REIMAGINING STRAITS OF JOHOR AS CROSS-BORDER URBAN COMMONS

table of content 01 Preface 02 Background and Issues 03 Discourse on the Background 04 Design Intent 05 Final Design

01 PREFACE The Straits of Johor, which forms the border between Singapore and Malaysia, has never ceased to be a site of power contestation, rendering the waterscape into terra nullius. In view of the fast changing international geo-political environment, this study attempts to explore the possibilities of transforming the border of separation into a shared territory that can facilitate cooperation between Singapore and Johor, a state of Malaysia, achieving common economic growth, greater social cohesion, and higher competence of the region.

Tackling food security, a pressing issue for both Singapore and Johor, this design research proposes to turn the Strait of Johor into a shared urban infrastructure for food production. It is hoped to maximize the positive externalities through through to address a series of bilateral issues arising from the separation, such as physical connections, land reclamation, water dispute, etc. Moreover, this study also aims to raise a critique on the current global food industry, which is mostly controlled by the hegemonic force of neoliberal capitalism. Through phased comprehensive masterplan and design of adaptable architecture, it demonstrates how governments can possibly leverage capLWDOLVW FRUSRUDWHV WXUQLQJ WKHLU SURÀW PDNLQJ LQWHQWLRQV LQWR FDWDO\VWV IRU DFKLHYLQJ EURDGHU VRFLDO objectives – creating a cross-border commons.

03 BACKGROUND AND ISSUES Lying at the southernmost end of the Asia mainland is the Straits of Johor that separates two nations which were once united – Malaysia and Singapore.Across the border, one of the world busiest causeways linking both ends, transports more than 300,000 people and 145,000 vehicles daily (Ong and Yusof n.d.). Besides the visible travellers and vehicles, what exist hidden within are power relation, economic contestation, and political dispute. In a territory of mere 1-kilometre-wide (at its shortest width) and 50-kilometre-long, half-owned by each country, numerous exchanges happen incessantly like an active organ, constantly challenging the bilateral tie.

How can we understand the power relation in this region and its implication to the social and physical landscape? Observed from the contrasting developments, stringent border control and proposed infrastructure, it is evident that physical built environment have long been used as a political instrument to exert control or assert sovereignty, in most cases done more harm than good to the two parties.

Imagine a scenario where collaborations take precedence over competition, what can urban planning and architecture do to facilitate the change of bilateral ties? On top of political manipulation, the world is also increasingly controlled and shaped by capitalism; architecture has become a tool of capital, complicit in a purpose antithetical to its social mission (Graaf 2015). How can architecture subvert the role to prioritize the public interest?

Since 1927, an imaginary boundary line was drawn across Straits of Johor as an international boundary under Territorial Waters Agreement, before a redrawn in 1994 following border disputes between two nations. Since then the border space between Singapore and Malaysia has never ceased to be an arena of power contestation, rendered the waterscape into terra nullius — void of life and activities.

Due to political division and physical separation, the Straits of Johor is now both a cause and a host of the persisting disputes and rivalries between both sides. As a UHVXOW WKH VLWH LV OHIW KRVWLOH DQG VWHULOH ZKLFK IXUWKHU DPSOLĂ€HV WKH WHQVLRQV EHWZHHQ the discordant neighbours.The ruptured space resulted in a spatial estrangement that LQWHQVLĂ€HV WKH XQFHDVLQJ SROLWLFDO WHQVLRQ EHWZHHQ WKH WZR FRQWLJXRXV QDWLRQ VWDWHV

THESIS QUESTION In view of the fast-changing international geo-political environment, this study attempts to explore the potentials of transforming the border of separation into a shared territory that can facilitate cooperation between Singapore and Johor towards achieving common economic growth, greater social cohesion and subsequently higher competence of the region.

THESIS TH T H HE ESIS E ES SIIIS S SO OPPORTUNITY PPO P TU TUN UNIT NIT NI IT TY Y/ EX E XIS X IST IS ST TIIIN NG G AP EXISTING GAPS

HYPOTHESIS Tackling a common issue — food security as an opportunity, the thesis proposes to turn the border space into a shared urban infrastructure for food supply in the hopes of addressing the bilateral issues arise from the border separation.

Moreover, the thesis also aims to raise a critique on the current global food industry which is by and large controlled by hegemonic forces of neoliberal capitalism. Instead of rejecting them completely, the architectural and urban intervention demonstrate how governments can leverage off the capitalist corporate to achieve their economic and social agenda.The speculative proposition culminates in an urban ecology system that acts as a new typology of urban commons.

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FFood ood dh haaass al has aalwa lw waay w ayyss b ays be een en tthe hee h always been iim mpo mpor mp m port rt n ntt eel leem meennt tth men me hat ha h at ssha at sh shape hap h ha ap aape peeess o p urr u important element that shapes our cities (Steel 2008), thesis poses cci ittie ties es ((S (Ste SStttee eeel ee eell 20 2200 00 0 088), 0 08) ), th tthe he th tthe heeessi h siiss p po ossse o ses es question a gr ggreater reeeat atte aater tter er q er que uessttti ue tion ion io on o off ho hhow ow o w we we ca ccan aan n food powerful use fo us use ffoo oo od o d as as aan np pow po ow o weer wer w errfu rfffuul too ttool to oo o oll tto o o UUHGHÀQH RXU ZRUOGYLHZ VWDUWLQJ UH UHGH HGHHHÀQ ÀQHH À H RX RXU RX XU Z XU XU UU Z ZR ZR RUO RU RUOG UO UOG GYYYLