gardens, restaurants, lounges, and an infinity swimming pool); a casino; The Shoppes; Sands Expo and Convention Center; Museum of ArtScience; two theatres; Crystal Pavilions (house shops and nightclubs); Event Plaza.

1. 3

Fig 16

M a r i na B ay Sa n d s b r i e fly

Marina Bay Sands aerial view (Safidie Architects)

17

2.

2 .1 2 .2 2 .3

H istoric development Historic

timeline

Population Economic

data

2. HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

Fig 17

The city’s strategic location made it an ideal trading hub (Google images)

To understand the actual city of Singapore we need a throwback in time. The history of Singapore is really recent and we don’t have so much data and information before the 14th century, when the kingdom of the city was born.

Located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the natural meeting point of sea routes, the city flourished as a trading post. Modern Singapore was founded in the 19th century, thanks to politics, trade and a man known as Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. During this time, the British empire was eyeing a port of call in this region

20

to base its merchant fleet, and to forestall any advance made by the Dutch. Raffles landed in Singapore on 29 January 1819, making the whole island of Singapore a trading station under the British control (in 1836 the city became the capital of the Straits Settlements, which were the British territories). So, Singapore quickly grew as a trade hub (also thanks to the Suez Canal opening), attracting immigrants from China, India, the Malay Archipelago and beyond. Singapore continued to develop as a trading post, with the establishment of several key banks, commercial associations and Chambers of Commerce.

The World War I didn’t affect much the city, but during the World War II Singapore’s prosperity suffered a major blow, when it was attacked by the Japanese on 8 December 1941.

So, the city fell under Japanese domain as long as the British returned and defeated them. But in 1946 Straits Settlements were dissolved and Singapore became a separate Crown Colony

with a civil administration.

In 1959, the growth of nationalism led to self-government, and the country’s first general election. The People’s Action Party (PAP) won a majority of 43 seats and Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of Singapore.

In 1963, Malaysia was formed, comprising of the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo (now Sabah). The move was meant to foster closer ties. However, Singapore’s merger proved unsuccessful, and less than two years later, on 9 August 1965, it left Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign democratic nation.

URA Chairman and former senior civil servant Peter Ho made this point on a conference titled “Lee Kuan Yew and the Physical Transformation of Singapore”, discussing the role played by Mr Lee Kuan Yew in the physical transformation of Singapore, noted this was done through leadership and good governance, and sometimes with a dose of tough laws14 Lee was once called “the best bloody

2.

Hi sto r i c d e v e lo pme nt

Englishman east of Suez” by the British foreign secretary George Brown. The New Yorker’s Robert Shaplen, reporting from Singapore in the 1960s, described Lee as “a brilliant, impulsive, and sometimes irascible man”, possessed of an intellectual brilliance “that has kept him remote from all but a few of his followers” – and a dream of turning his country into the economic engine of south-east Asia. But according to Shaplen: “One of Singapore’s – and Lee’s – problems [was] a lack of any constructive political opposition.” He would spend the rest of his career minimising the chances of its emergence, crafting a political and media environment in which the PAP could, through free and fair elections, keep a vice-like grip on its claim to power and legitimacy. In the process, Lee ensured a degree of direct control over the built environment unseen in the rest of the democratic world15. The footprint of this authoritarian attitude can be seen also nowadays, through Singapore’s government control of the press– ranked 150th by Reporters Without Borders. The Freedom House ranks the country at an even lower 152th. For this reason the reporter Roy Ngerng Yi Ling in his blog defines

the press as a “Third World” one16.

Today, as other results from the history of the city, many slices of Singapore’s multi-cultural, colonial and wartime past are preserved in and around the city. It is possible to visit monuments, museums and memorials, or for a real trip through time, take a walk along a heritage trail. Singapore is nowadays a totally independent State-City, with an own central government founded on a Parliamentary Republic.

The very recent history led the city to a huge economic development, which has allowed it to shine over all the other cities in the world.

The recent expansion of Singapore is due to the fact that it has been the perfect field for the experimentation of the contemporary social-economic developments; in fact, the city is a real huge melting pot in which people coming from very different backgrounds doesn’t have to face with a certain pre-configured local tradition or culture. This is demonstrated also by the fact that the historic protected buildings and areas are very limited and all of them are concentrated in small portions of the central zone.

This lack of a strong and solid cultural heritage

is due to the fact that Singapore has a really recent history and also due to the fact that it has never been a conqueror country, but a conquered country, a colony, which has achieved its own independence only about fifty years ago.

21

2 .1

Hi sto r i c t i me li n e

YEAR < 300 1 30 0 14th Century 14th Century 15th-16th Centuries 1613 17th-18th Centuries

DESCRIPTION

Some historic documents mention an island called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pu Luo Chungâ&#x20AC;?

The kingdom of Singapore was founded on the island by Sang Nila Utama For all the century Singapore became a trading port The last king was forced to abandon the island to reach the city of Melaka, in Malaysia Only a small trading settlement remained in Singapore Portuguese burned down the last settlement, leaving the island into obscurity for the next two centuries Documents refer that there were only about a thousand people living on the island The British Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles established in Singapore a new trading port for the British East India 1819 Company 1824 The entire island became a British possession 1836 Singapore became the capital of the Straits Settlements (British territories) 1858 Singapore is placed under the hierarchy of the Government of India, remaining as part of the Straits Settlements 1860 Many immigrants (more than a half were Chinese) work on the pepper plantations 1869 The Suez Canal opens and Singapore enjoyed the increase in trade 1890s The rubber industry was established in Malaysia and Singapore a global center for sorting and export 1914-1918 First World War, but Singapore was not affected by the conflicts The British government, as a defensive strategy, devoted significant resources into building a Naval Base (completed only in 1923 1939) in Singapore, as a deterrent to the Japan Empire 1937 Kallang airport is opened 12th February 1942 Battle of Singapore: the island is bombed by Japanese forces everyday up to the British surrender 14th February 1942 Japanese have captured most of Singapore

22

2 .1

Hi sto r i c t i me li n e

YEAR

DESCRIPTION

5th September 1945 The British return to Singapore and begin a military administration of the Straits Settlements 1946 Most of the infrastructures had been destroyed, including harbor facilities at the Port of Singapore st 1 April 1946 Straits Settlements were dissolved and Singapore became a separate Crown Colony with a civil administration Rubber plantations were destroyed by communists, who also waged a guerrilla war against the government. So, Singapore 1950s and all the Malaysia declared a state of emergency 1955 David Marshall, pro-independence leader of the Labour Front, won Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first general election 1956 Singapore obtained from the British an internal self-government Singapore became an internally self-governing, but British were still controlling its external affairs (military and foreign rela1959 tions) 1962 A referendum is held to vote on merger with Malaysia Due to many ideological conflicts between the two governments, Singapore separated from Malaysia and became indepen1965 dent 9th August 1965 The Republic of Singapore was born (Constitution of Singapore) October 1965 Singapore became a member of the Commonwealth 1967 Singapore founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 1972 The Singapore Airlines Is formed 1979 Singapore became the second busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage Economic success of Singapore. The unemployment rate falls to 3%; the real GDP growth is at about 8%; Singapore began 1980s to upgrade to higher-technological industries; the tourism industries grew immensely so that the city emerged as an important transportation hub and a major tourist destination Mid 1980s Singapore fell into its first crisis due to government policies

23

2 .1

Hi sto r i c t i me li n e

YEAR

DESCRIPTION

1997 1998 2002 2004 2003-2008

The Asian Financial Crisis affected Singapore until about 2000 Singapore and United States announces agreement for US ships to use a planned $35 million naval base from 2000 Singapore and Japan sign the Japan-Singapore Economic Agreement Lee Hsien Loong became Prime Minister Economic exceptional growth Singapore was slightly affected by the global financial crisis. Due to the investments made by the western economies in the eastern countries, Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth increased considerably more than once before Marina Bay Sands has been constructed Politics dealing with the sustainability and economic growth are still now in force

2008 2010 2010-2018 Fig 18

24

Historic development

2 . 2 P o pulati o n

The growth of population in Singapore was for a long period fueled by immigration. The first official census was taken in 1824 and recorded 10,683 residents: 4,580 Malays, 3,317 Chinese, 1,925 Bugis, 756 natives of India, 74 Europeans, 16 Armenians, and 15 Arabs.

After World War II Singapore saw a massive population increase mostly due to increased number of native births. The birth rate rose and the death rate fell.

Singapore today has a density of 7796 ab/ km2, that could be considered almost a triple of the about 3000 ab/km2 in 1960, after the declaration of independence of the country.

The population profile of the country dramatically changes with a huge increase in the number of transient migrant workers.

Fig 20

Official figures show that the number of on short-term permits (termed ‘non-residents’) has grown from 311,000 in 1990 to 1.6M in

Resident/non-resident population in Singapore from 1990 to 2017 (Department of Statistics, 2017)

2017. Recently, malcontent against foreigners has surfaced. Out of a population of 5.6 million, 1.32 million are foreign workers, according to a Singapore government statistics for 2014.

Recent estimates by expatarrivals.com put the number of expats at around 600,000 — referring to professional and managerial workers who are more skilled, earn much more, are often on employment pass visas. “Singapore is all about convenience,” said Richard Martin, Fig 19

Population density in Singapore from 1960 to 2017 (Department of Statistics, 2017)

25

2 . 2 P o pulati o n

a self-described older expat who works for International Market Assessment, interviewed

by John Krich, BBC Journalist in Why expats call this utopia” article17. “Moving in, renting,

26

getting a work permit is easiest here than in any of the eight or nine cities in Asia where I have lived.” Singapore remains a magnet for foreign talent, especially in marketing, finance

Fig 21

Residents by age group in Singapore in 2017 (Department of Statistics, 2017)

Fig 22

Median age and birth rate of resident population in Singapore from 1960 to 2017 (Department of Statistics, 2017)

and IT. Communications, shipping, engineering and advertising all continue to need people at the upper end. People from 40 – 44 years and 50 – 54 years mainly contribute to the mix of residents age with almost 300k people for each group. The less conspicuous groups in the mix are represented by people older than 70 years. This data is reflected in the projection of median age: in 2017 the median age is above 40 years, a big growth in comparison to 1960, when median age was of only 19 years18. Young people (from 0 to 24 years) have medium numbers, and it is due to a great drop in rate birth of resident population from 1970 to nowadays. Resident people being focused on work (as we will see later with the data on working hours) and having a less money cannot afford to create a family. There’s also to be underlined that during the birth and the growth of the city state life conditions were largely better than before. People now live in buildings with almost all the comforts, healthcare is affordable and considered one of the best in Asia. As Singapore is facing ageing population, there are more number of private hospitals, public hospitals and outpa-

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

tient polyclinics throughout the island to choose from. Along with these facilities, there are also private medical practitioner clinics in most neighborhoods. Unfortunately this advantage has a dark side: unexpected upfront costs.

An unexpected trip to the doctor can be a bit expensive as the hospital do not normally accept direct bill settlement from the insurance company, and the patient have to pay the bill on the spot. If the hospital does not accept direct bill settlement, the patient is expected to pay for the consultation and any other services provided at the time of visit, including prescriptions for medication. Singapore has long been widely recognised as possibly the most successful case of development among emerging economies in the 20th century. Its economy is a highly developed free-market economy4, pro business and with low tax rate. It has been ranked as the second country in the world in terms of economic freedom19, and Singapore has the fourth highest per capita GDP in the world in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)20. Singapore had achieved impressive economic performance since gaining independence in 1965: the country had moved from $500 GDP

Fig 23

Singapore GDP per person performance in 2011 (economist.com)

per capita in 1965 to 10,000 in 1989 with a GDP of US$30 billion, and subsequently GDP tripled from less than US$100 billion in 2000 to almost US$300 billion in 2013 21. Strong growth and low unemployment and inflation have been achieved along with some strong social indicators (e.g. high life expectancy and home ownership). Key supporting factors for Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong growth performance have been a stable macroeconomic environment, continuous reforms to upgrade transportation infrastructure, the broader business climate, and a liberal regime for the inflow of foreign workers22. Government-linked companies play

a substantial role in Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, and this country has also benefited from the inward flow of FDI from global investors and institutions due to its highly attractive investment climate and a stable political environment23.

Foreign companies accounted for about 50% of total value added in the Singaporean economy, dominating sectors like chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and financial services. Known as a financial center and trading hub, Singapore retains a competitive manufacturing sector which contributes more than one sixth of GDP.

27

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

Fig 24 Share of Singapore GDP by Industry from 2001 to 2017 (singstat.gov.sg)

Singapore’s transformation from colonial port-city to newly-industrialised economy in the 20th century shared much with the experience of the other “Asian Tigers”.

From a market perspective, these economies in the 1960s and 1970s developed through free trade by specialising in the export of labour-intensive manufactures based on comparative advantage.

From a “developmental state” perspective, they relied heavily on state-interventionist policies which used industrial policy of selective protection and subsidies to direct capital investment to particular sectors, and provided public investment in infrastructure and education to increase productivity.

28

Industrialisation was further facilitated by conducive macroeconomic policy and authoritarian political regimes which ensured labour peace and “affordability”.

In Singapore, manufacturing competitiveness was maintained through the 1980s and 1990s by state industrial policy that encouraged the substitution of capital for labour, and technological upgrading, even as foreign labour imports preserved some labour-intensive parts of the manufacturing value chain.

This state-driven development model succeeded in delivering high rates of GDP growth over nearly four decades, such that Singapore now ranks as one of the world’s richest countries by per capita income. It also ranks high globally in many private sector comparative indices, such as for “competitiveness”, “economic freedom”, “business environment”, among others.

But the model is of limited relevance to other countries today, given recent changes in the dynamics of the world economy (and political economy), and peculiarities of the Singapore case itself. When Singapore and the other Asian Tigers embarked on their export manu-

facturing development strategy, they were individually and collectively small players in a world market where there were few other open-economy competitors with the same market comparative advantage (relative labour intensity) and policies to develop sector-specific competitive advantage (investment incentives, industrial targeting, export promotion24.

The government is implementing a medium-term reform agenda, announced in 2010, to restructure the economy. The strong expansion of Singapore’s economy since the turn of the century has been associated with a 34% rise in its population, mostly driven by inflows of foreign workers. Emphasis is now being put on measures to boost the productivity of labor and land while reducing reliance on foreign workers. The social safety net is being strengthened and fiscal measures are being put in place to mitigate wage disparities. The restructuring plans are being executed against the backdrop of a tight labor market and a rapidly aging population25.

The huge growth of the country has been possible due to low-skilled assembly work industry and the promoted expansion of the former

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

British Navy refueling facilities to multinational oil companies interested in the oil deposits in Indonesia, and Singapore soon became the largest petroleum refining center in Asia.

The importance of this industry: In 1985 Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real GDP declined by 1.4%, the first contraction since independence. The recession was partly explained by the depressed international market for oil.

The petrochemical cluster had been a major part of the Singapore economy since Shell built the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first oil refinery on Bukom Island (which later became part of Jurong Island) in 1961. By 2016, Singapore was one of the top three oil refining centers in the wor-

Fig 25

ld. The petrochemical industry accounted for 11.2% of Singaporean industrial output and was the third largest manufacturing sector in Singapore, after petroleum (23.3%) and semiconductors (14.8%).[(ins ref.)]

The Asian financial crisis in 1997â&#x20AC;&#x201D;1998 was the first of a number of severe external shocks that hit the Singaporean economy. When the global electronics industry slowed down in 1997 Asian currencies to devalue while stock markets plummeted. Singapore had much stronger economic fundamentals than its neighbors but was affected nonetheless. Its exchange rate and stock market fell by 16% and 54%, respectively, between July 1997 and

Comparison GDP per capita Singapore-Western Asia (data.gov.sg and data.abd.org)

Fig 26

Export from 1988 to 2015 (WITS)

Fig 27

Import from 1988 to 2015 (WITS)

29

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

October 1998.(Committee on Singapore’s Competitiveness, Ministry of Trade and Industry, November 1998). According to the World Bank “Doing Business Report,” 2016, Singapore had the world’s best environment in terms of rules and regulations for conducting business.

By 2017 Singapore was ranked third in the pro-

pore has relatively few trade barriers. Trade partners with Most Favoured Nation have zero tariff rates applied to their products. There are however some import restrictions based mainly on environmental, health, and public security concerns. Exports, in particularly electronic, chemicals and services (including wealth management) provide the main source of revenue for the country (main exports-percent of total domestic exports: electronic products 19%; chemical products (17%))25.

Fig 29

Fig 28

Exports of services in Singapore, 2017 (singstat.gov.sg)

sperity league of countries, just behind Luxembourg and Qatar but ahead of countries like

30

Imports of services in Singapore, 2017 (singstat.gov.sg)

the United States, Ireland, and Hong Kong.

Due to its geostrategic location and developed port facilities, Singapore is the 14th largest exporter and the 16th largest importer in the world26. Historically, international trade has strongly influenced the economy. According to the WTO, Singapore has one of the highest trade to GDP ratio, at 176,5% (3rd in the world). As a strong advocate of free trade, Singa-

Fig 30

Labour statistics in Singapore 2017 (stats.mom.gov.sg)

The Port of Singapore is the 3rd busiest in the world by cargo tonnage27 and in addition, Singapore’s port infrastructure and skilled workforce, which is due to the success of the country’s education policy in producing skil-

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

Fig 31

Avarage montly wage by income level

Fig 32

Avarage montly wage by income level

led workers, is also fundamental in this aspect as they provide easier access to markets for both importing and exporting and also provide the skills needed to refine imports into exports28. The growth of Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy was also reflected in peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wages; resident households saw earnings from work increase, while income inequality in Singapore held near the lowest level in a decade, according to official data released. Among households headed by a Singapore citizen or permanent resident which had at least one working person, the median monthly income grew 2 per cent in nominal terms to S$9,023 in 2015, from S$8,846 in 2016. Factoring in inflation, the increase was 1.5% in real terms, the Key Household Income Trends report from the Singapore Department of Statistics showed. After accounting for household size, the median monthly income per household member rose 4.5% in nominal terms, or 3.9 % in real terms, to S$2,699 in 2017.

The annual report also noted that households across all income groups enjoyed real growth in average work earnings per member last year. Households in the 51st to 90th percentile

31

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

income group saw the quickest growth rates, with income from work for each family member rising 3.7 to 4.5 % after taking into account inflation. That income grew by 2.6% in real terms for households in the top 10%, while the lowest-earning households in the bottom 50% recorded real income growth of 2.1 to 3.6%29.

Singapore’s Gini coefficient, the most commonly used indicator of income inequality (a Gini coefficient of zero reflects perfect equality, where every household has the same income, a coefficient of one represents perfect inequality) , has reached 0.458 in 2016, its lowest level in a decade (it was -2.6% lower than its level of 0.470 in 2006). Gini coefficient after accounting for government transfers and taxes

Fig 35

Fig 34

Fig 33

32

Labour statistics in Singapore 2017 (Ministry of Manpower: Manpower Research and Statistic Department)

Labour statistics in Singapore 2017 (Ministry of Manpower: Manpower Research and Statistic Department)

shows a dramatic decline in wage inequality, with figures declining from 0.418 in 2006 to 0.402 in 2016 31. Many people, however, may not feel its effect in their daily lives, and there might be a reason why. Although Singapore’s wage gap may have declined somewhat since 2006, data shows that it has actually

Labour statistics in Singapore 2017 (Ministry of Manpower: Manpower Research and Statistic Department)

widened quite meaningfully since 2000. For instance, the top 10% of households in Singapore made S$15,946 per month in 2000, roughly 11.54x of S$1,382 of bottom 10% households in the country. By 2016, however, the top 10% made S$30,175 per month, which is 15.81x of S$1,909 that the bottom 10% made.

All in all, the top 10%’s income grew by 89% since 2000, while the bottom 10%’s wage grew by only 38%, barely outpacing overall inflation of 32%. Such a trend wasn’t unique

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

to the top and bottom ends of the spectrum.

In fact, there was a similar trend between the top half and the bottom half of the country.

The average monthly income of the bottom 50% of households in Singapore, for example, was S$2,959 in 2000, which grew by 87% to S$5,533 in 2016. In contrast, the average monthly income of the top 50% grew by 97% from S$8,935 in 2000 to S$17,646 in 2016.

The ratio between the two groups’ wages widened from 3.02 in 2000 to 3.19 in 2016.

In light of these findings, it’s unsurprising that

Fig 36

Singapore household’s consumer debt has been rising. ValuePenguin’s study found that personal loans and credit card debt has risen by 188% since 2000, and now makes up 21% of the total household debt, compared to just 17% in 2000 to 2006. Given that personal loans and credit card debt are mostly used to fund consumption needs, it seems like the bottom half of the country may have been borrowing to compensate for their lack of relative income growth. It is now important to deal with the labour force of the city, investi-

Labour force 1990 to 2017 from 15 to 34 years Singapore (Department of Statistics 2017)

gating around the percentage of employment through several years. The data collected are based on the Labour Force Surveys conducted by the Ministry of Manpower every year and refer to people aged fifteen years and over.

The tables show what are the working conditions today and how they changed through the time; nowadays most of the part of the labour force is employed, while the unemployed people represent only a few percentage of the total number of people. It is also interesting to see how the new labour force in the market is more and more tertiary-educated; in fact, the degreed people rose from 23,3% in 2007 to 35,7% in 2017 and, nowadays, the more educated people are also those who less affect the percentage of people not included in the labour force. So, the fact that more and more young people start to work after their 25 years explains why the number of old workers is continuously increasing32. It is now important to focus on the employed people divided among age groups and, in order to better understand the next charts, it could be useful to distinguish and define some categories of people: persons in the labour force, the employed people, the

33

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

unemployed people and the unemployment rate. The persons in the labour force are those persons aged fifteen years and over who are either employed or unemployed during the reference period; the employed people are the people aged fifteen years and over who, during the reference period, 1) work for one hour or more even for profit or family gains, 2) or have a job or business, but are temporarily absent because of, for example, illness, injury or other reasons. The unemployed people are those people aged at least fifteen who are not working but are actively looking for a job; the unemployment rate refers to the percentage of unemployed persons to the labour force.

The employment rate continued to increase for residents aged 25 to 64 (80,7%) and for residents aged 65 and over (25,8%) in June 2017. The employment rate for those aged 15 and over declined, reflecting population ageing and the higher propensity of youths to postpone entry into the labour force.

The percentage of employed people from 35 to 54 years has slightly grown through the years and this age group represents the highest incidence on the total labour force.

34

Fig 37

Labour force from 1990 to 2017 from 35 to 54 years in Singapore (Department of Statistics)

This particular chart represents the key point for the actual and, most probably, also for the future work conditions, mirroring the effects

Fig 38

of the late entry into the labour force of new young people.

It is possible to underline how the slopes of

Labour force from 1990 to 2017 from 54 years and over in Singapore (Department of Statistics)

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

these lines are deep; in fact, the people aged 55 and over are more and more present on the market, thus contributing to the aging of the working class.

Fig 40

Total employed people (thousands) from 1992 to 2017

workers, in order to understand how much the total number of people without a work increases according to the number of new workers.

Fig 39

Sectors divided by employment in Singapore (Ministry of Manpower and Department of Statistics)

Manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, construction and business services are the most important sectors in Singapore, while the most influencing percentage groups different areas, such as agriculture, fishing, quarrying, utilities, sewerage and waste management.

Thanks to these charts, it is possible to know

how the number of workers increased from 2001 to 2016; this condition helped the economy of Singapore to grow faster and faster during the last few years.

But now we must take into consideration the total amount of unemployed people and also the ratio between them and the employed

Fig 41

Total unemployed people (thousands) from 1992 to 2017

35

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

Fig 42

Ratio between employed over unemployed people

The latter chart needs a particular attention, because it is characterised by a general negative slope (general red line in the chart); so, even if it has been stated that the unemployed people represents only a few percentage of the total employment (and it is really true), we have to highlight that in the last years the percentage of increment of these unemployed people is much more increased if compared to the increase in percentage of employed wor-

36

kers.

This could seem a negative thing, but another noteworthy factor, according to this topic, has to be unveiled: in fact, it is true that the percentage of unemployment rate is higher than that of employed people, but it is also true that the condition of being unemployed lasts in most cases less than 2 months, facts that contributes to enforce the global labour force of the city.

Fig 43 Unemployment duration for residents (Department of Stati stics)

2 . 3 Ec o no mi c data

It is now necessary to introduce an analysis, from the 90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to nowadays, regarding to the core consumer prices: it is possible to understand how the prices have grown according to the new higher workerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wages. In fact, core consumer prices in Singapore increased to 103.30 Index Points in February from 103.10 Index Points in January of 2018. They also averaged 82.63 Index Points from 1990 until 2018, reaching an all-time high of 103.30 Index Points in February 2018 and a record low of 63.85 Index Points in January of 1990. The general increasing of the prices also affected the construction sector, both the private (households) and the industrial lands. The prices of these types of goods have followed the market trend; in fact, both of them fell down, with a

Fig 44

really deep negative slope in the charts, during the Asian Financial Crisis (19972003) and also during the recent Global Financial Crisis (it started in 2008); but, immediately after this latter, due to the huge Western Countries investments in the East, the prices of all lands have seen again another rise, as shown in the graphs.

Fig 45

Industrial space price index in Singapore from 1975 to 2017 (tradingeconomics.com)

Fig 46

Private residential property price index in Singapore from 1975 to 2017 (tradingeconomics.com)

Singapore core consumer prices measure in index points (tradineconomics.com / Statistics Singapore)

37

3.

3 .1

Urban strategies Urban

3 .2 3 .3

development

Housing Transport

policy

implementation

3.4

Central Business District

3.5

Sustainability

3.6 3.7

S i n g a p o r e SWOT

analysis

Marina Bay: explore, exchange, entartain

3. URBAN STRATEGIES “By far the most stimulating and exciting is the far-reaching scheme to rebuild a new city on the site of the old, dilapidated buildings and unhealthy slums” Berita Singapura newsreels, produced by the Ministry of Culture, 1965 33 15 “ Singapore is close to the ideal model of land-use planning in the 21st century” Edward Glaeser, urban economist 15 “On the first floor of a city museum in the Urban Redevelopment Authority building, a wall is engraved with letters that spell SMALL ISLAND. It’s not until the second floor that the second half of the message materializes: BIG PLANS.” Samanth Subramanian, The NY Times Magazine 33

Fig 47

40

Singapore strategies about sustainability integration (FONTE ONLINE)

3 .1

U r b a n d e ve lo pme n t

But the city-state that Lee built has won, and continues to win, favour with urban planners and those in their realm, such as the Harvard urban economist Edward Glaeser, who makes no secret of his admiration for Singapore – not for its style of government, but for the urban form, structure and functionality it has achieved, as reported by Colin Marshall, The Guardian’s journalist15. The city-state’s entire population is smaller than that of a single mega-city, such as Beijing, Mumbai or Sao Paulo. Singaporean architect and planner Liu Thai Ker explained that, with regards to urban planning: “…we break down the city into regions. Each region is a million people. And below each region, you have new towns. But when you have a city of 20-30 million, you have a megacity, which should then be divided into cities, and then regions, and then small towns. When you have these layers, most of the things can be bought in the town, and then you don’t need to go to the big city and then the traffic is dispersed.” Every town, city and region of the world can be planned and designed using these principles, according to Abhas Jha from the World Bank article35. The

city needed to exploit new strategies from the very beginning: from the first years after the independence (1960s) of the country there was the need to rebuild an overpopulated city from unhealthy slums. The whole resident population, target of the first interventions implemented, could not continue living in that conditions, where diseases could easy make victims,

Fig 48

and what ideas, taken from the concept plans, became reality, so what features took part in the masterplans. The really first masterplan drafted dates back to 1956 36.

Here the masterplan indicates, by particular notations on the Island, Town and Central Area Maps, zones within which the predominant use is, or is intended to be, in accordance with the notations shown on the map.

The nowadays central area of the total city is here included in the 210, 211 and 230 squares: therefore, it is interesting and useful to understand how this zone has changed its configuration and use during the time.

1956 Singapore Masterplan (source: ura.gov.sg)

furthermore the country needed to establish its new political position in south-east Asia.

During the last fifty years it is possible to see, thanks to some historical maps, in what vision the development perspectives of the city were seen by the local government and authorities

41

3 .1

U r b a n d e v e lo pme nt

In this concept plans and masterplans it is possible to see how the organization of the central area map has changed during the time: in the 1956 map it is possible to see how the use of land is mainly residential, while the commercial side is really restricted. In the 1980 one we can see how a business-oriented area (the yellow one) has strated to grow.

Fig 49

1956 Singapore Masterplan, focus on Central Area (source: ura.gov.sg) Fig 50

42

1971 Singapore concept plan and 1980 Singapore masterplan (source: ura.gov.sg)

3 .1

U r b a n d e ve lo pme n t

The development of the central area in the 1980 masterplan is really huge; in fact, two big areas on the east part are now growing up, which will be the basis for the future economic and commercial development of this site, according to the concept plan of 1971.

Just like the 1958 masterplan, here the residential and the commercial sides of the story are pretty much the same, but the few industrial sites present in the first masterplan are now totally kept out of the city.

This was imagined in a foresight of one of the starting goals of the government: a future economic development of the whole Singapore as a country.

Fig 51

1980 Singapore masterplan (source: ura.gov.sg)

43

3 .1

U r b a n d e v e lo pme nt

After ten years a new concept plan and a masterplan are ready, showing the intents in the near future development of the whole State-City

Fig 52

44

Singapore Concept plan 1991 (source ura.gov.sg)

In the 2003 masterplan we can see how the 1991 concept plan is now reality; the central area, the grey part on the concept plan, is now a huge commercial site which most contributes to the economic growth of the city. The aim (and following achieved results) of urban development institution was both to create new jobs for residents, foreigners and to create remunerative places to attract visitors.

The residential areas, now even more expanded, are now completely kept out from the

Fig 53

Singapore Concept plan 2001 (source: ura.gov.sg)

3 .1

Fig 54

U r b a n d e ve lo pme n t

Masterplan 2003 focus on Central Area (source: ura.gov.sg)

center and the sites which were labelled as â&#x20AC;&#x153;comprehensive development areasâ&#x20AC;? are now part of a reserve site, which specific use has yet to be determined. Furthermore, it is possible to

understand how much the west side of the city has been developed: in fact, all of those industries that were present near to the city center on the 1971 concept plan, have been now di-

spersed towards the edges of the city, in particular in these new west areas.

45

3 .1

U r b a n d e v e lo pme nt

The latest review of the Concept Plan was carried out in 2011-2013, leading to the release of the Land Use Plan 2030 by Ministry of National Development (MND). The plan supports the population projected by the National Population & Talent Division (NPTD) for 2030 and outlined the strategies to support population and economic growth, while ensuring a high-quality living environment for all Singaporeans. This Land Use Plan outlines the strategies to provide the physical capacity to sustain a high-quality living environment for a possible population range of 6.5 to 6.9 million by 2030. The Land Use Plan also sets aside land to meet national needs beyond 2030, so that future generations have options and room for future growth. The strategies to sustain a high-quality living environment include: providing good affordable homes with a full range of amenities; integrating greenery into the living environment; providing greater mobility with enhanced transport connectivity; sustaining a vibrant economy with good jobs; ensuring room for growth and a good living environment in future.

The broad strategies and proposals set out

46

in the Land Use Plan were translated into detailed plans in the Master Plan 2014, which is used to guide our development over the next 10 to 15 years.

We will continue to review our plans regularly to respond to Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s changing needs, trends and the overall environment. As we can

Fig 55

Singapore Concept plan 2013 (source: ura.gov.sg)

see from the map, the west part of the city has a totally new shape, where all the industries and infrastructures are meant to be located.

It is also possible to observe a new use/allocation of some lands and the intention to make a great future land reclamation in the southwest part of the island. The masterplan reflects

3 .1

U r b a n d e ve lo pme n t

what where the intentions of agglomeration of the previous concept plans, with an even much denser commercial-based central area. All these maps are quite different from each other, but all of them have some common guidelines, such as: land reclamation, which changed the shape of the city; agglomeration in the city centre of commercial activities; industrial areas are always kept out of the city centre; a huge infrastructure development on the west side of the city; integration of green areas in the city centre37. In this process it is important to understand how much strong and powerful the initial intentions for urban strategies development have been; indeed, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s noteworthy the fact of how the very first concept plans have revealed effective and, so, fully implemented in the reality. The adopted strategy of decentralizing jobs to the western side of the city and the intention to keep the residential area out of the central one have revealed a winning method, so allowing the central area to develop into a new and advanced commercial hub focused on a multi-national level approach and featured with great international networks. These policies have demonstrated how capable they

Fig 56

Singapore Masterplan 2013 focus on the Central Area (source: ura.gov.sg)

were to make the city centre able to enjoy all the important advantages that arise from an urbanisation economy; indeed, the fact of having several economic centres agglomerated

within the same area have led the city to occupy a very important economic position at a global level.

47

3 . 2 Ho us i ng p o li c y

Singapore, during the years, has become a really important economic center in the world; it turned from slums into a modern and advanced metropolis. This growth wouldn’t be successful without a sensible intervention on people’s wellbeing. This part will highlight the important role of real estate and housing policies in Singapore’s economic development. In fact, Singapore is known for its high homeownership rates, the important role played by the government in housing supply and housing finance, and the wealth that has been created and distributed in this process, firstly for resident citizens and after also for people moving

Fig 57

48

Singapore public housing 1960s and today (Google images)

from outside.

As Singapore gained its internal self-government status in 1959, the three Prime Ministers who succeeded till nowadays and their respective governments have faced a set of different complex housing issues.

Let’s examine the challenges and the housing policies that have been adopted at different stages of development, starting from Lee Kuan Yew government (1959-1990), through Goh Chok Tong’s one (1990-2004), till Lee Hsien Loong (the elder son of Lee Kuan Yew), who is still in charge nowadays.

The Lee Kuan Yew Government (1959 to 1990):38 This was the very first step in setting rule and the Government had the hard task to lay the foundations for the housing regulations in a very turbulent political environment (independent status and the merger with Malaysia).

There was a chronic shortage and low resources, but at the same time population (composed by mostly poor people) was growing. The Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), which was in charge of the provision of houses and flats for the lower income groups completed the construction of only 2000 dwellings by 1941 39. In the post-war period between 1947 and 1959, the SIT built an estimate of 21,000 dwellings, housing 8.8% of the population by 1959.

In the 1960s, the foundations of Singapore’s real estate and housing policies were put in place. Three important components for this were the establishment of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in 1960, the enactment of the Land Acquisition Act (LAA) in 1966 and the expansion of the role of the Central Provident Fund (CPF) to become a housing finance institution in 1968. The HDB replaced the SIT

3 . 2 Ho us i n g p o li c y

to provide “decent homes equipped with modern amenities for all who needed them”.

A target of 110,000 dwelling units to be built was set between 1960 and 1970. The “Home Ownership for the People” scheme (1964) was set to sell housing units at below market prices, on a 99-year leasehold basis.

The political and economic motivations for homeownership policies can be better understood in the words of the Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew: “My primary preoccupation was to give every citizen a stake in the country and its future. I wanted a home-owning society. I had seen the contrast between the blocks of low-cost rental flats, badly misused and poorly maintained, and those of house-proud owners, and was convinced that if every family owned its home, the country would be more stable… I had seen how voters in capital cities always tended to vote against the government of the day and was determined that our householders should become homeowners, otherwise we would not have political stability. My other important motive was to give all parents whose sons would have to do national service a stake in the

Singapore their sons had to defend. If the soldier’s family did not own their home, he would soon conclude he would be fighting to protect the properties of the wealthy. I believed this sense of ownership was vital for our new society which had no deep roots in a common historical experience” 40.

The LAA (1966) permitted the state and its agencies to acquire land for any public purpose or for any work which is of public benefit, of public utility or of the public interest or for any residential, commercial, or industrial purposes.

Government land acquisition at below market values in the 1970s greatly facilitated the industrialization and housing programs. State ownership of the land grew from 44% in 1960 to 76% by 1985. State Land Rules (1968) stated then that titles for state-owned land should be for terms not exceeding 99 years. Under the Government Land Sales (GLS) program, the government amalgamates land, inserts infrastructure, provides planning and urban design guidelines, and releases the land for sale to private (including foreign) developers. Sites are usually sold on 99-year leases for commercial, hotel and private residential development

whereas leases for industrial sites are usually for 60 years or less.

Supply was so created and meanwhile demand for homeownership was “created” by directing savings in the Central Provident Fund (CPF) towards housing.

The CPF became an important institution for financing homeownership from September 1968 when legislation was enacted to allow withdrawals from the fund to finance the purchase of housing sold by the HDB and subsequently sold by other public sector agencies as well. In 1981 then the scheme was extended to allow withdrawals for mortgage payments to purchase private housing and from 1984, rules governing the use of CPF savings have been gradually liberalized to allow for withdrawals for medical and education expenses, insurance, and investments in various financial assets.

Lee’s government showed during these three decades its commitment to improve the urban environment and the standards of housing in Singapore.

HDB’s housing stock increased rapidly from 120 138 units in 1970 to 574 443 units in 1990, which was 87% of the resident population.

49

3 . 2 Ho us i ng p o li c y

The homeownership rate for the resident population increased from 29% in 1970 to 88% in 1990.

Favourable socio-economic effects of Singapore’s housing welfare approach include the following: • Increase in Savings Rate • Increase in Quantity and Quality of Housing Stock • Increase in Homeownership Rate • Development of Mortgage Market • Racial Integration:

- the large HDB housing sector has played an extremely important role in shaping the Singapore society. Singapore is a multi-racial, multi-religious country; in 2012, the Chinese consisted of 74.2% of the resident population, the Malays 13.3%, Indians 9.2%, with other races comprising 3.3%. The physical plans of HDB new towns have been designed to integrate the various income and racial groups within the public housing program, and this has prevented the development of low-income and ethnic ghettos. (e.g. When the set racial limits for a neighbourhood was reached, those wishing to sell their HDB flats in

50

the particular neighbourhood had to sell it to another household of the same ethnic group) • Impact on Economic Distribution of the population, starting point for distribution of richness.

The Goh Chok Tong Government (1990 to 2004) 40: The initial housing shortage was over.

The HDB now shifted its focus on providing larger and better quality flats for existing HDB and upper-middle income households (reflecting the increase in the medium level of richness of the population, that now started to have a stable work), redevelopment of old estates, and retrofitting existing flats. This was the period when the government land sales program to private developers resulted in a marked increase in the supply of private housing.

Revenue from the sale of state land leases constituted a significant proportion of government revenue, particularly during the boom years of the property cycle.

Housing policies under Goh Chok Tong’s term as the Prime Minister were marked as market deregulation, “asset enhancement” and

“upgrading” policies. The Goh government viewed Singaporean homes as an asset and potential source of security for their old age.

This was accompanied by a resale market deregulation that allowed the easiness of trade, enhancing the desirability of any asset.

Prior to 1971, there was no resale market for owner-occupied HDB dwellings. HDB required owners who wished to sell their flats to return them to the HDB at the original purchase price in addition to the depreciated cost of improvements. Then in 1971, a resale market was created when the HDB allowed owners who had resided in their flats for a minimum of three years to sell their flats at market prices to buyers of their choice who satisfied the HDB eligibility requirements for homeownership.

Deregulation of the HDB resale market was accompanied by an increase in the number of resale HDB transactions. The transaction volume of resale HDB flats increased from fewer than 800 units in 1979 to 13 000 units in 1987, 60 000 units in 1999, and 31 000 in 2004 (HDB Annual Reports).

cost of improvements. Then in 1971, a resale market was created when the HDB allowed owners who had resided in their flats for a minimum of three years to sell their flats at market prices to buyers of their choice who satisfied the HDB eligibility requirements for homeownership. Deregulation of the HDB resale market was accompanied by an increase in the number of resale HDB transactions. The transaction volume of resale HDB flats increased from fewer than 800 units in 1979 to 13 000 units in 1987, 60 000 units in 1999, and 31 000 in 2004 (HDB Annual Reports).

[41]By the late 1980s, the age gradient for HDB estates became evident so in 1989, the government announced an ambitious long term HDB Upgrading Programme to upgrade existing HDB estates which is schematized below:

3 . 2 Ho us i n g p o li c y

HDB Upgrading Programmes Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme § Launched in August 1995 § Old estates with high redevelopment potential identified § Government acquires flats by compensating flat owners the prevailing market price plus removal expenses § Flat owners guaranteed new replacement flat priced below the market value § Old blocks demolished and new higher density developments built Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) § Launched in 1989 to enhance the overall living environment of estate § Residents offered a ‘standard package’ comprising improvements in the precinct, in the block, and within the flat § Option of space adding item i.e. extra bathroom, balcony or kitchen extension § Proceed only if 75% of Singapore Citizen eligible households vote in favour of upgrading works Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) § Launched in 2001 to provide direct lift access, where feasible, to existing HDB blocks without 100 percent direct lift access § Proceed only if 75% of Singapore Citizen eligible households in a block vote in favour of it Home Improvement Programme § Replaced the MUP since August 2007

[41]By the late 1980s, the age gradient for HDB estates became evident so in 1989, the government announced an ambitious long term HDB Upgrading Programme to upgrade existing HDB estates which is schematized below: Financial liberalization as well as positive macroeconomic factors resulted in rapidly rising housing prices in the early 1990s. So due to

§ Essential improvements include replacement of waste pipes, repair of structural cracks, spalling concrete and ceiling leaks as well as upgrading of electrical supply which are fully funded by the government § Residents may opt for improvements works such as replacement of entrance door, grille gate and refuse hopper, as well as upgrading of toilets/bathrooms at highly subsidized costs (Singapore citizen residents in 3-room flats pay 5% of the cost while those in 5-room flats contribute 10% of the costs) Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP) and IUP Plus § Launched in 1993 § Provided pedestrian covered linkways, repainting of blocks, and new letter boxes § Fully funded by the government § Combined with LUP as ‘IUP Plus’ in May 2002 Neighborhood Renewal Programme § Replaced the IUP Plus in August 2007 § Focus on block and neighborhood improvements and can be implemented on a larger area of two or more contiguous precincts § All costs borne by the government and implemented by town councils § Examples of improvements include residents’ corners and lift lobby tiling, drip-off porch, linkways, soccer pitch, fitness corners, and jogging track at the neighborhood level § Proceed if at least 75% of eligible flat owners in the neighborhood indicate their support

Financial liberalization as well as positive macroeconomic factors resulted in rapidly rising housing prices in the early 1990s. So due to the growing concern over the affordability of private housing, the government introduced the Executive Condominium (EC) scheme, a hybrid public private house type in 1995 similar to the 99-year leasehold private condominium house type enabling the government to affect private housing prices with another instrument on the supply side.

Despite this, house prices continued to soar as shown on the table below (with the private housing price index more than tripling between 1990 and 1996).

40 the affordability of the growing concern over private housing, the government introduced the Executive Condominium (EC) scheme, a hybrid public private house type in 1995 similar to the 99-year leasehold private condominium

51

Note: CPI, 1985 – 2009 (2009 = 100); Private House Price Index, 1975 – 2004 (1998 Q4=100); HDB Resale Price Index, 1990 – 2004 (1998 Q4 = 100).

Graphic 27: House Price Indices and CPI (Singapore Government Agencies: Department of Statistics, Singstat

41

3 . 2 Ho us i ng p o li c y

Fig 58 House Price Indices and CPI (Singapore Government Agencies: Department of Statistics, Singstat Database; Urban Redevelopment Authority, Real Estate Information System REALIS; Housing and Development Board Website)

house type enabling the government to affect private housing prices with another instrument on the supply side.

Despite this, house prices continued to soar as shown on the table below (with the private housing price index more than tripling between 1990 and 1996).

On May 15, 1996, the government introduced a package of anti-speculation measures to curb real estate speculation.

The immediate purpose of these measures was to cool the property market. However, it entered a slump with the onset of the Asian economic crisis in 1997. Both the private and public housing sectors were faced with a situation of declining prices and unsold units.

52

The Lee Hsien Loong Government (2004 to present): The housing market at the start of his term appeared to be stabilizing at the depression of the property cycle. The HDB had been restructured and downsized.

Particularly attention was given to elderly households (people from 70 years and forward), since the reliance on housing as an asset to finance retirement felt down (Economic Review Committee appointed by the government in 2002 arrived at the conclusion that CPF members were â&#x20AC;?asset rich and cash-poorâ&#x20AC;?).

In 2005, the government made a decision to proceed with the development of two casino based integrated resorts (until then, casinos were not allowed in Singapore). This decision could be said to mark another phase in the economic development of Singapore as a global city. On the population front, immigration and foreign worker policies led to a rapid growth in the number of foreigners in Singapore.

However, the global financial crisis of 20082009 and the uncertainties it brought about made the government hold off increasing

housing supply which subsequently led to a housing shortage in 2010, when the two integrated resorts opened and the economy rebounded sharply (with real GDP growth of 14.8%), with the aim of attracting visitors and occasional tourists. In the post global financial crisis period, rapid population increase, low interest rate, and high global liquidity resulting from the accommodative monetary policy of Central Banks in developed economies led to the accelerated price increase of Singapore property.

Since 2006, the Singapore government has announced several consecutive measures to curb demand for housing.

These measures can be viewed as macro prudential policies to stabilize the housing prices, reduce the returns for housing investors, and pre-empt developing a housing bubble.

In conclusion Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housing welfare model demonstrates what can be achieved with strategic planning to mobilize resources and guide key investments.

In order to obtain this the Singapore government has deployed multiple mitigations in

3 . 2 Ho us i n g p o li c y

parallel to reduce the risk of housing that may become a source of financial sector instability: • Housing markets are carefully segmented and carefully regulated.

• The main source of capital for housing finance comes from domestic savings.

• Price subsidies and housing grants are given to the eligible when purchasing.

• The HDB relies on government loans to fund mortgage loans.

• HDB mortgage financing is not subsidized and market share has been shifting to commercial banks over time.

• The use of compulsory savings lowers default risks.

• Government housing institutions do not have conflicting missions • The government has control over land and housing supply This was possible due to the quality of public administration in Singapore, which is a result of recruitment based on merit, competitive pay benchmarked against private-sector salaries, extensive computerization, and a civil service culture of zero tolerance for corruption.

Fig 59

Key indicators of Singapore’s housing sector (Singapore government publications)

53

3 . 3 Tr a ns p o rts i mple me n tation

Singapore Ministry of Transport strengthens the transportation connectivity and develops the transport sector’s potential to advance the country’s economic competitiveness and the quality of people living, traveling and moving in Singapore. It oversees three sectors: air transport, land transport and sea transport.

While the Ministry is responsible for setting the policies, the implementation of the policies and the day-to-day operations are handled by four statutory boards: Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Land Transport Authority, Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore, Public Transport Council.

Transport within Singapore is mainly land-based. Many parts of Singapore, including certain islands such as Sentosa and Jurong Island are accessible by road. The other major form of transportation within Singapore is rail: the Mass Rapid Transit which runs the length and width of Singapore, and the Light Rail Transit which runs within a few neighborhoods. The main island of Singapore is connected to the other islands by ferryboat services.

Singapore also has a great deal of links to the rest of the world and provides services for inter-

54

Fig 60

Brands of Transportation institutions in Singapore (institutional websites)

national arrivals and departures42. There are two bridges which link Singapore to Malaysia – the Causeway, and the Second Link. The Singapore Changi Airport is a major aviation hub in Asia, and Singapore is a major trans-shipment port.

- Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore: The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is responsible for the development of the air hub and aviation industry as well as the provision of air navigation services.

The CAAS was established on 1 September 1984 to maintain and manage Singapore’s airports; provide air traffic control services;

oversee search and rescue operations within the Singapore zone; provide firefighting and rescue services and facilities at the airports; regulate and promote the development of air transport; promote and facilitate the development of the local aerospace industry; advise the government on aviation matters; and represent Singapore as the national body on aviation matters.

With the establishment of the CAAS, Changi Airport came under its management until 1 July 2009 when the airport was transferred to the Changi Airport Group (which was previously

3 . 3 Tr a n s p o rt s i mple me n tation

part of the CAAS) and became corporatized.

The CAAS instituted and implemented many changes at Changi Airport during the period when the airport was under its administration.

The CAAS ensured that the facilities and infrastructure at the airport were complete and comprehensive and that the services provided were efficient and reliable. The CAAS also set competitive prices and increased the range of products available in airport shops to make shopping attractive to travellers. The authority also took charge of the construction of Terminal 2 and continued to expand Changi Airport’s flight connections network. Improvements were also made to operations related to aviation safety, air traffic control and airport management at the airport. To keep staff upto-date with changes in the aviation industry, CAAS provided training programmes in areas such as air traffic control and firefighting through the Singapore Aviation Academy.

- Land Transport Authority: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) looks into spearheading land transport developments to provide a smooth and seamless journey for drivers and public transport commuters.

In the 1970s, a transportation unit existed in the Public Works Department (PWD) that was in charge of everything—building the first library, erecting pedestrian overhead bridges and bus shelters, and an array of other road-building projects. The Land Transport Authority was established on 1 September 1995.

It focused on Singapore public transport architecture during 1970s. During this period, the Government commissioned a comprehensive study of local transport (due to a need for social and economic connections) and drew up Singapore’s land transport master plan up to 1992 under the massive State and City Planning (SCP) project (1962-1975). Road Transport Action Committee (RTAC) was set up to look into pre-empting traffic jams. Supplementary Public Transport Service was established to complement standard bus services, using school and private hire buses to provide high quality services for wealthy population, families and workers.. In 1973, 3 regionally based bus companies merged to form Singapore Bus Service (SBS) and one year later Government Team of Officials (GTO) appointed to help run SBS. In 1975, the “user pays” system, Area

Licensing Scheme (ALS) was introduced and City Shuttle Service (CSS) Company was set up to provide shuttle services from the fringe car parks into the restricted city zone.

1980s can be described as era of expressways.

Pan Island Expressway (PIE), East Coast Parkway (ECP), Benjamin Sheares Bridge, Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) and Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) was completed. Green light was finally given to build MRT. From 1990s to 2000s LTA manages the growth emerging vehicles and increase the completion of service level (e.g. Full Day Bus Lane Sch of eme, Wheelchair-Accessible Bus). Different kinds of technology smart methods and standards focusing on service experience were massively introduced to implement policies for avoiding congestion and also reduce consumes: Vehicle Quota System (VQS), Electronic Road Pricing (ERP), Quality of Service (QoS) standards, Barrier Free Accessibility Enhancement.

55

3 . 3 Tr a ns p o rts i mple me n tation

Fig 61

Rail length from 1990 to 2016 (Land Transport Authority 2016)

-Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore: The mission of the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre. It is also the driving force of Singapore’s port and maritime development.

It contributes actively to the economic development of the country.

56

-Public Transport Council: The Public Transport Council (PTC) is an independent body that regulates bus services, public transport fares and ticket payment services.

Transport is another sector that has seen investment recently. On an island of 4.8 million people with limited space, moving people around as efficiently as possible is key to its

economic viability. A decade ago, city administrators warned that congestion could cost Singapore’s economy $2-3bn a year if transport infrastructure was not improved.

Then, there were two separate transport-charging systems in the city: road tolls and public transport, including the metro and buses. But since 2009, after a series of smart card innovations, people have been able to use e-Symphony, an IBM-designed payment card that can be used to pay for road tolls, bus travel, taxis, the metro, and even shopping.

The card can process 20 million fare transactions a day and collects extensive traffic data, allowing city administrators to constantly tweak routes to ensure the most efficient journeys and minimise congestion.

All these measures combine to make Singapore a smarter city. “What we have done is to research and try to distill the principles for Singapore’s success in sustainable urban development – we call it a liveability framework,” says Khoo Teng Chye, executive director at the Centre for Liveable Cities based in Singapore interviewed by Flemmich Webb in the article “Sustainable cities: innovative urban panning

3 . 3 Tr a n s p o rt s i mple me n tation

the Land Transport Authority, which oversees the three main modes of public transportation.

Fare regulation and bus service standards are under the purview of an independent body, the Public Transport Council, while TransitLink, established by SBS Transit44, SMRT Trains and SMRT Buses45, helps to create an integrated multi-modal system with a common fare-payment mode, information platform, and a physical network without duplication of services.

The Authority encourages residents to use public transport in Singapore. The key aims are to provide an incentive to reside away from the Central district, as well as to reduce air pollution. Singapore has a Mass Rapid Transit Fig 62

(MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) rail system consisting of five lines. There is also a system of bus routes throughout the island, most of which have air conditioning units installed due to Singapore’s tropical climate. Besides cash, a contactless smart card called the EZ-Link card can be used to pay bus and MRT fares.

Launched in December 2007 by Land Transport Authority, Singapore Tourism Board and EZ-Link, the Singapore Tourist Pass46 offers unlimited travel for tourists to Singapore on Singapore’s public transport system. For S$10 a day (S$20 for 3 days, as of April 2017) and with S$10 deposit, tourists can take any number of rides on buses and trains operated by

MRT, LRT, Bus, Taxi stop (Google images)

in Singapore”.

“Quality of life, environmental sustainability and competitive economics. These are the components that make cities liveable” 43 .

Currently public transport covers a variety of transport modes such as bus, rail, and taxi.

The public transport system is regulated by

Fig 63

Public Transport Operation and Ridership - Average Daily Public Transport Ridership(Department of Statistics,2016)

57

3 . 3 Tr a ns p o rts i mple me n tation

SBS Transit, SMRT Buses and SMRT Trains.

The first section of the Mass Rapid Transit opened in 1987. Although buses still enjoy an average daily ridership exceeding the number carried on both the MRT and LRT systems (3.9 million on buses, compared to 3.1 million on the MRT and LRT in the year 2016), the Land Transport Authority plans to expand the rail system such that buses will eventually play only a feeder role to an extensive rail network.

Light rail transit functioning as feeders to the main MRT network has been under study for some time, particularly since the existing urban configuration of self-containing new towns spread out in the suburbs meant it was feasible to consider having light rail systems connecting each town to the MRT station in the town centre, a role which has traditionally been provided by feeder buses.

Singapore has had other various forms of light urban rail systems, such as the Changi Skytrain, a people mover system shuttling passengers between the three terminals at the Singapore Changi Airport, was opened originally in 1990 along with Terminal 2 and upgraded in 2006 with the completion of Terminal

58

3. The Jurong BirdPark previously featured an air-conditioned panorail which closed in 2012.

Public Bus transportation companies: SBS Transit, 205 routes (2017) with more than 3,100 buses; SMRT Buses 95 routes (2017) with more than 1,400 buses (2017); Tower Transit Singapore 47, 26 Routes (2017) 380 Buses (2017); Go-Ahead Singapore 25 routes (2017) 403 buses (2017) 48.

Taxicabs are a popular form of public transport in the compact sovereign city-state of Singapore, with fares considered relatively low compared to those in most cities in developed

Fig 64

countries. As of December 2016, the total taxi fleet in Singapore was 27,534 taxis. Taxis may be flagged down at any time of the day along any public road outside of the Central Business District (CBD). However, increased usage of Uber and Grab has resulted in a decrease in the usage of taxis.

As of 2016, there was a total of 956,430 motor vehicles in Singapore, with 552,427 of them being private and company cars, a downward trend compared to the previous years. It is a sign of new sustainable conscience.

There are six local scheduled service airlines,

Motor Vehicle Population by Type of Vehicles (Land Transportation Authority 2016)

3 . 3 Tr a n s p o rt s i mple me n tation

aviation today. The airport also serves limited scheduled commercial flights by Berjaya Air to the Malaysian islands of Tioman Island and Redang Island.

Fig 65

Airports and airbases in Singapore

all of them operating from Singapore Changi Airport, offering scheduled flights to over 70 cities on six continents. The national flag carrier, Singapore Airlines, operates from Chan gi Airport Terminal 2 and 3. Its subsidiaries, SilkAir and Scoot, operate from Changi Airport Terminal 2.

Singapore aims to be Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aviation hub chiefly via the promotion of liberal aviation policies in a bid to encourage airlines to commence and maintain operations there.

The aviation industry is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

Singapore Changi Airport49, with its four terminals, is one of the most important air hubs in the region. The international airport is situated at the easternmost tip of the main island, and serves 185 cities in 58 countries. With the recent opening of the third terminal, Changi is

now capable of handling 64 million passengers every year. Both the numbers of arrivals and departures of passengers are growing, signal that more and more people come to visit (for different reasons, tourism, business, connections) the city.

Seletar Airport is Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first civil aviation airport and is primarily used for private

Fig 66

Civil Aircraft Arrivals/Departures, Passengers and Mails(Civil Aviation Authority)

59

3 . 3 Tr a ns p o rts i mple me n tation

Singapore pioneered the modern use of toll roads to enter the most congested city centre area with the Singapore Area Licensing Scheme, which has since been replaced with the Electronic Road Pricing, a form of electronic toll collection. The government has continued to upgrade the rigour and real-time responsiveness of its congestion charging system, first implemented in 1975, which now brings in a revenue of $50m a year and has encouraged 65% of commuters to use public transport rather than private cars. “As a result,” said Edward Glaeser, “you have the second densest country in the world, that has virtually uncongested streets”15. The planning, construction and maintenance of the road network is overseen by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), and this extends to expressways in Singapore. These form key transport arteries between the distinct towns and regional centres as laid out in Singapore’s urban planning, with the main purpose of allowing vehicles to travel from satellite towns to the city centre and vice versa in the shortest possible distance. The influence of expressways on Singapore’s transport policy developed shortly after independence during the history

60

of Singapore because of frequent traffic congestion in the Central district. The aim was to encourage residential development in other parts of the island and give residents in these new “satellite towns” a convenient link between their homes and their workplaces (which were mostly situated around the city centre.) Singapore is also a leader country in intangible connections as communication.

Since the start of Singapore’s first infocomm

Fig 67

Expressways of Singapore (Google images)

computerization in 1900, Singapore has continually invested in her infocomm infrastructure.

From the computerization of the civil service, sector-wide electronic data interchanges for the law, medical and trade community, to the set-up of Singapore ONE- the world’s first na-

tionwide broadband infrastructure. Singapore has always viewed infocomm infrastructure as a critical enabler for the economy and society, as also an instrument management and erase population and institutions digital divide.Singapore’s investments in infocomm infrastructure have paid off to date. Singapore has consistently been highly placed in global and regional rankings for infocomm developments and usage of infocomm. In particular, Singapore has performed well in the e-government area. In particular, it was ranked first in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Information Technology Report 2016 50 for readiness and usage of infocomm in businesses, government and society.

Since 2000, Singapore ONE has provided nation-wide broadband access over Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and cable to households in Singapore. Wireless@SG is a wireless broadband programme developed by the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore as part of its Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure initiative, being part of the nation’s 10-year masterplan called Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015). Singaporeans got to enjoy free Wi-Fi in public areas around

3 . 3 Tr a n s p o rt s i mple me n tation

Fig 68

Singapore’s ranking in the Global Information Technology Report between 2013 and 2016 (World Economic Forum Global Information Technology Report)

the island as early as December 2006. As of April 2010, there are some 1.6 million subscribers, far exceeding the target of 250,000 subscribers by December 2008. Usage has been high with users clocking an average of 10.1 hours per user per month. This free service has been extended to March 2013. The targeted users of this wireless broadband network are broadly classified as “people on the move” – people who require wireless broadband access while away from their homes, schools and offices. These include students, tourists, business travellers and

enterprise users such as insurance agents and real estate agents who use widely available and wireless-enabled devices such as notebook PCs and PDAs. Once connected, users will be able to access all Internet-based services e.g. online gaming, web surfing, instant messaging, VoIP and email. In 2014, Singapore also launched a landmark Smart Nation program through which it is gathering unprecedented amounts of data about all aspects of city life. That information may be used as predictive data for disease outbreak preparedness or disaster manage-

ment, as well as more personalized quality of life and safety initiatives. However, the program also raises significant concerns about data security and personal privacy both in Singapore and more broadly.For all these policies about transportation, (and other factors) Singapore is ranked as number 2 of Smart Cities by EasyGroup 2017 ranking. EasyPark Group’s Chief Business Development Officer Mauritz Börjeson declares in a press statement: “Big Data has changed the face of the world as we know it, because it allows us to create better solutions to real world problems. Without better solutions, global urbanization would lead to problems such as traffic congestion, housing shortages and pollution -- by using Big Data, we can help tackle these important global issues. Every city in this index deserves to be applauded for their efforts, and while the results clearly indicate those cities which are leaps and bounds ahead, it also brings to attention the admirable efforts of many cities looking forward towards a smart future.” We can absolutely say that Singapore is one of this last category of cities51.

61

3 . 4 Ce n t r a l B us i ne s s D i st r ict

the original framework, a concept plan was drawn to achieve the subdivision of functions and industries, which provided a practical guidance for the subsequent master plans (Figure 39).

Fig 69

Central Business District (CBD) (Google images)

Central Business District (CBD) is used to describe most of the Central Area, although its boundaries lie within the Downtown Core.

As the financial heart of Singapore, CBD houses the headquarters and offices of numerous corporations, as well as the Singapore Exchange. The area is also home to a large number of governmental institutions, notably the seat of Parliament and the Supreme Court of Singapore.

In 1963, experts of UN drew a ring-shaped development concept map along the coast of the main island for Singapore. In 1971, a concept plan was drawn to decentralize the population in a circular pattern (Figure 38). In 1981, under

62

Fig 70 1971 Concept Plan (Yang Yuting: The Compilation and Characteristics of Singapore’s Urban Planning: Introduction and Evaluation of Singapore’s Urban Planning. Urban Planning in Foreign Countries, 1986)

Fig 71 1981 Concept Plan (Yang Yuting: The Compilation and Characteristics of Singapore’s Urban Planning: Introduction and Evaluation of Singapore’s Urban Planning. Urban Planning in Foreign Countries, 1986)

With the large-scale urban renewal, the population in the central area has dropped sharply during the 1960s and 1970s. The original industrial and warehousing industries in the central area were relocated to the Jurong Industrial Zone and other adjacent light industrial areas.

High-value-added commercial and financial industries began to agglomerate in the central area along the waterfront and Shenton Way rapidly and was called the Golden Shoe due to its development of shoe-like shape. Many multinational corporations whose headquarters located in Singapore, local and international banks, securities companies, law firms, accounting and management consulting firms, as well as the world’s fourth largest foreign exchange market, are located in this financial center52. By 1984, the central area had been completely renovated.

The rapid development of CBD had also brought some problems. First, the decentralized layout of the new town and the highly concentrated downtown area resulted in the spatially separation of industrial functions from people’s life and leisure functions. Separation of office and residence had made the CBD an aban-

3 . 4 Ce ntr a l B us i ne s s D i st r ict

doned urban corner in non-working hours53.

Second, the historical and cultural features of the city had been damaged. In 1989, a new Planning Act which formulate a legislative framework was passed to regulate and protect the rehabilitates historical sites and buildings

Singapore.

The rapid expansion of Singapore’s financial services sector since 1980s had a deep impact on its CBD development, particularly through heightened demands for office spaces by financial institutions and supporting infra-

Fig 73

Fig 72

The Marina Bay CBD

Some economic and financial indicators (1980~2000) (singstat.gov.sg)

such as the Chinatown in the central area.

From 1980 to 2000, Singapore’s total trade increased by threefold. Foreign Exchange Reserve and assets of commercial banks increased to 1400 billion dollars and 3400 billion dollars respectively. FDI reached to 1580 billion dollars in 2000.

Financial services industry is a vital component of the Singapore’s economy. It is the largest source of value-added services and national tax revenue. In 2001, its GDP share increased to 13% from 6% in the 1970s. In 2001, there were more than 600 financial institutions in

structure and amenities.

In accordance with the concept plan approved in 1991, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) proposed a New Downtown Plan in 1996 to expand the CBD from Golden Shoes area to its new reclamation area in the Marian South.

The New Downtown Plan aimed to seamlessly extend the existing business district and double the size of the financial district to support the long-term growth of Singapore’s financial industry, (Monetary Authority of Singapore) create an entertainment and cultural center that is functionally relative to the previous

Fig 74 The Marina Bay Financial Centre (Google images)

63

3 . 4 Ce n t r a l B us i ne s s D i st r ict

CBD, and provide a considerable amount of spectacular buildings and landmarks supporting the dynamic nightlife, which appeals to businessman, tourists as well as the local community.

The Marina Bay Financial Centre consists of three office towers, two residential towers and retail space at Marina Bay Link Mall, occupying a 3.55 hectare site. The construction of the Marina Bay Financial Centre development comprises two phases, with its first phase completed in 2010.Greenland, transportation infrastructure, buildings along the central boulevard, development of hotels and high-density residential were completed to the east of Marina Bay by 2010. The entire development was completed in 2012 and the grand opening of Marina Bay Financial Centre was officiated

by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on May 15th 2013.

The highlight of the new CBD is the development of the Marina Bay Integrated Resort and the opening of the gambling industry. In March 2004, the government decided to build a comprehensive entertainment area in Marina Bay South. On April 18th 2005, Prime Minister

64

Lee Hsien Loong announced the openness of a casino-integrated entertainment area and issued two casino licenses, Casinos in Marina Bay and Sentosa. In May 2006, Las Vegas Sands, a gambling company from the United States, won the bid to build the Marina Bay Integrated Resort, and designed a grand development plan with a total investment of 5.7 billion dollars. At present, the Marina Bay Sands

Fig 75

Jurong Lake District location (Google images)

Hotel has become a new landmark building for the Singapore CBD. The construction of Marina Bay Integrated Resort is an important step for Singapore’s transition towards Asia’s tourism and financial services center.

Jurong was developed as Singapore’s first industrial town in 1961 to drive industrialisation and create jobs for Singaporeans54. Public

housing estates were built in areas such as Teban Gardens and Taman Jurong so that workers and their families could live close by.

Recreational spaces for residents and visitors such as Jurong Lake, Science Centre, and the Chinese and Japanese Gardens were also built to enhance the living environment.

In 1991, the land around the Jurong East MRT interchange was designated as a regional center to create more jobs outside the city. International Business Park (Singapore’s first business park for knowledge-based activities) and JTC Summit (headquarters for JTC Corporation) were among the first developments.

3 . 4 Ce ntr a l B us i ne s s D i st r ict

Fig 76

International Business Park, before

Fig 77

International Business Park, after

Jurong Regional Centre became Jurong Lake District (JLD) in 2008 as part of URAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to grow new employment centres outside the Central Area to bring more quality jobs and recreational options closer to homes. Since then, the district is shaping up as a vibrant commercial node, especially around the Jurong East MRT station.

65

3 . 5 S u sta i n a b i li ty a mo ng scyscr ap er s

As it is known, and as it has always been said, Singapore has become one of the world’s leading commercial hubs, with the fourth-biggest financial center and one of the five busiest ports.

The recent strong development of the city directly led to some environmental issues; in fact, in order to sustain this deep and radical transformation from a city filled up with slums into a modern and advanced metropolis, the city had to face with really bad air and water conditions (mainly due to the polluters produced by industries and transportation systems) and it also had to meet the needs of new houses coming from the increasing number of population and, as a consequence, the increasing density of inhabitants. In fact, according to this last statement, from 1980 up to now, development and increased pressure for land usage forced Singapore to adopt intense deforestation processes, which directly led it to lose 90% of its forests.

At the same time, energy consumption in the building sector is trending upwards due to this increasing in population and due to rapid urbanization in most parts of the world. In Singa-

66

pore, non-residential and residential buildings (households) combined consume about 50% of the country’s end-use electricity.

Despite Singapore announced accession to the Kyoto Protocol in April 2006 – the famous protocol dealing with climate change and energy efficiency – this participation didn’t get any immediate results.

So, in order to face with this worrying and threatening situation in environmental terms, the Government of Singapore (in particular the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources55) decided to outline in 2015 (but the initiative started in 2009) the so called “Sustainable Singapore Blueprint”, underlining the 2030 targets for a “Lively and Liveable Singapore”.

Fig 78

Singapore Sustainable Blueprint 2015 (nea.gov.sg)

The key point at the basis for the future sustainable development of the city has been found in the coexistence of three main pillars: 1) promoting social well-being and 2) economic well-being while, at the same time, 3) protecting the environment.

“Quality of life, environmental sustainability and competitive economics. These are the components that make cities liveable” Khoo Teng Chye, executive director at the Centre for Liveable Cities in Singapore.

To do so, it is extremely important that people give their own contribute, participating in shaping the neighborhoods with a particular care for common spaces and environment. This is a beautiful long-term perspective, which goal can be detected in the vision for “A liveable and endearing home, a vibrant and sustainable city and an active and gracious community”.

Recently, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore confirmed the presence of some representatives of the city at the UN Sustainable Development Summit, hold in September 2015. At that summit world leaders launched the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the new global framework for sustai-

3 . 5 S u sta i n a b i li ty a mo n g scyscr ap er s

nable development until 2030 and comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals) to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“Singapore is at the leading edge of sustainability, it’s an island state with limited resources so it had no choice but to go green if it wanted to survive economically.” Nicholas You, chairman of the World Urban Campaign Steering Committee at UN-Habitat.

So, Singapore today supports the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

As we just only mentioned before, a sustainable development can be seen through three different levels: in fact, Singapore should be 1) a liveable and endearing home, 2) a vibrant and sustainable city and 3) a gracious community.

The first step, “a liveable and endearing home”, deals with a new sustainable living and commuting: it takes into consideration also the nature and more vibrant shared spaces.

To do so, it is important to build new sustainable homes, new energy efficient buildings (80% of buildings in Singapore will have to achieve the Green Mark certification by 2030);

a better design of the buildings themselves, simulations of wind flow, new methodologies of temperature and heat gain, incorporated rooftop greenery and green walls (together are about 72 hectares and are meant to triple by 2030), LED lightning in common areas, energy regenerative lifts, automated waste

Fig 79

collection, expanded use of solar energy, centralized chutes for recycling on every floor of a building, rainwater harvesting and elevator energy regeneration system are very important elements contributing to the sustainable development of the city.

Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015 Where We Are Today (nea.gov.sg)

67

3 . 5 S u sta i n a b i li ty a mo ng scyscr ap er s

Fig 80

Global cities for green building performance index (Solidance Research and Analysis)

In addition, Singapore has taken the decision to implement mandatory energy and water efficiency labelling as well as minimum efficiency standards for household appliances and water fittings.

“Water” is another theme that is dear to the city.

In fact, a statutory board responsible for ensuring a sustainable and efficient water supply exists and it is called “The Public Utilities Board” (PUB).

The PUB regulates and oversees the country’s entire water supply system, which comprises the water catchment systems, drainage systems, water works, water reclamation plants

68

and sewage systems.

This statutory has also invested and developed a dynamic, efficient and sustainable water supply system by launching the NEWater project and the desalinated water treatment project respectively. This further diversifies the water supply in Singapore to four main sources: local catchment water, imported water, NEWater and desalinated water. They form the Four National Taps.

Local catchment water: Singapore’s rainwater is collected and stored in 17 reservoirs using an extensive network of drains, rivers and canals.

Imported water: Singapore currently imports nearly 40 percent of its 300-million-gallon daily demand from its neighbor, Malaysia, through the Johor-Singapore Causeway water pipes. In 2061, the remaining contracts between both countries will expire. To lessen her reliance on Malaysia, Singapore introduced new ways of water sources to meet Singapore’s demand for water. By diversifying Singapore’s water supply, Singapore was successful in building up a robust water system.

NEWater: is a term invented by PUB. It is a high-quality reclaimed water which is purified

using advanced membrane and ultraviolet technologies. It is scientifically tested to have surpassed the World Health Organization’s requirements for safe drinking water. By 2020, NEWater is expected to meet 40% of Singapore’s need and demand for water. Despite NEWater tested safe for portable use, Singapore authority decided to blend NEWater with raw reservoir water so that it will undergo the same conventional water treatment process.

The process would re-introduce trace minerals that had been removed during the production of NEWater and provide additional safety precaution beyond the advanced technologies used to produce NEWater.

Desalinated water: is Singapore’s fourth National Tap. It was first introduced in September 2005, with the first SingSpring Desalination Plant located in Tuas. The plant can produce 30 million gallons of water a day (136.000 cubic meters) and is one of the region’s largest seawater reverse-osmosis plants. During pretreatment process, suspended particles in the sea water is removed. The water then undergoes reverse osmosis; the same technology used in the production of NEWater. The pure

3 . 5 S u sta i n a b i li ty a mo n g scyscr ap er s

desalinated water is then blended with treated water before it is supplied to homes and industries. Today, with the addition of a second and larger desalination plant known as the Tuaspring Desalination Plant, desalinated water can meet up to 25% of Singapore’s current water demand.

So, PUB has ensured a continuous supply of clean and quality water for Singaporeans over the last four decades, making Singapore the top Asian city in water sustainability development in 2015.

Another step forward can be done according to the public spaces: in fact, there will be more car-free public spaces and, at the same time, more green and blue spaces are ready to be supplied, such as: 9% of land for nature reserves and parks; 400km of park connectors; enhanced ecological connectivity with 180km of nature ways and 200ha of skyrise greenery.

Also the public transport is seeing a huge transformation; in fact new services and structures are now ready to be implemented in the city, such as: new systems dealing with the sharing of electric vehicles (so reducing the carbon emissions); a 360km rail network; 80 new

Fig 81

Singapore’s Park Connectors (Google images)

bus services and 1000 more buses; more than 200km of sheltered walkways to transport nodes; over 700km of cycling paths, together with enhanced cycling infrastructures and code of conduct for safer cycling and, finally, trials of autonomous mobility concepts, such as driverless buses.

The second step, dealing with the creation of a “vibrant and sustainable city”, takes into consideration other topics, such as the adoption of greener vehicles (tighter emission standards, introduction of incentives for cleaner vehicles and introduction of tests of clean vehicle technologies), the saving of energy and water, the smart planning to optimize limited resources (which includes a better use of underground space, with extensive network of pedestrian links, common services tunnels, deep tunnels

of sewerage system) and reduction of waste.

This last point is very interesting because, since Independence, Singapore’s growing population and economy have resulted in a large increase in solid waste. In 1970, about 1,300 tonnes per day of solid waste were disposed of. This increased to 7000 tonnes per day by 2006, a 6-fold increase from 1970. To address the solid waste problem, Singapore has put in place an integrated solid waste management system that ensures that all waste that are not recycled, are collected and disposed of safely at waste-to-energy incineration plants or at the offshore sanitary landfill (Semakau Landfill) in the case of non-incinerable waste. As a result, overall recycling rate has increased from 40% in 2000 to 56% in 2008. Waste growth has also been curtailed. The total waste (domestic and non-domestic) disposed of in 2008 was 7,179 tonnes per day, a 6% reduction as compared to 2000. As a result, the lifespan of Semakau Landfill — a unique sanitary landfill with rich biodiversity that has been lauded internationally as an engineering feat — has increased from 25–30 years to 35–40 years.

In this process of sustainable development it is

69

3 . 5 S u sta i n a b i li ty a mo ng scyscr ap er s

also very important to consider the possibility to transform the commercial side of the city; in fact, many changes are ready to be implemented within Singapore, dealing with greener buildings (as we have already mentioned before), greener jobs (growing sustainability solutions, increasing productivity and standards for cleaning and waste management industries) and greener industries (willingness to conserve energy and water deriving from industrial processes; waste reduction; power stations and refineries implementing process improvements to reduce emissions; greener industrial estates). This last major group needs a particular attention. Many active efforts have been made in order to reduce pollution and ensure a clean and green living environment; in fact, the city-state made early choices to turn away very pollutive industries and took early action to switch to natural gas, the cleanest form of fossil fuel, for power generation. The Government is intensifying efforts as towards achieving the commitment under the Paris Agreement. It auspicates to reduce emissions intensity by 36 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 and stabilize emissions with the aim

70

of peaking by then.

“We plan to introduce a carbon tax from 2019 so that those who emit the most carbon emissions will bear the cost to our environment and be encouraged to reduce their emissions. There is also much potential for our industries to save costs as we raise energy efficiency. The carbon tax will also help align the costs and benefits of reducing emissions. We are also scaling up deployment for solar, aggregating demand across our agencies and testing floating solar photovoltaics on our reservoirs.”

This is how Teo Chee Hean, Singapore’s deputy prime minister and coordinating minister for national security, shares Singapore’s sustainable development story at the Ecosperity 2017 conference, organised by Temasek.

Also the NEA56, acronyms for National Environment Agency, imposed strict regulations and provided guidelines through the Code of Practices on Pollution Control. Industries that are potentially pollutive are required to install pollution control equipment to meet the emission regulations. NEA has also implemented

a real-time emissions monitoring system and is progressively connecting companies to the system. This gives it timely data to intervene and support companies to rectify any pollutive emissions that are of concern.

This public organization is also very important because of its role on the public hygiene and cleanliness; in fact, NEA maintain an effective system of public cleansing to keep Singapore clean and prevent environment-related diseases. The NEA works closely with their “3P Partners” (the people, public and private sectors) to promote anti-littering practices and to encourage members of the community to take ownership of their litter and keep their surroundings clean. Regular checks on food establishments, swimming pools and public toilets are carried out to ensure that a high standard of hygiene is maintained.

The third and the final point, called “a gracious community”, mainly concerns about new initiatives of volunteerism, education and awareness and the establishment of the Community Development Councils’ Green Plans.

Nowadays, new polices are literally and radically transforming the way of living within the

3 . 5 S u sta i n a b i li ty a mo n g scyscr ap er s

economy of Singapore. In fact, an innovative use of land is ready to be implemented; the city has started to decentralize jobs from the Central Business District to regional commercial centers such as Jurong Lake District, Woodlands Regional Centre and Paya Lebar, in addition to the more mature centers like Tampines Regional Centre. This directly leads to a reuse of certain lands and this fact brings jobs closer to homes, so reducing the need for residents to travel to the city center. Also the underground space presents another exciting prospect for Singapore’s land needs; in fact, today much of the infrastructure – expressways and MRT lines – are underground.

Another sector involved into this transformation is the naval one. Singapore, in fact, is a major hub port, a flag state, an International Maritime Centre and also a littoral state of a busy waterway. Thus, it is important to ensure that shipping and its related activities grow in an environmentally-responsible and sustainable manner. According to this, the so called Maritime Singapore Green Initiative has started; this system includes the adoption of an energy-efficient ship design and the inclusion

of a selected number of ships into the Green Ship Programme.

The Green Port Programme encourages ocean-going ships calling at the Port of Singapore to reduce the emissions of pollutants and, under its control, ocean-going ships that burn clean fuels or use approved abatement technology enjoy lower port dues.

As we can see through all of these elements, the city of Singapore has done many polices aimed at achieving a high level of sustainable development; the main topics dealt within these polices - in brief: air quality, transportation systems, actions linked to the climate change, energy efficiency, water and energy reduction, smart systems of waste collection, provision of green and blue spaces and general public health - have been implemented in a great way up to now, but new future better goals, targets and minimum standards for energy efficiency and general well-being have yet to be reached.

71

3 . 5 S u sta i n a b i li ty a mo ng scyscr ap er s

Fig 82

Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Indicators (nea.gov.sg)

So, as we can see, thanks to this table, what are the real results in some of the sectors mentioned before that have been reached up to now and we are also able to understand what are the expected results from now to the final date of 2030. Even though this sustainable approach, in some cases, may be a bit too much utopian (for example, the target for the skyrise greenery is meant to be 200ha in 2030, while from 2013 and 2014 it has increased only of 4

72

3 . 5 S u sta i n a b i li ty a mo n g scyscr ap er s

ha, from 61ha to 65ha), the general results of this sustainable approach are positive.

In response to this assertion, it is possible to understand how much effective the polices have been according to the goal 11 “Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” of the Agenda 2030; in fact, great efforts have been made in order to get out of slums and, so, to guarantee safer accommodations.

The new “human settlement” (integrated, participative and sustainable) conceptualized within these polices is well served with a powerful transportation system, especially as far as the public is concerned; moreover, the emphasis given to the eco-friendly one contributes to the general sustainable development of Singapore.

Another noteworthy element is that the propension to create new green and blue spaces, to integrate new solar panels and to find a new way of energy and waste recycle management, has brought to a general improvement of the air quality, as shown in point 14 in the previous table. All of these things can obviously be enjoyed by both the local people and the non-resident ones, thus contributing to a

more effective social inclusion, which is actually nowadays a problem.

Of course, in the present days, these polices are not yet totally implemented everywhere and, so, other numerous exertions must be made in order to improve the actual situation; but we must remember the conditions in which the city was 50 years ago and now recognize how huge these efforts have been. So, to recall the previous concept of “gracious community”, it can be said that these measures contribute to the creation of a new urban model, where the combination of man-made technological, technical and infrastructural systems, aimed at a new eco-friendly approach, with the natural elements (such as the great network of parks), contributes to set up new different social scenarios which may help the city of Singapore to be a possible reference for other cities’ future developments. So, if we make a comparison between the actual Singapore to that of 50 years ago, we can only admit how much the quality of life and services is dizzily increased, thus leading to new higher levels of individual wellbeing and to new optimistic future perspectives.

The district that best embodies the essence of the city’s goals is Marina Bay. This district, designed by Cheong Koon Hean, who is the first woman to lead Singapore’s urban development agency, is a waterfront residential and entertainment quarter, with its several gardens, waterfronts, smart transportation systems and green and energy efficient buildings.

The most important building within this quarter that deserves to be mentioned is the great resort of Marina Bay Sands.

73

3 . 6 S i nga p o r e SWOT a na lysis

STRENGTHS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Good business environment, vibrant economy Advantageous tax regime for corporates Political stability English is the 1st language Developed infrastructure and technologies High living standards High sustainability Wealthy country Effective public administration High security for citizens Low unemployment period One of the most touristic attraction in Asia High connection with the main Asiatic countries High qualified educational system High level of digitalization

OPPORTUNITIES • • • • • • • • • • • • •

WEAKNESSES • • • • • • • • • • •

74

Limited natural island size Ageing population (low fertility) High living costs Income inequity Extreme Social policies High population density High cost of medical care Unfavorable climate Limited natural resources People are not involved in policies making Cultural gap

High qualified workers Easy for starting business Open to Green/Smart technologies Land may increase (reclaim land from sea) Expansion of CBD (Central Business District) Possibility of creating future cultural heritage High development in urban research Possibility of construction with modern technologies Possibility to develop a strong network with other Asian country Example of a sustainable development for other cities Possibility to improve diplomatic relationships with countries abroad Become one of the main touristic attraction of the world Possibility to keep developing in a sustainable way

THREATS • • • • • • • • • •

Sea level is rising, temperature is increasing: Global climate change Other faster developing competitors (Asian countries) High prices of land Language segmentations create a fragmented market Rely too much on non-resident citizens Land reclamation: a bad trade-off for environment Possibility to run out natural resources Economy relies too much on other countries (import/export rates) People could rebel against government Not giving the right importance to tangible and intangible heritage

3 .7 M a r i na B ay: e x plo r e , exchang e, entertain

waterways, the lighters that once populated the bay were relocated to new berths at Pasir Panjang Wharves in 1982.

Fig 83

Slogan of Marina Bay District (marina-bay.sg)

“Food, fashion and the arts: These cornerstones of life in Singapore offer a window into the soul of Singapore and Singaporeans” 57.

Urban Redevelopment Authority motto “to make Singapore a great city to live, work and play”. These are some of the catch phrases that nowadays appear on Singapore’s Authorities websites. But what lead the Singapore municipality to invest on creating one of the biggest attractions sites in the world, for outside tourists (even if they already spent money and efforts in creating efficient transportation system and financial hub)? In Singapore, where master plans for the future build on the past

and are carried out in the present, tomorrow is closer than it seems.

Early history of the area, according to Singapore National Library58 59 starts when Marina Bay was once just a body of water off Collyer Quay where ships docked for their passengers to be transferred to small boats that then ferried them to Johnston’s Pier (replaced by Clifford Pier in 1933). Cargo ships too big to enter the mouth of the Singapore River also anchored in the bay to load their goods onto lighters (also known as bumboats) for transfer to the godowns along the river bank. As part of the government’s plans to clean up Singapore’s

Fig 84 View of Clifford Pier, the Inner Roads and the Breakwater in the 1950s from an old postcard (courtesy of Mr. Low Kam Hoong, thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com).

Fig 85 Map of Singapore Harbour in the 1950s showing the Detached Mole, Inner Roads and Outer Roads (thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com)

75

3 .7 M a r i n a B ay: e x plo r e , exchang e, entertain

The decades that followed Singapore’s somewhat reluctant independence from Malaysia were ones of enormous growth and development which has led to an amazing transformation of a city state, with a burgeoning population, the threat of unemployment and facing much uncertainty into the modern city that it is today. The transformation that took place was a story that began in the years that followed independence. Singapore embarked on the State and City Planning Project (SCP) in 1967, assisted by the United Nations under the UN Development Programme’s special assistance scheme for urban renewal and development for emerging nations. The SCP which was completed in 1971, Singapore’s first Concept Plan, identified the need to build an adequate road transportation network. This included a coastal highway to divert traffic that would otherwise have to go through the city. Initial thoughts were that a green belt could be created on the reclaimed land with space created providing for a future expansion of the city.

The Singapore Tourism Board (Abbreviation: STB), statutory board under the Ministry of

76

Trade and Industry of Singapore established in 1964. The Singapore Tourism Board’s primary task is to coordinate the efforts of hotels, buildings, events, airlines and travel agents to develop the fledgling tourism industry of the country. For an area as Singapore, multicultural, with no natural resources and a tabula rasa in terms of attractions tourism was a new field to explore, not only for the economic development sake, but also to open its boundaries to the visitors from outside. STB initiated new marketing ideas to promote Singapore’s image aboard. The board oversees all aspects of tourism, including resource allocation and long-term strategic planning.

The bay was transformed in the 1970s following several stages of land reclamation work to construct the East Coast Parkway (ECP) expressway. In 1973, the government announced plans to build a S$300-million expressway that would cut across the Collyer Quay waterfront to ease expected congestion to and from the city, and provide a seamless drive from Changi to Jurong. To support this project, land was reclaimed off Nicoll Highway and along the Clifford Pier breakwater, in the

process creating a new site known as Marina Centre. Marina Centre was expected to be a showpiece for the city, comprising commercial and residential developments as well as a performing arts centre would enliven the area at night. In 1979, the government embarked on further land reclamation works in the area, adding earth fill from Tampines to fill the shoreline from Katong to Tanjong Rhu and at Telok Ayer Basin. In the reclamation process, Telok Ayer Basin and Inner Roads was removed from the map by reclaiming land, while the Singapore River’s mouth now flows into the bay instead of directly into the sea. This project created Marina East and Marina South, which, together with Marina Centre, formed a 660-hectare reclaimed site called Marina City. The long term visions for the Marina Bay area was first articulated in the 1983 Master Plan by the URA, with the waterfront areas being deliberately kept open to the public. In 1988, the draft plan for Marina Bay was presented to the public in a two-week exhibition where it set out the objectives for the development, among which are optimizing the waterfront location and creating a distinctive image with international

3 .7 M a r i na B ay: e x plo r e , exchang e, entertain

Fig 86

Marina Bay District then and now (marinabaysands.com)

landmarks that could become a focal point for the city.

The 106-hectare Marina Centre, the earliest to be developed, is the smallest of the three plots of reclaimed land around Marina Bay. In 1978, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) launched the inaugural sale of land in Marina Centre and, for the first time, foreign developers were invited to participate in the tender. By 1985, the Marina Square shopping complex had opened, followed by a string of hotels: Marina Mandarin, Pan Pacific Singapore and Mandarin Oriental Singapore. In the subsequent decades, Millenia Walk, Suntec City and the Singapore Flyer were added to

the area.

In the mid-1980s, Marina Centre was fronted by the 10.8-hectare Marina Park that stretched from the old Satay Club to the Merdeka Bridge in Kallang.

In 2004, the Public Utilities Board publicly announced plans to construct a new downtown reservoir by damming the Marina Channel.

This barrage was completed in 2008. Known as the Marina Barrage, it turned Marina Bay and the Kallang Basin into a confined freshwater reservoir with limited access to marine transportation to regulate the water quality. The new reservoir provides another source of drinking water for Singapore, as well as a stable

water level for a variety of water activities and events. The barrage will also prevent flooding in the Chinatown area. In this way all the investments on tourist attractiveness of the city merged with the aim of environmental and social sustainability involving citizens.

In 2005, the Urban Redevelopment Authority spent $400,000 on a branding exercise to name the Marina Bay area in order to sell the new major developments in the area, only to settle with the original name â&#x20AC;&#x153;Marina Bayâ&#x20AC;?.

In 2008, Marina Barrage was built, converting the basin into a new downtown freshwater Marina Reservoir, providing water supply, flood control and a new lifestyle attraction.

The Singapore government spent $35 million to complete the 3.5 km Waterfront Promenade around Marina Bay. It includes a new eco-friendly visitor centre and The Helix linking Bayfront to Marina Centre where the Youth Olympic Park is located. The Promontory @ Marina Bay (formerly Central Promontory Site) will be used as an interim event and public space used for activities such as theatres and carnivals. In Marina Bay the glittering skyscrapers of the Central Business District are

77

3 .7 M a r i n a B ay: e x plo r e , exchang e, entertain

surrounded by a multitude of world-class leisure destinations and civic spaces for the community, truly making it the People’s Bay. Daniel Cheong from Urban Development Authority affirms that “Together with the waterfront promenade and its loop of attractions and vibrant public spaces, Marina Bay aims to be a People’s Bay and will play a role in defining the character of Marina Bay in its leafy streetscape, lush park and sky-rise gardens”60.

It is not a truly definition but only an institutional one: all these leisures can be utilized by people who can afford them, not residents with their many work hours and lower purchaising power.

The work of STB made tourism in Singapore a major industry and contributor to the Singaporean economy, attracting 17.4 million international tourists in 2017, more than 3 times of Singapore’s total population. It is also environmentally friendly, and maintains natural and heritage conservation programs. Along with this, Singapore also has one of the world’s lowest crime rates. As English is the dominant of its four official languages, it is generally easier for tourists to understand when speaking

78

to the local population of the country, for example, when shopping. Transport in Singapore exhaustively covers most, if not all public venues in Singapore, which increases convenience for tourists. There are currently 7 rail stations: City Hall, Raffles Place, Marina Bay, Bayfront, Downtown, Esplanade and Promenade serving Marina Bay. By 2020, the 360 hectares Marina Bay will boast a comprehensive transport network as Singapore’s most rail-connected district. The first three new MRT lines opened between 2012 and 2014 and expected six more stations in Marina Bay by the end of 2018. Within greater Marina Bay, water taxis will even double up as an alternative mode of transport.

The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 ranks Singapore 13th out of 136 countries overall, which was the third best in Asia only behind Japan (ranked 4th) and Hong Kong (ranked 11th). However, the island nation scored rather low in natural and cultural resources sub-index (ranked 40th)61.

In the 1980s, several historic and culturally significant areas such as Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam were earmarked for

Fig 87 International Visitors Arrivals in 1965 to 2015, general and recent years (Singapore Tourism Board)

preservation. These are some of the few places that express Singapore’s cultural diversity and became popular tourist destinations. The Singapore Botanical Gardens, is a 52 hectares tropical garden, is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the country. The lack of a conspicuous tangible heritage, due to the recent independence of the country from Japanese domination, constitutes a big loss in attraction.

Considering that, Singapore’s government stimulates new constructions and their preservation as one of the main points of his long term urban planning.

In 2004, there were 8 million visitors. On 11 Ja-

3 .7 M a r i na B ay: e x plo r e , exchang e, entertain

Fig 88 International Visitors Arrivals in 1965 to 2015, general and recent years (Singapore Tourism Board)

nuary 2005, Minister for Trade and Industry unveiled the Singapore Tourism Board’s bold targets to doubling visitor arrivals to 17 million by 2015. In March 2010, the STB projected a 20-30% increase in visitor arrivals for the year, even if in 2009 there was a drop caused by Global Financial Crisis. 2010 would see the much-awaited opening of both the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. This coincided with other key events such as the F1 Singapore Grand Prix and the inaugural Youth Olympic Games. These offerings were expected to enhance Singapore’s status as a dynamic global city and increase visitor arrivals. Singapore attracted 15,231,469 visitors in

2015, according to the Singapore Tourism Board’s statistics, two million less than expected but it is still almost the doubling of the 2005 arrivals (8,943,029). Tourism receipts was estimated at S$23.6 billion in 2014, compared to S$18.9 billion in 2010, bringing an another stimulation to the boosting economy of the country, even if in comparison of 2013 there was a diminution in tourism arrivals of 3%, due to fewer visitor arrivals from China, Singapore’s second largest source market. In 2017 the number of arrivals are still growing, even if with stable percentage change62. One of the most interesting places in Marina Bay, is the 101-hectare Gardens by the Bay site across the mouth of the Singapore River. The-

Fig 89 Tourist receipt (2005 to 2009 and 2010 to 2014) (Singapore Tourism Board)

Fig 90 International Visitors Arrivals (2005 to 2009 and 2010 to 2014) (Singapore Tourism Board)

re are three gardens will be interconnected via a series of pedestrian bridges to form a larger loop along the whole waterfront and linked to surrounding developments, open public spaces, transport nodes and attractions.

The Formula One Singapore Grand Prix has taken place annually since 2008 on a street circuit adjacent to Marina Bay. Since its con-

79

3 .7 M a r i n a B ay: e x plo r e , exchang e, entertain

struction in 2007, The Float@Marina Bay has hosted events such as the National Day Parade, New Year’s Eve Countdown and Singapore Fireworks Celebrations, and also serves as a spectator stand for the Singapore Grand Prix. Furthermore, it also played host to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics.

The area also hosts the annual iLight Marina Bay, a sustainable light art festival. List of key developments In Marina Bay: ArtScience Museum, Asia Square, Bayfront Bridge, Circle Line, Clifford Pier, Common Services Tunnel, Downtown Line, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, F1 Pit Building, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Street Circuit, The Fullerton Heritage Precinct: Customs House, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, The Fullerton Waterboat House, One Fullerton, Fullerton Bay Hotel, The Helix Bridge, Marina Barrage, Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, Marina Bay Financial Centre, Marina Bay Golf Course, Marina Bay Link Mall, Marina Bay Sands, Marina Bay Suites, Marina Coastal Expressway, Marina South Pier, Marina South Pier MRT Station, Marina Square, Millenia Walk, One Marina Boule-

80

vard, One Raffles Quay, One Shenton Way, OUE Bayfront, Singapore Flyer, Suntec City, The Float at Marina Bay, The Lawn @ Marina Bay, The Promontory @ Marina Bay (formerly Central Promontory Site), The Sail @ Marina Bay, Thomson-East Coast Line, Youth Olympic Park.

Fig 91

Fig 92

Fig 93

Singapore F1 Grand Prix (Google image)

Fig 94

iLight Marina Bay Festival 2017 (Google Image)

Gardens by the Bay, outside (Google Image)

Gardens by the Bay, inside (Google Image)

In the article “Background of Marina Bay Sands” by Alvin Chua from National Library Board of Singapore63 is described the background process that started from the conception of Marina Bay Sand to its opening.

As part of a resort development plan for Sentosa and the southern islands (where actually

3 .7 M a r i na B ay: e x plo r e , exchang e, entertain

is located the second Singapore casino, Resort World Sentosa), in March 2004 the Singapore government raised the prospect of lifting the longstanding ban on casinos. The Ministry of Trade and Industry then carried out a study on the economic, tourism and social aspects of having a casino within an IR, while the Feedback Unit held dialogue sessions with public groups including those from the religious, grassroots and business communities, because the proposal of building was very controversial.

Amid much public debate, the government – through the Singapore Tourism Board – invited concept proposals for IRs at Marina Bay and Sentosa in December 2004. The IRs would comprise casinos, but with restrictions such as entry fees for Singaporeans (S$100 per visit or S$2,000 per annum, very high prices for a population that has a really low purchasing power, as we discussed in Chapter 2.2), curbs on advertising, and regulations on credit extended by the casinos.

The casino component of the IRs was debated in Parliament in January 2005. By March that year, concept proposals for the Marina Bay IR were submitted by consortiums from the Uni-

Fig 95

Marina Bay Sands under construction (nevworldwonders.com)

ted States, South Africa, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong. The highest bid was S$5.8 billion. The following month, the government confirmed in Parliament that two IRs with casinos would be built.

In November 2005, the government set the price of the Marina Bay site at S$1.2 billion, instead of calling for an open tender. This allowed bidders to compete on the strength of their concept proposals. The government also announced the judging criteria for the bids: tourism appeal (40 percent), architectural concept and design (30 percent), development investment (20 percent) and operator’s track record (10 percent). The winning bidder would have a 60-year land tenure and a 30-

year concession for the casino, with a 10-year exclusivity period of the casino license. Its gaming area was capped at 15,000 sqm.

Four bidders were shortlisted: Las Vegas Sands; Harrah’s Entertainment partnered with Keppel Land; Genting International partnered with Star Cruises; and MGM Mirage partnered with CapitaLand. LVS had partnered with Singapore property developer City Developments Limited in its bid, but the latter withdrew subsequently, citing the invasiveness of probity checks.

In May 2006, LVS was awarded the rights for the Marina Bay site. Its proposal had the highest investment value of S$3.85 billion, in addition to the land cost of S$1.2 billion. LVS’s strength in the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions sector as well as the distinctive design elements of its proposed architecture were cited as key factors in its winning bid. Analysts had previously ranked LVS behind the other bidders, in part due to its lack of a local partner.

Construction began soon after the project was awarded. However, LVS was reported to be in financial trouble in 2008. Its businesses were

81

3 .7 M a r i n a B ay: e x plo r e , exchang e, entertain

hit by the global financial crisis, which affected its ability to secure financing for its projects.

Its share price fell more than 90 percent from peak levels and it was reportedly close to bankruptcy a number of times.

In November 2008, LVS Chairman and Chief Executive Sheldon Adelson flew to Singapore to meet government officials and reaffirm LVS’s commitment to the MBS project. LVS then suspended developmental work on its projects in Las Vegas and Macau to concentrate its financial resources on MBS. It also raised S$3.2 billion through a stock offering, with Adelson investing over US$1 billion of his own money. In addition, LVS’s request to open MBS in stages was accepted by the government.

The project continued to suffer construction delays, which were attributed to the high prices of concrete after an embargo on sand exports by regional countries and the bankruptcy of a number of subcontractors. Heavy rainfall and labor shortages also contributed to the delays and the project’s escalated cost, which amounted to S$7.7 billion. In December 2009, however, LVS announced that MBS would commence operations in April 2010 and open

82

in phases.

MBS began operations on 27 April 2010 with a phased opening, and officially opened on 23 June in the same year. In its first full quarter, MBS reported S$631 million in revenue and a pre-tax profit of S$315 million. In the following quarter, revenue was S$560.4 million, but pre-tax profit rose to S$390 million. MBS’s financial performance in that second quarter broke LVS’s records in quarterly profit and profit margin, making MBS one of the most profitable properties in the LVS group. During its first year of operations, MBS drew 19.6 million visitors and hosted nearly 2,000 meetings, conventions and exhibitions.

3 .7 M a r i na B ay: e x plo r e , exchang e, entertain

Fig 96

Marina Bay by night (Google image)

83

4. Marina Bay Sands: a futuristic icon 4. 1 4. 2

Target

Details

of the project

and goals of the project

4. 3

MB S SWOT

4. 4

Future

analysis scenarios

4. MARINA BAY SANDS: A FUTURISTIC ICON

Fig 97

86

Graphical representation of the structure of the building analysis (FONTE ONLINE)

4 .1

De ta i ls o f t h e pro j ec t

Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort, conceived by architect Moshe Safdie, located in the Marina Bay in Singapore. It was inaugurated in 2010, with a total construction cost of $ 5.7 billion. The project is composed of three 55-storey hotel towers, which are connected on the top by the Sands SkyPark. The towers have 121,000 square meters of mixed-use located on a 16-hectare site of reclaimed land;

6.

An iconic Art-Science Museum on the waterfront promontory: Exhibiting the shape of a lotus water, this marvelous building has around 15,000m2, of which 6,000m2 correspond to the main gallery.

Fig 99

Skypark design (Safdie Architects)

3. Casino: The world’s largest “atrium style” casino, with four levels of play and entertainment, totalling 15,000m2.

Fig 101

Art Science Museum, Singapore (Safdie Architects)

7.

Two state-of-the-art theaters: 21,980m2, with a total combined capacity of 4,000 seats.

Fig 98

Marina Bay Sands resort (Google image)

1.

Hotel: 2560 luxurious rooms all distributed in the three towers.

2.

1.2-hectare garden Skypark capping the towers: The most complex and exciting element of the project which connects the three hotel towers at the top, at 195m high.

Fig 100

Marina Bay Sands Casino (Google images)

4.

The shops and restaurants at Marina Bay Sands: Over 74,000m2 of retail space and different restaurants.

5.

A Convention Center and Exhibition Halls: 121,000m2 of convention and exhibition space, with the presence of one of the largest ballrooms in Asia, with 8,000m2 and a capacity for 11,000 people.

Fig 102

Theatre in Marina Bay Sands (Safdie Architects)

87

4 .1

De ta i ls o f t h e pro j ec t

8.

Crystal Pavilions: 5,914m2 of the first steel and glass structure in Marina Bay, housing different shops and nightclubs.

Fig 103

Crystal Pavilions (Safdie Architects)

9.

Outdoor event plaza: Able to host up to 10,000 people for local and international events in a 5,000m2 space.

Engineering Tall buildings have always been a challenge for the design teams. Coordination of expertise plays a crucial role in the project since variables increase drastically in such ambitious projects.

Starting from the accessibility to construction

88

site and other related issues, only the perfect balance and coordination of all the aspects could lead to a positive outcome.

Due to its complexity (which was at the same time the reason of its beautiful architecture) and massive dimensions, the preliminary design phase took long times to arrive to conclusion.

The first and most critical task was to secure the building footprint. The entire complex sits on 0.56 million m2 of reclaimed land â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sand infill on deep soft marine clay deposits. Marina Bay is a former salt water estuary that is now a fresh water reserve. Prior to excavation, the site needed to be reinforced.

In order to do this, 1.5m thick steel-reinforced concrete diaphragm walls (coffer dams of up to 120m diameter) were extended 50m into the ground providing an enclosure for excavation.

Fig 104 Images)

Foundations of Marina Bay Sands main building (Google

The key challenge of building the hotel towers was the construction of the part of the towers that slope at an incline. Unsupported, they could buckle under their own weight.

The sloping leg induces an enormous external force onto the structure, which needed to be addressed during construction.

The structural engineer conceived of an approach to build large temporary struts of structural steel to prop up the sloping towers as they rise. Like a suspension bridge, high-tensile steel tendons give an added layer of support inside the walls. Both the struts and the tension cables were designed as temporary supports and planned to be removed once the giant

4 .1

De ta i ls o f t h e pro j ec t

linked trusses that connect the towers on the 23rd floor were installed. However, during the construction process it was decided that the

Fig 105 Supporting structure during construction, Marina Bay Sands (Google Images)

cables would become permanent.

The most practical method of erecting the SkyPark was to prefabricate each of the 14 main steel segments off-site, truck them to the site, lift them into place and assemble them on top of the tower. Taking a cue from bridge building, the design team engaged Swiss/French company VSL to assist with the complicated lifting. VSL employed a strand jacking process (the largest and longest of its kind), utilizing hydraulic jacks to lift the box girders to the top of the towers and slide them into place. At a

lifting speed of 14 m per hour, it took over 16 hours to lift the girders and slide them into place.

Building movements increase at higher stories and the studies show that each tower could sway as much as 250mm from center. In order to face this, engineers developed a series of aluminum and stainless steel plates, and multi-directional bearings, located at the bridge spans between towers, which act as sliding components and allow for the natural and individual movement of each tower.

The dynamic properties of a tall building structure are particularly hard to predict as many elements contribute to the building movement. The wind engineers carried out extensive wind testing on the towers and SkyPark to provide the design team with the data necessary to develop the design approach Measured wind speed ratios were then combined with a statistical model of the local wind climate to determine the predicted pedestrian comfort in and around the development.

The infinity edge pool represented an endearing challenge. The challenge was to maintain the 150m pool horizontal level over time.

Then the 66.5m long SkyPark cantilever that overhangs the northernmost tower has a large number of low frequency vertical modes that are susceptible to resonant dynamic response due to synchronized crowd activities, such as dancing. Through the construction phases, two improvements in structural design were made in relation to the dynamic performance of the building. First, the taper of the main supporting box girders was reduced to improve the response of the cantilever under human excitation. Second, a 4.5-metric ton (5-ton) tuned mass damper was introduced and located at the tip of the cantilever, hidden within the belly of the architectural form, and aimed to add an additional percentage of damping to the structure.

89

4 .1

De ta i ls o f t h e pro j ec t

Design & Concept

atrium, which provides different services such as restaurants and retailers. Each of the slabs is twisted slightly in relation to its pair, to create a harmonious relationship between the two parts, accentuating the slenderness of the buildings, which results in the appearance of six towers, not the actual three.

The SkyPark

Fig 106

90

Façades: West Façade: The largest amount of heat gain occurs in the west façade, which resulted in a need of an innovative solution to maintain energy efficiency, wi-

Exploded isometric of Marina Bay Sands (Safdie Architects)

Each of the three towers is composed of two slabs, one facing east and the other facing west rooms. The double-loaded towers spread from their base forming a giant atrium at the lower levels and start to converge as they rise.

The tower slabs give an identity to the towers and relates them to the site context: the glazed west side sees the city center, and the east side faces the botanical gardens and ocean beyond. The three void spaces between each two slabs of the three towers are connected by one continuous and conditioned glazed

creating gardens on top of the roof of the casino and convention center was studied, but these spaces lacked a special view since they were overshadowed and overpowered by the three hotel towers. As a solution to this problematic situation, the idea of the creation of a “bridge” between the three towers arose. This bridge would reclaim the exterior garden space and create what today is known as the main attraction of the project; The 1.2 hectare “park in the sky” or SkyPark.

Fig 107

SkyPark drone view (Google Images)

Apart from the vast built space, the project also aimed to develop an extensive number of exterior gardens with swimming pools, public spaces and jogging paths. Considering that the project had aims of minimizing the height of the buildings to reference Singapore’s pastoral hills more than its urban core, a need of space in order to include all these amenities emerged. At first, the idea of

Fig 108

West Façade construction details (Safdie, M. 2011 CTBUH Journal 2011 Issue I)

4 .1

Fig 109

De ta i ls o f t h e pro j ec t

West Façade construction details (Safdie, M. 2011 CTBUH Journal 2011 Issue I)

thout limiting the marvelous view of Singapore’s downtown exhibited from the hotel rooms.

The design solution proposed and later implemented was the implementation of a custom double-glazed unitized curtain wall. The energy

efficient double-glazed units were located in a frame suspended from the edge of the slab. Perpendicular to these units, glass fins were installed to provide shading to the whole west façade of the towers. These glass fins are supported by a 3-sided aluminum frame, which exposes the forward edge to catch the light of the sun and reflections of the façade which helps to create a unique aesthetic effect. The façade follows the natural curved shaped of the buildings, and it uses reflective glass to create a taught mirrored look. To achieve this curved shaped aesthetic, the use of minimal spandrel panel at the floor slabs with a continuous double-glazed unit spanning the whole length of the floors was implemented.

East Façade: As for the east façade, the heat gain is not as critical and is handled efficiently by utilizing deep planted terraces which follow the radial geometry of the tower’s profile. These plants help in the creation of microclimate cooling, and the overhangs of the different balconies give a natural shade to the hotel rooms from the direct sunlight. As each plant grows in time, most of the eastern façade will be cover and be a sort of a green façade.

“The Belly”

Fig 110

The “Belly” of the SkyPark (Safdie, M. 2011CTBUH Journal 2011 Issue I)

Another façade of the project which needs to be taken into careful consideration is the “belly” of the SkyPark. It is made of more than 9,000 silver-painted metal composite panels which all together act as a skin which encloses the mega trusses which bridge the buildings at level 55. At the beginning the geometry of the SkyPark was idealized as a platonic toroid form but was later on shaped to streamline the cross sections of the building. This resulting surface, with the use of computer script (triangulating the façade into simple shapes), was regularized and panelized.

The panels with the shaped established via the computer script were prefabricated from flat sheet panels, to be later shipped to the building site and lifted to the top levels of the building during the construction process64.

91

4 . 2 Ta rg e t a n d g oa ls o f the p roject

TARGETS: as we all know, Marina Bay Sands is located in Marina Bay resort which is the most prosperous central in Singapore.

Because of this perfect position, Marina Bay Sands attracts a wide range of domestic and international tourists to gather here.

Geographic location: • The consumers are mainly Asians who mostly from Southeast Asia, others from Europe, China, Australia, India and Japan.

• The tourists who enjoy themselves in the most prosperous resort—Marina Bay, which has Gardens by the Bay, Super tree Grove and Children’s Garden.

• The tourists who want to stay at the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

• The passengers who are from Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, which is 7.5 km far away from Marina Bay Sands with a 13-minute drive.

Demographic: • Age: Working adults (25-40) and Retirees (50+).

• Family Size: Families with working adults and middle-aged.

• Income level: Higher income groups who can

92

afford five-star luxury hotel prices.

• Occupation: Some people are for business such as participating the business meeting at MBS convention center like businessmen and ministers. Also, they tend to enjoy a luxury experience when they are eager for relax when stay in high pressure for long time. The celebrities like singers usually have a performance in MBS, and like actors usually attend the propaganda events in MBS. Additionally, there are many retirees travelling for a luxury experience and enjoyment, the rich prefer to go to the luxury shopping mall which has a variety of international brand in the hotel.

• Education: High education background.

Psychographic: • Social Class: Middle class, Upper middles and Lower uppers who can afford the luxury experience and social in the interpersonal circle such as white-collar workers, the riches, senior leaders or ministers.

• Lifestyle: Achievers like business elites, celebrities who enjoy luxury relaxation and high-end life quality. A few strivers who tend to do business and have meetings with high-end facility.

• Personality characteristics: Compulsive, gre-

garious, ambitious and enjoyable Behavior: • Occasion: Special occasion like festival, wedding, firework performance and so on • Benefits: To provide a high-end and luxury service quality; to provide meaningful experience like swimming in infinity pool.

• User status: Potential users who are attracted

by MBS hotel; Regular users who always enjoy themselves in MBS; First-time users.

• Loyalty status: MBS advertised their hotel to attract all types of customers. And people are successfully attracted by the luxury experience and high-end facility. However, according to some feedback and evaluation from guests, the hotel still has some deficiency to be paid more attention. So, loyalty status is medium.

Source: “Research, Analysis and Development of Singapore Marina Bay Sands” by Jiahui Gao, Yunping Jin, Yu Wang, Qirui Liao,Tingyao Li for Tianjin University of Commerce&Florida International University

4 . 2 Ta rg e t a nd g oa ls o f the p roject

GOALS: Marina Bay Sands was conceived to meet economic and tourism objectives for the next decade aiming to be the main attraction

Fig 111

Paid-access (%) in five different years (Google image)

pool in Singapore. As the biggest stand-alone integrated resort in the city MBS offers 2561 rooms, a convention-exhibition center, a museum, two large theatres, various restourants, two floating pavillons, and have 30-year casino licenses, exclusive for the first ten years. As a Luxury resort, MBS appeals to a large series of targets including businessmen and high-profile visitors offering them a large series of side attractions.

Fig 112

Although since 2011 Singapore registered a 15% decrease in Tourism Expenditure at opening stage, Marina Bay Sands gained a huge increase of about 160% in visitors configuring itself, in only three years, as the first paid-access attraction site in Singapore to the detriment of those who until then were the main attractions in the city such as Sentosa and Night Safari.

Annual Tourism Statistics Reports, last report available 2015 (Data taken from https://www.stb.gov.sg/statistics)

93

4 . 2 Ta rg e t a n d g oa ls o f the p roject

MARINA BAY SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY & SOLUTIONS The Sands Group has established a strategy called Sands Eco360° that set specific goals to minimize the environmental impact by reducing operational costs, carbon footprint, emissions and energy consumption. The strategy consists of four pillars: Green Buildings, Environmentally Responsible Operations, Sustainable Meetings and Stakeholder Engagement.

Fig 113

94

Marina Bay Sands Green Facts (www.stb.gov.sg/statistics)

Marina Bay Sands is the first facility in South East Asia to obtain the ISO 20121 Sustainable Events Management System certification and the single largest building in Singapore to be conferred the Green Mark Platinum Certification by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

SUSTAINABILITY GOALS • Reduce the energy usage • Reduce the water use • Increase Team Member awareness of sustainability • Increase client awareness of sustai-

nable meetings • Increase health and safety throughout

property operations • Increase the use of sustainable food

on property • Increase supply chain sustainability • Increase social impact of environmen-

tal issues • Increase sustainability into develop-

ment and design of major renovation

projects • Improve our environmental manage

ment system • Decrease waste sent to landfill/incine ration At the core of Marina Bay Sands’ green initiatives is a S$25 million Intelligent Building Management System (IBMS) which automates lighting, heating and water supplies for the entire integrated resort to conserve precious resources. IBMS consists of over 90,000 control points, allowing automated controls over lighting, cooling and water supplies for the entire building.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY SOLUTIONS Marina Bay Sands was designed to introduce abundant natural daylight to illuminate indoor areas, reducing the need for additional lighting. Specially designed convex and concave roofs reduce heat gain into the podium interior. Sun shading across the glass façade in the form of balconies, vertical fins, and ca-

4 . 2 Ta rg e t a nd g oa ls o f the p roject

nopies were too installed.

Marina Bay Sands uses regenerative drives on elevators, which require 40% less energy than comparable non-regenerative elevators. The escalators in the retail mall and the convention center are designed to stop when they are not in use and start when they detect incoming people. A computerized control system automatically dims or brightens lighting in the public spaces depending on the time of the day and weather conditions.

The hotel rooms are equipped with an advanced eco-mode system so that guests can play their part in protecting the environment.

An “Eco” button on the remote control gives guests the option of bringing up the room temperature by a few degrees when the room is empty to save electricity.

Curtains in the hotel are programmed to close in unoccupied rooms to keep them cooler.

The hotel room balcony doors are installed with sensors that automatically turn off the room air-conditioning if the balcony doors are open for an extended period of time.

In the casino, enthalpy wheels recover cool air in the building exhaust to help pre-cool the in-

coming fresh air and cut down on energy use.

The building’s glass façade maximizes the use of abundant natural daylight to illuminate indoor areas, thus displacing the need for energy-intensive lights.

alternative for landscape irrigation, façade maintenance, and topping up ponds. This reduces the reliance on potable water. Non-potable water now accounts for 6% of the total water consumption, enough potable water in one year to fill the Marina Bay Sands infinity pool over 68 times.

WATER MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS Recognised by the Public Utilities Board in Singapore as a ‘Water Efficient Building’, water conservation effort includes rainwater harvesting and low-flow water taps.

Marina Bay Sands installed delayed-action, self-closing taps and constant flow regulators in the bathrooms within the public areas to minimize water usage, reducing water consumption by more than 350 million litres of potable water annually in comparison to conventional fixtures and fittings. The amount of water saved is enough to supply the annual water needs for more than 800 average Singaporean households.

Rain water captured from the rain oculus at ArtScience Muesum™ is mixed with local reclaimed water and used as a potable water

WASTE MANAGEMENT & RECYCLING Apart from enhanced waste management with over 2650 recycling bins on property and sustainable disposing of leftover food and materials, waste is segmented into organic and construction waste for proper disposal, and minimized waste with recycling and reusing of wood, metal and excavated earth.

95

4 . 2 Ta rg e t a n d g oa ls o f the p roject

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS & MATERIALS Purchasing of sustainable products and materials wherever possible, including Energy Star certified equipment; eco-friendly cleaning products; low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants; and carpet that meets the requirements of the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus program.

- “Green roofs”, with landscaping on roof decks, are located throughout the development. Sands SkyPark®, crowning the three hotel towers, is a 12,400 m2 green oasis of 250 trees and 650 plants, some up to eight metres tall.

2012 the first fully operational year.

The reduction of Green House Gas Emissions (GHG) by 23% since 2012 is equivalent to taking 8,100 cars off the roads for 1 year OR the amount of carbon absorbed by over 996,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

Fig 114 Marina Bay Sands’ achievements in energy consumption (www.stb.gov.sg/statistics)

ACHIEVEMENTS Marina Bay Sands achieved a 12.2 decrease in energy consumption which means more than 15,900,000kWh. The resort lowered the carbon footprint by over 9% in 2013 as compared to baseline in

96

Fig 115

Certifications, parthnerships and awards achieved by Marina Bay Sands (www.stb.gov.sg/statistics)

4 . 3 M B S SWOT a n a lys i s

STRENGTHS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Strong identity and brand in the global context Wide range of integrated entertainment Wide range of customers and visitors for age and homeland International and business hub A place where people can explore, exchange and be entertained Privileged location in the Singapore waterfront Visually stunning and environmentally efficient at the same time High performance and sustainable functionality project (the Eco 360° project) Create job positions for locals Outstanding increase of visitors for the whole city Involving customers in the eco-sustainability awareness One of the most innovative Intelligent Building Management System Eco-sustainability as both operational cost reduction and marketing tool Begin to use green materials for the building appliances Investment recouped and profitable since the second quarter of 2010

OPPORTUNITIES • Increasing the fame of LVS Group thus attracting more visitors • Development of Asian casino industry • Possibility to be seen as an example for other projects inside and outside Singapore • Improve the image that Singapore displays to the world • Create a vibrant urban environment • Integrate local people • Integrate the building with links within the city • Exploiting in new ways customers behaviors in the reduction of operational cost (e.g. Eco bottom) • Sustainable oriented team members training

WEAKNESSES

• • • • • • • •

Variable staffs service Shortage of loyal customers Generates a harsh domestic competition environment in the hotel industry Risk based on government policies Very high initial investment There is a high cost of management due to high quantity of services Need of high prepared and various experts Initial assemble of the structure with cheaper concrete

THREATS

• • • • • • •

Sustaining growth of competitors from abroad Exploiting of casino market in Asia Gaming taxes Over saturation of guests can lead to chaos Low/middle class can’t afford Possible diffusion of gambling addiction among locals Nowadays people needs are changing so fast that possible changes could be needed to adapt to market needs

97

4 . 4 F ut ur e s c e na r i o s

To understand the impacts that Marina Bay Sands had and will continue to have outside Singapore we decided to find similar projects (in shape or/and purposes and uses, and/or urban context) that were or are being developed around the world.

A project that can be defined a different twin of MBS from the architectural shape was The Gate Towers in Abu Dhabi.

Fig 116 Marina Bay Sands vs The Gate Towers (Source: arabianbusi ness.com)

98

The Shams Abu Dhabi district, where the building is located, is a newly-created land mass, formed as an extension of the Central Business District of Abu Dhabi, UAE, on what was formerly exposed tidal sands within a fringe of mangroves. Set at five to seven meters above sea level, Shams is gradually developing at a high density and growing in prominence. The Gateway complex occupies a narrow strip of land at the far side of Al Reem Island, which forms the neck of the isthmus leading to the wider Shams development. The Gateway forms one of the Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest developments, signifying the entrance to Shams. Reem Island is a natural island 600 metres off the coast of Abu Dhabi island. Sorouh Real Estate, Reem Investments, and Tamouh are independently developed parts of the island with projects like Shams Abu Dhabi. The project has gained international interest as one of the first free zones in Abu Dhabi, where foreign nationals can buy property as leasehold. The flats of The Shams come to the leasing market at a time when property brokers are reporting that prime neighbourhoods in Abu Dhabi are starting to experience an increase in rents after years

of oversupply. The change has been caused in part by an Abu Dhabi Government decree, ordering government employees to live in the emirate or risk losing their housing allowance. Located off the northeastern coast of Abu Dhabi city, The Shams is a mixed purpose community with both residential and commercial units. In March 2013, Repton announced that it will be opening a campus in Al Reem Island after which it became one of the first schools of the community65.

The context therefore is different from Singapore: in Reem Island there was the aim to build residential space for workers and families next to the financial district and provide them main services as commercial activities and schools for their children. Furthermore, the target of the project is wealthy, rich workers of Abu Dhabi that could become residents and they are able to afford the luxurious lifestyle of the city, instead MBS focuses on tourists from China and all around the world, from 25-40 years to 50+, families with middle-age sons and businessmen, leaving behind the residents of Singapore that cannot afford the luxurious experience offered by the building complex.

4 . 4 F utur e s c e na r i o s

Fig 117

Part of The Shams district (source: google images)

In August 2005 the architects, Arquitectonica, began designing the project. The concepts were developed in close cooperation with the developer under a tight schedule and were approved in March 2006. The project was officially launched on April 2, 2006. The engineering was prepared in parallel with the architecture to facilitate an early construction

start and save costs. We can probably say that the shape and the idea took inspiration from Marina Bay Sands.

The complexity of the project required phased construction. The first phase began with the Sky and Sun towers, a pair of elliptical buildings; the second involved the Gate, a threetower group with a connecting, curved skybridge66. The economic crisis in 2008 slowed construction slightly, but the modest downturn was put to good use in value engineering and refining the construction process. It was the same phenomenon that happened during Marina Bay Sands construction in the same year. Anyway, both the projects continued but MBS opened before (2010) The Gate (2013) because of a concentration of investments by the Sands group.

A series of residential gateway towers act as pillars supporting the skybridge, a large-scale lintel that creates a monumental portal, defining the threshold to the island. The lintel, containing penthouses, glows at night and serves as a marker, visible from miles away.

Fig 118 The Shams projects under construction (source: google images)

An oval courtyard containing residential and hotel towers, sits behind the gateway towers and serves as a foyer; this contained space acts as a monumental room. It provides an unexpected event on the road, intended to calm both traffic and the human psyche, similar to how a square amidst the rush of the city does. The first half of the oval has been built; the second half will be built at a later date.

One of the most distinctive elements of the project, the skybridge, connects all three towers, housing 21 breathtaking duplex penthouses. Sixteen of the penthouses have an indoor pool, overlooking the city. Residents at Gate Towers enjoy unrestricted access to a we-

99

4 . 4 F ut ur e s c e na r i o s

alth of community amenities. Facilities within the project include several gymnasiums, squash courts, a movie theatre, recreational rooms and indoor children’s play rooms. The huge podium has 460,000sqft of sporting and leisure amenities including two public pools with 25m lap lanes, a lazy river, children’s pools, shaded children’s play areas, running tracks, tennis and multipurpose courts, and garden lounge areas spread throughout.

Fig 119

Drone view of The Gate Towers pools, sports courts, chil dren layground (source: propertyfinder.ae)

The Gate Towers has introduced the concept of skybridges to real estate development in the UAE, as well as the region, through proven construction technology and methodology. The payoff is most obvious when taking in

100

the view from one of the skybridge’s 21 luxury penthouses. A panoramic view from Abu Dhabi Island to the Arabian Gulf is revealed from each room. In comparison to Marina Bay Sands, the concept of “mixed-use” is different: in MBS the uses were mostly commercial ones, in The Gate the use is almost luxury residential.

The Gate opening (2013) was successful with more than 180 units were leased or sold in December67 68. Up to 2018 a lot of apartments are still on sale or lease.

The Gate Towers are just a glimpse of the big real estate development of the whole UAE country, and are one of the numerous residential projects around Abu Dhabi city. Instead MBS gained a privileged position to be the Singapore icon and it is internationally recognized as a luxurious attraction.

As we analyzed, Marina Bay Sands had some negative features but since the birth of some copies (from the architectural side and with the concept of “integrated activities”) we can always more say that the MBS project has been successful and it successes in its goal of being a futuristic icon. An example of “copycat” is Chongqing Raffles City, in Chaotianmen.

Fig 120 Chongqing Raffles City, render of the waterfront (source: safdiearchitects.com)

Fig 121 Chongqing Raffles City, render of the waterfront (source: safdiearchitects.com)

Chongqing Raffles City is located at Chaotianmen where the Yangtze River and the Jialing River meet. It is also known as Chongqing’s

4 . 4 F utur e s c e na r i o s

“Sail in the Sky”. The city where the building will rise is Chongqing a major city in southwest China. Administratively, it is one of China’s four direct-controlled municipalities (the other three are Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin), and the only such municipality in China located far away from the coast. Chongqing’s population as of 2015 is just over 30 million with an urban population of 18.38 million. Of these, approximately 8.5 million people live in Chongqing central urban area; Fuling District, Wanzhou District and Qianjiang District are in fact cities in their own right, and along with the central urban area constitute a metropolitan area housing 17 million people. According to the 2010 census69, Chongqing is the most populous Chinese municipality70,and also the largest direct-controlled municipality in China, and comprises 26 districts, eight counties, and four autonomous counties. This city has a significant history and culture and serves as the economic centre of the upstream Yangtze basin. It is a major manufacturing centre and transportation hub; a July 2012 report by the Economist Intelligence Unit described it as one of China’s “30 emerging megacities”71.

City with the highest GDP growth rate (11% in 2015) in China, surpassing Shanghai (6,8%), and Beijing (6,7%)72.

The construction will be precisely in Yuzhong District, the central district and heart of Chongqing municipality. It is the political, economic, and entertainment center of the city of Chongqing. Located in the central portion of Yuzhong is also the Jiefangbei CBD, a leading business and financial centre of western China. Due to the limited space as a peninsula, its hilly nature, and the fact that it is the main central business district for Chongqing, Yuzhong contains some of the tallest skyscrapers in China and is the most densely populated district in the municipality.

There can be noticed some similarities: Singapore as Chongqing has a vibrant economy and host both a financial district and an entertainment one. Both the cities have a great population density, with Chongqing that will grow even more and sooner become a megacity. The difference is that the area where the skyscraper will rise (Yuzhong) is more mixed-use than Marina Bay.

Raffles City was designed by the world-famous architectural master Safdie and invested by Singapore’s CapitaLand (with CapitaMalls Asia and Singbridge Holdings Pte Ltd.). The total investment exceeds RMB 24 billion (about 3,8 billion USD) and the total construction area exceeds 1.1 million square meters. It is still under construction and will be open to the public in 2019. It is the largest investment projects from Singapore currently in China. The executive architect is P&T Group International Ltd, structural engineering and LEED consultant is Arup (as in MBS), Façade engineering ALT, landscape architect is Williams, Asselin, Ackaoui & Associates73.

Fig 122 Chongqing Raffles City under construction (source: google images)

101

4 . 4 F ut ur e s c e na r i o s

Singapore’s CapitaLand has achieved a new world record with its “horizontal skyscraper” in Chongqing. Construction of The Conservatory sky bridge has given Raffles City Chongqing the title of development with the highest sky bridge linking the most number of towers.

This is the first time in the world that three steel segments weighing up to 1,100 tons have been hoisted to a height of 250m74.

The entire bridge is made up of a continuous steel structure weighing 12,000 tons and enclosed with a ring comprising 3,200 pieces of glass and 4,800 aluminium panels. With a length of 300 m, it will be longer than Singapore’s tallest building laid on its side.

It is reported that the project consists of 8 super high-rise towers and a 6-storey commercial podium. It is a large-scale urban complex integrating residential building, office buildings, shopping malls, service apartments, hotels, and catering clubs.

Fig 123 Raffles City site plan description (source: rafflescity-chon gqing.com)

It integrates various public transport facilities on land and water, and includes underground viaducts, light rail stations, bus transit stations, port terminals, and visitor centers. The Crystal Corridor Bridge, which symbolizes the appearance of Chongqing’s “Canyon”, is 300 meters long. It connects four towers to each other. It is a 60-story, 250-meter-high high-rise building that features comfortable, spacious public spaces such as hotels, shopping and leisure centers75. The design was inspired by the images of great Chinese vessels on the river, paying tribute to Chongqing’s noble past as a trading centre76.

Fig 125 Raffles City, render from the top of the Skydeck (source: safdiearchitects.com)

Fig 124

102

Raffles City tower, render of balconies (source: safdiearchi tects.com)

4 . 4 F utur e s c e na r i o s

For this project the conservatory represents a new typology of building, acting not only as a connector, but as a fully programmed horizontal structure complete with internal streets, building program and gardens.

Fig 126 Raffles City deck transversal render (source: safdiearchi tects.com)

This project reflects the willingness to replicate under the architectural aspect the success of the iconic Marina Bay Sands project. In fact, the developer chose Safdie architect as well to design this project. CapitaLand and Ascendas-Singbridge, the main investors are trying to export to China the same impactful and iconic building of Singapore. They exploited the best engineering systems and replicate the philosophy of the infinity pool and they improved it: now it won’t be the only exciting feature of the deck.

This building as a complex adopts the concept of “integrated resort” even more than MBS because it will comprehend also residences, apartments, offices that

weren’t present in MBS. The target will be more extended than the MBS one: it will now comprehend families, workers, or only future residents of Chongqing that will afford all this luxe. Because of the density of the city we believe that the buildings will be full soon after the opening. The aim is more powerful: not only to be an icon of the flourish city of Chongqing, but also to have mixed purposes and hosting the most possible number of people and beating every record in China.

In recognition of CapitaLand’s drive towards sustainability, the complex has been accorded the LEED-CS (Leardership in Energy and Environmental Design – Core & Shell) precertification at the Gold Level by the United States Green Building Council. Raffles City Chongqing is the city’s largest development to receive the Gold certification. The architects and engineers improved the sustainability concept since the first phases of the project, without (for now) coming to terms as it happened for MBS construction.

Of course, the adaptions on Chinese market requirements and on sustainability achievements, changes some features comparing with Singapore’s project, but the desired outcome and target literally reflects the philosophy standing behind Marina Bay Sands, confirming the iconicity of the building.

103

5.

5.1 5.2

Comparisons

Final part with other cities

Conclusion

FINAL PART

Fig 127

106

Top Megacities, Standardized data, 2014 - 2015 (http://www.sustainapore.sg/pdf/events/4th_S3/Shmelev_ppt.pdf)

5.1

Co mpa r i s o n s w i t h ot her cities

Singapore and Hong Kong share similar levels of Unemployment and CO2 tons per capita.

Hong Kong has a better panorama as of C02 tones per Capita, but Singapore has lower unemployment rate. As for the income per capita (PPP), Singapore is in a much more favorable situation. The PPP for Singapore as of 2018, is of $81443.4 USD, while Hong Kong’s is $54279.2 USD. Singapore has a PPP 50% higher than Hong Kong. Tokyo and Singapore share similarities in these three categories (PPP per capita, Unemployment %, and CO2 tons per capita), this is primary because Tokyo and Singapore were strictly planned and idealized since their beginning. As for the other megacities included in the graph, they have values and characteristics very different from Singapore. Sydney and Shanghai are the two cities with the biggest contamination values. In the case of Shanghai is mainly because their high levels of transport pollution and production plants. In the other hand, most of Sydney’s CO2 emissions come from the massive production of Coal. As for unemployment, Berlin and Los Angeles are the less favorable cities, with 9.3% and 4.4% respectively. These values

don’t seem as high analyzed on their own, but when compared to the 2% Singapore possesses, is clear that these cities have a lot to learn from the “Asian Tiger”.

HONG KONG Hong Kong and Singapore, two of Asia’s so-called “tiger cities” have a longstanding rivalry. When it comes to areas such as the economy, education, quality of living and other factors, these two cities have been competing for years. They have a similar colonial past.

They were both British colonies, sharing the same legal and administrative background system until the World War II when Hong Kong was invaded by the Japanese empire. Nowadays, they are both autonomous territory, but if Singapore it’s only influenced by the world economy Hong Kong is closely linked to the Chinese market, also for cultural reasons, being about 95% of the whole population of Chinese origin. They have similar population (7.3 million Hong Kong - 5.5 Singapore) and high density (6.544 ab/sq2 Hong Kong - 7.681 ab/ sq2 Singapore) sharing the problem of land’s scarcity. In addition, they are two of the world’s

busiest port cities and top financial centers77.

SIMILARITIES - - -

-

- - - -

Similar Colonial past Both autonomous territory Similar population: 7.3 million Hong Kong - 5.5 Singapore High density: 6.544 ab/sq2 Hong Kong - 7.681 ab/sq2 Singapore Problem of scarcity of land Market size and composition High rates of economic growth High properties’ prices

DIFFERENCIES - Ethnic mix - Real estate market in Singapore is

influenced by world economy while in

Hong Kong it depends mainly on

local which is highly influenced by

Chinese market Quality of life: in 2017’s annual list of cities in Asia offering the highest quality of life78, Sin-

107

5.1

Co mpa r i s o ns w i t h ot her cities

gapore ranked number one. Singapore is also ranked the nicest city to live in Asia for expats, with the best infrastructure in the world. Meanwhile, Hong Kong was ranked seventh in the survey’s list of top cities in Asia.

Housing: Hong Kong is currently the most expensive property market in the world. Overall, rent in Hong Kong is 47 percent more expensive, according to data from Expatistan. com. In addition, Public housing policy in Singapore is more efficient: 86% of the population lives in public houses in comparison to where only 39% rely on public house system79.

Education: In global education rankings, Singapore has the highest achieving students in the world. Meanwhile, Hong Kong was ranked ninth overall.

Cost of living: According to website Expatisan.com, the cost of living in Singapore is 9 percent cheaper than in Hong Kong overall.

This considers variables such as cost of food, housing, clothes, transportation, personal care and entertainment80.

Crime: Singapore and Hong Kong are both among the safest cities in Asia, with annual crime rates among the lowest in the world. Sin-

108

gapore has a slight edge with 596 crime cases per 100K people, compared to Hong Kong’s 936 crime cases per 100k people.

PUERTO RICO – An attempt to incorporate Singapore’s business strategies Puerto Rico is an island located in the Caribbean. Just like Singapore, Puerto Rico lacks its own natural resources. The economy is driven mainly by the manufacturing industry. This is an unsustainable strategy, as we see that the economy been stagnating since the early 2000s.

Nowadays, Puerto Rico has the ambition to be the next Singapore. It is modeling itself after Singapore’s example, given vast attention to companies and investors by promoting itself as a low-tax jurisdiction. Puerto Rican government plans to introduce extreme tax incentives, such as zero capital gains taxes, zero taxes on dividends and a mere 4% corporate income tax. Puerto Rico plans on setting a Singapore-like vision for workforce mobility and

competitiveness by creating a highly skilled, bi-lingual workforce81.

SINGAPORE AS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER CITIES IN ASIA – An attempt to incorporate Singapore’s urban strategies and sustainability approaches Singapore is one of the most high-tech cities when it comes to green city planning. Since 2005, more than 1,650 buildings in Singapore have been made environmentally friendly. Its Sustainable Development Blueprint has several “green targets” for 2030. These includes a recycling rate of 70 percent; a 35 percent improvement in energy efficiency; and 80 percent of buildings to be certified green.

There are a lot of big cities in Asia, which are highly urbanized that need to make sure their development is done in a sustainable way, for this reason many Asian cities are taking Singapore as a role model. Cities as Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta are replicating some of the housing policies of Singapore, by creating new towns based on the British model, but strategically modified for their own needs.

5.1

Co mpa r i s o n s w i t h ot her cities

Thai-Ker is an architect and one of the master planners of Singapore. Nowadays he is a planning advisor for around 30 cities all around China, and he states Chinese authorities are taking note and view Singapore as an inspiration in terms of planning and sustainability. “The trump card is the word Singapore,” he said. “Chinese all over the country have been to Singapore… they like what we’ve done in Singapore and they would like their cities to be developed like Singapore” 82.

Although other Asian Cities are trying to replicate Singapore policies and strategies, “becoming the next Singapore” is no easy task for any city. Singapore is a city-country which makes them autonomous in all their decisions making, and this is a great advantage and facilitator than other Asian cities do not possess.

Transforming to something as Singapore is not cheap, so there is the need of a great amount of investment, but this investment needs to be plan and done specifically in the areas that need the most, not randomly.

ment when asked about how countries that are still developing can get on the path to a sustainable development, uses Singapore as an example and states three indispensable conditions; “The most important thing is to have stable government. If you don’t have that, forget about development. You must have a predictable situation, so businesses know there is a long-term opportunity. The second thing is to have an open economy. It is important for businesses to know that if you invest money in, you can get the money out. And lastly, eradicate corruption. Singapore was extremely strong on this” 83.

Pieter Winsemius, former Dutch minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environ-

109

5. 2 Co n c lus i o n

110

5. 2 Co nc lus i o n

111

REFERENCES

1 Dezeen, “Moshe Safdie interview with Dezeen about the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore,” [Online]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=cGno884hL6E 2 economag.us, “Singapore Ranks As World’s No. 2 Smart City,” [Online]. Available: http://economag.us/2018/01/singapore-ranks-as-worlds-no2-smart-city/ 3 D. o. S. Singapore, “Yearbook of Statistics Singapore,” www.singstat.gov.sg, Singapore, 2017 4 CIA, “The World Factbook,” [Online]. Available: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sn.html 5 D. o. S. Singapore, “population.sg,” [Online]. Available: https://www.population.sg/population-trends/demographics 6 “https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population_density,” [Online] 7 U. Nations, “UN 2015 Report” 8 W. E. F. Bloomberg Rankings. [Online]. Available: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/10/which-are-the-worlds-healthiest-countries/ 9 D. o. S. Singapore, “Singapore in figures 2017” 10 Bloomberg. [Online]. Available: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-15/singapore-still-world-s-costliest-city-paris-a-close-se cond 11 D. Loesche, “statista.com,” [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/chart/8637/the-most-expensive-cities-in-the-world/ 12 S. Architects, “Safdie Architects,” [Online]. Available: https://www.safdiearchitects.com/projects/marina-bay-sands-integrated-resort 13 S. Times. [Online]. Available: https://web.archive.org/web/20100430031312/http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/ STIStory_519705.html 14 C. N. Asia. [Online]. Available: http://www.eco-business.com/news/singapore-urban-planners-tackle-challenges-future-city-planning/.

15 T. G. Colin Marshall, “ Singapore – the most meticulously planned city in the world,” [Online]. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/ci ties/2016/apr/21/story-cities-singapore-carefully-planned-lee-kuan-yew.

16 [Online]. Available: https://thehearttruths.com/2014/05/06/singapore-first-world-economy-first-world-costs-third-world-everything-else/.

Re fe re n c e s

17 B. John Krich. [Online]. Available: http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20150311-why-expats-call-this-utopia.

18 Department of Statistics Singapore, [Online]. Available: http://www.tablebuilder.singstat.gov.sg/publicfacing/createDataTable.action?re fId=14582.

19 [Online]. Available: https://www.heritage.org/index/country/singapore..

20 [Online]. Available: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD?order=&year_high_desc=true..

21 [Online]. Available: https://data.worldbank.org/country/Singapore..

22 I. M. F. Asia, “Singapore: 2014 Article IV,” 2014. [Online]. Available: https://books.google.it/books?id=9NqTBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3& dq=Key+supporting+factors+for+Singapore%27s+strong+growth+performance+have+been+a+stable+macroeconomic+environment,+contin.

23 [Online]. Available: https://web.archive.org/web/20121021182524/http://www.unctad-docs.org/files/UNCTAD-WIR2012-Chapter-I-en.pdf..

24 [Online]. Available: http://www.relooney.com/NS3040/Chapter-11-Singapore.pdf.

25 [Online]. Available: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2014/cr14312.pdf.

26 CIA. [Online]. Available: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2078rank.html.

27 [Online]. Available: http://www.aapa-ports.org/unifying/content.aspx?ItemNumber=21048.

28 [Online]. Available: https://books.google.it/books?id=iciyDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA28&lpg=PA28&dq=country%27s+education+policy+in+produ

cing+skilled+workers,+is+also+fundamental+in+this+aspect+as+they+provide+easier+access+to+markets+for+both+importing+and+exportin g+and+also+provide+the+.

29 [Online]. Available: https://tradingeconomics.com/singapore/wages.

30 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-s-household-income-grew-in-2017-income-inequali ty-9939710.

31 “https://blog.seedly.sg/wage-gap-singapore-really-closing/,” 2017. [Online]. Available: https://blog.seedly.sg/wage-gap-singapore-really-clo sing/.

32 [Online]. Available: http://stats.mom.gov.sg.

33 S. M. o. C. Berita Singapura, 1965. [Online]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VosvrTlw7c.

34 S. Subramanian, “The NY Times Magazine,” [Online]. Available: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/magazine/how-singapore-is-crea ting-more-land-for-itself.html.

Re fe re n c e s

35 T. W. B. Adhas Jha. [Online]. Available: http://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/singapore-pel-urban-design.

36 U. R. A. Singapore. [Online]. Available: www.ura.gov.sg.

37 U. R. Authority. [Online]. Available: https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/.

38 P. Kyunghwan, Singapore’s Housing Policies: 1960-2013, Singapore, 2013.

39 Phang, Housing Markets and Urban Transportation: Economic Theory, Singapore: McGraw Hill, 1992.

40 Lee, From Third World to First: The Singapore Story 1965-2000, Singapore Press Holdings, 2000.

41 Phang, Housing Markets and Urban Transportation: Economic Theory, Singapore: McGraw Hil, 1992.

42 T. S. Times, “Study: Singapore’s public transport system one of world’s most efficient,” [Online]. Available: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapo re/transport/study-singapores-public-transport-system-one-of-worlds-most-efficient.

43 [Online]. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/sustainable-cities-innovative-urban-planning-singapore.

44 SBS Transist, [Online]. Available: https://www.sbstransit.com.sg/about/charter.aspx.

45 S. Corporation. [Online]. Available: http://www.smrt.com.sg/News-Room/Information-Kit. 46 [Online]. Available: http://ww1.thesingaporetouristpass.com/?sub1=5405c1c6-337e-11e8-86f4-c0593f00216a.

47 Towertransit Singapore, [Online]. Available: https://towertransit.sg/our-routes/.

48 Go-ahead Singapore, [Online]. Available: https://www.go-aheadsingapore.com/en-sg/about-us/.

49 [Online]. Available: https://web.archive.org/web/20080325034011/http://www.changiairport.com/changi/en/about_us/fact_sheets/air_ network/?__locale=en.

50 “World Economic Forum Global Information Technology Report”.

51 F. Casey Hynes. [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chynes/2017/11/10/singapore-ranks-as-one-of-the-top-smart-cities-in-the- world/#4df8be80717d.

52 C. B. U. R. Authority, The Golden Shoe: Building Singapore’s Financial District, Singapore, 1989.

53 F. U. P. Yang Peiru, Design of Urban Core Area: Singapore’s Experience in Asia, 2005.

54 [Online]. Available: https://www.jld.sg/The-Second-CBD/Key-Milestones.

55 From “Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015”. It is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for providing a quality living

environment and a high standard of public health, protected against the spread of communicable diseases. It was set up in 1972, and today,

together with its two statutory boards – the National Environment Agency (NEA, born in 2002) and Public Utilities Board (born in 1963) – the

Re fe re n c e s

Ministry’s area of responsibility has widened to include ensuring a clean and hygienic living environment, as well as managing the complete

water cycle – from sourcing, collection, purification and

supply of drinking water; to the treatment of used water and recycling into NEWater; desalination; as well as storm water drainage.

56 From “Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015”. It is a leading public organization responsible for improving and sustaining a clean and green

environment in Singapore. It develops and spearheads environmental initiatives and programmes through its partnership with the People,

Public and Private sectors. By protecting Singapore’s resources from pollution, maintaining a high level of public health and providing timely

meteorological information, the NEA endeavors to ensure sustainable development and a quality living environment for present and

future generations.

57 [Online]. Available: www.marina-bay.sg..

58 [Online]. Available: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2016-06-21_160714.html..

59 [Online]. Available: https://thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/the-making-of-marina-bay/.

60 D. C. U. D. A. Singapore. [Online]. Available: https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Get-Involved/Shape-A-Distinctive-City/A-City-with-Distincti ve-Identity/Marina-Bay. 61 W. E. Forum. [Online]. Available: http://reports.weforum.org/travel-and-tourism-competitiveness-report-2017/country-profiles/#economy=SGP..

62 S. T. Board. [Online]. Available: https://www.stb.gov.sg/statistics-and-market-insights/Pages/statistics-Annual-Tourism-Statistics.aspx.

63 [Online]. Available: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1607_2011-11-01.html.

64 S. M., “Marina Bay Sands, Singapore,” CTBUH Journal Issue I, 2011.

65 [Online]. Available: https://www.thenational.ae/business/uae-a-magical-place-for-uk-schools-1.10506 66 [Online]. Available: http://global.ctbuh.org/resources/papers/download/150-case-study-gate-towers-abu-dhabi.pdf 67 [Online]. Available: https://www.emirates247.com/property/real-estate/high-demand-for-aldar-gate-towers-2014-01-21-1.535534 68 [Online]. Available: https://www.thenational.ae/business/abu-dhabi-property-demand-put-to-the-test-as-gate-towers-handovers-begin-on-re em-island-1.288259 69 [Online]. Available: https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/urban-rural-and-regional-development/oecd-urban-policy-reviews-chi na-2015_9789264230040-en#page39 70 [Online]. Available: http://www.elivecity.cn/html/yijuyanjiu/yijuyanjiu1/645.html

Re fe re n c e s

71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83

[Online]. Available: www.eiu.com [Online]. Available: www.rafflescity-chongqing.com [Online]. Available: https://www.safdiearchitects.com/projects/raffles-city-chongqing [Online]. Available: https://www.businessinsider.sg/capitaland-achieves-world-record-with-300m-horizontal-skycraper-in-chongqing-china/ [Online]. Available: https://www.arup.com/projects/raffles-city-chongqing [Online]. Available: www.rafflescity-chonqing.com [Online]. Available: https://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1067&context=crer [Online]. Available: https://www.mercer.com/newsroom/2018-quality-of-living-survey.html [Online]. Available: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/hong-kong [Online]. Available: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/hong-kong [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/05/14/puerto-rico-pours-on-tax-incentives-f [Online]. Available: https://www.cnbc.com/2013/12/17/sustainable-singapore-a-model-to-be-replicated.html [Online]. Available: http://www.eco-business.com/news/debate-on-growth-vs-sustainability-a-waste-of-time/)

INDEX OF FIGURES Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Marina Bay Sands (Google images) ............ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Singapore in the world (ontheworldmap.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Singapore geographic location (Worldatlas.com and Google Images) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10 Singapore map (tr.maps-singapore.com) ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 11 Urban planning areas in Singapore (Urban Development Authority Master Plan 2008) ................................................................... 12 Population and population structure (singstat.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Population and population structure (singstat.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Languages diffusion in Singapore (The World Factbook) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Religions distribution in Singapore (The World Factbook) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13 Key demographic indicators 1970-2017 (Department of Statistics June 2017) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Key demographic indicators 1970-2017 (Department of Statistics June 2017) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Fifty healthiest countries in the world 2017 (Bloomberg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 14 Selected economic and social indicators 2014 (Singapore in Figures 2017) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The most expensive cities in the world 2017 (Dyfed Loesche, statista.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15 Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort Sketch by Moshe Safdie (Safdie Architects) ...................................................................... 16 Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort aerial view by Moshe Safdie (Safdie Architects) ................................................................ 16 Marina Bay Sands aerial view (Safidie Architects) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategic location made it an ideal trading hub (Google images) ............................................................................... 20 Historic development ............................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 Population density in Singapore from 1960 to 2017 (Department of Statistics, 2017) .................................................................. 25 Resident/non-resident population in Singapore from 1990 to 2017 (Department of Statistics, 2017) .............................................. 26 Residents by age group in Singapore in 2017 (Department of Statistics, 2017) .......................................................................... 26 Median age and birth rate of resident population in Singapore from 1960 to 2017 (Department of Statistics, 2017) . ....................... 27 Singapore GDP per person performance in 2011 (economist.com) .............................................................................................. 28 Share of Singapore GDP by Industry from 2001 to 2017 (singstat.gov.sg) .................................................................................. 29 Comparison GDP per capita Singapore-Western Asia (data.gov.sg and data.abd.org) ................................................................... 29 Export from 1988 to 2015 (WITS) .............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 Import from 1988 to 2015 (WITS) .............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 Exports of services in Singapore, 2017 (singstat.gov.sg) ......................................................................................................... 30 Imports of services in Singapore, 2017 (singstat.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3 0 Labour statistics in Singapore 2017 (stats.mom.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3 1 Avarage montly wage by income level ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3 1 Avarage montly wage by income level ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 Labour statistics in Singapore 2017 (Ministry of Manpower: Manpower Research and Statistic Department) ................................... 32 Labour statistics in Singapore 2017 (Ministry of Manpower: Manpower Research and Statistic Department) ................................... 32 Labour statistics in Singapore 2017 (Ministry of Manpower: Manpower Research and Statistic Department) ................................... 32 Labour force 1990 to 2017 from 15 to 34 years Singapore (Department of Statistics 2017) ........................................................ 33 Labour force from 1990 to 2017 from 35 to 54 years in Singapore (Department of Statistics) .................................................... 34 Labour force from 1990 to 2017 from 54 years and over in Singapore (Department of Statistics) ............................................... 34 Sectors divided by employment in Singapore (Ministry of Manpower and Department of Statistics) ................................................ 35 Total employed people (thousands) from 1992 to 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3 5 Total unemployed people (thousands) from 1992 to 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3 5 Ratio between employed over unemployed people .................................................................................................................. 36 Unemployment duration for residents (Department of Statistics) ............................................................................................ 36 Singapore core consumer prices measure in index points (tradineconomics.com / Statistics Singapore) . ......................................... 37

I n d e x o f f i g ur e s

Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig

Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig

Fig Fig

Fig

Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig

Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig

45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

Industrial space price index in Singapore from 1975 to 2017 (tradingeconomics.com) .................................................................... 37 Private residential property price index in Singapore from 1975 to 2017 (tradingeconomics.com) .................................................... 37 Singapore strategies about sustainability integration (FONTE ONLINE) ...................................................................................... 40 1956 Singapore Masterplan (source: ura.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4 1 1956 Singapore Masterplan, focus on Central Area (source: ura.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 1971 Singapore concept plan and 1980 Singapore masterplan (source: ura.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 1980 Singapore masterplan (source: ura.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Singapore Concept plan 1991 (source ura.gov.sg) .................................................................................................................... 44 Singapore Concept plan 2001 (source: ura.gov.sg) ................................................................................................................... 44 Masterplan 2003 focus on Central Area (source: ura.gov.sg) ................................................................................................... 45 Singapore Concept plan 2013 (source: ura.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 46 Singapore Masterplan 2013 focus on the Central Area (source: ura.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Singapore public housing 1960s and today (Google images) ...................................................................................................... 48 House Price Indices and CPI (Singapore Government Agencies: Department of Statistics, Singstat Database; Urban Redevelopment Authority, Real Estate Information System REALIS; Housing and Development Board Website) .................................................................... 52 Key indicators of Singapore’s housing sector (Singapore government publications) ...................................................................... 53 Brands of Transportation institutions in Singapore (institutional websites) ............................................................................... 54 Rail length from 1990 to 2016 (Land Transport Authority 2016) ................................................................................................ 56 MRT, LRT, Bus, Taxi stop (Google images) ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7 Public Transport Operation and Ridership - Average Daily Public Transport Ridership (Department of Statistics, 2016) . .................. 57 Motor Vehicle Population by Type of Vehicles (Land Transportation Authority 2016) .................................................................. 58 Airports and airbases in Singapore ............ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 9 Civil Aircraft Arrivals/Departures, Passengers and Mails(Civil Aviation Authority) ........................................................................ 59 Expressways of Singapore (Google images) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 0 Singapore’s ranking in the Global Information Technology Report between 2013 and 2016 (World Economic Forum Global Information Technology Report) ................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1 Central Business District (CBD) (Google images) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 6 2 1971 Concept Plan (Yang Yuting: The Compilation and Characteristics of Singapore’s Urban Planning: Introduction and Evaluation of Singapore’s Urban Planning. Urban Planning in Foreign Countries, 1986) ..................................................................................................... 62 1981 Concept Plan (Yang Yuting: The Compilation and Characteristics of Singapore’s Urban Planning: Introduction and Evaluation of Singapore’s Urban Planning. Urban Planning in Foreign Countries, 1986) ..................................................................................................... 62 Some economic and financial indicators (1980~2000) (singstat.gov.sg) ......................................................................................... 63 The Marina Bay CBD .................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3 The Marina Bay Financial Centre (Google images) ................................................................................................................... 63 Jurong Lake District location (Google images) ....................................................................................................................... 64 International Business Park, before ........... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5 International Business Park, after ............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5 Singapore Sustainable Blueprint 2015 (nea.gov.sg) ....................................................................................................................... 66 Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015 Where We Are Today (nea.gov.sg) .................................................................................... 67 Global cities for green building performance index (Solidance Research and Analysis) ................................................................. 68 Singapore’s Park Connectors (Google images) ........................................................................................................................ 69 Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015 –Indicators (nea.gov.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 7 2 Slogan of Marina Bay District (marina-bay.sg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 7 5 View of Clifford Pier, the Inner Roads and the Breakwater in the 1950s from an old postcard (courtesy of Mr. Low Kam Hoong, thelongnwindin groad.wordpress.com) ................................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5 Map of Singapore Harbour in the 1950s showing the Detached Mole, Inner Roads and Outer Roads (thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com) . .. 75 Marina Bay District then and now (marinabaysands.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 7 7 International Visitors Arrivals in 1965 to 2015, general and recent years (Singapore Tourism Board) . ........................................... 78 International Visitors Arrivals in 1965 to 2015, general and recent years (Singapore Tourism Board) . ........................................... 79 Tourist receipt (2005 to 2009 and 2010 to 2014) (Singapore Tourism Board) .............................................................................. 79 International Visitors Arrivals (2005 to 2009 and 2010 to 2014) (Singapore Tourism Board) . ........................................................ 79

I n d e x o f f i g ur e s

Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127

Gardens by the Bay, outside (Google Image) ........................................................................................................................... 80 Gardens by the Bay, inside (Google Image) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 0 Singapore F1 Grand Prix (Google image) ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 0 iLight Marina Bay Festival 2017 (Google Image) ....................................................................................................................... 80 Marina Bay Sands under construction (nevworldwonders.com) .................................................................................................... 81 Marina Bay by night (Google image) ........... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3 Graphical representation of the structure of the building analysis (FONTE ONLINE) ................................................................... 86 Marina Bay Sands resort (Google image) .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7 Skypark design (Safdie Architects) ........... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7 Marina Bay Sands Casino (Google images) .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 8 7 Art Science Museum, Singapore (Safdie Architects) ............................................................................................................... 87 Theatre in Marina Bay Sands (Safdie Architects) ................................................................................................................... 87 Crystal Pavilions (Safdie Architects) ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 8 Foundations of Marina Bay Sands main building (Google Images) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 8 8 Supporting structure during construction, Marina Bay Sands (Google Images) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 8 9 Exploded isometric of Marina Bay Sands (Safdie Architects) ..................................................................................................... 90 SkyPark drone view (Google Images) .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 0 West Façade construction details (Safdie, M. 2011 CTBUH Journal 2011 Issue I) .......................................................................... 90 West Façade construction details (Safdie, M. 2011 CTBUH Journal 2011 Issue I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9 1 The “Belly” of the SkyPark (Safdie, M. 2011CTBUH Journal 2011 Issue I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9 1 Paid-access (%) in five different years (Google image) ......................................................................................................... 93 Annual Tourism Statistics Reports, last report available 2015 (Data taken from https://www.stb.gov.sg/statistics) . ....................... 93 Marina Bay Sands Green Facts (www.stb.gov.sg/statistics) ...................................................................................................... 94 Marina Bay Sands’ achievements in energy consumption (www.stb.gov.sg/statistics) ...................................................................... 95 Certifications, parthnerships and awards achieved by Marina Bay Sands (www.stb.gov.sg/statistics) ............................................. 95 Marina Bay Sands vs The Gate Towers (Source: arabianbusiness.com) ....................................................................................... 98 Part of The Shams district (source: google images) ................................................................................................................. 99 The Shams projects under construction (source: google images) ............................................................................................... 99 Drone view of The Gate Towers pools, sports courts, children layground (source: propertyfinder.ae) . .......................................... 100 Chongqing Raffles City, render of the waterfront (source: safdiearchitects.com) . ....................................................................... 100 Chongqing Raffles City, render of the waterfront (source: safdiearchitects.com) . ..................................................................... 100 Chongqing Raffles City under construction (source: google images) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 1 Raffles City site plan description (source: rafflescity-chongqing.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2 Raffles City tower, render of balconies (source: safdiearchitects.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2 Raffles City, render from the top of the Skydeck (source: safdiearchitects.com) . .................................................................... 102 Raffles City deck transversal render (source: safdiearchitects.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 3 Top Megacities, Standardized data, 2014 - 2015 (source: http://www.sustainapore.sg/pdf/events/4th_S3/Shmelev_ppt.pdf) . ......... 106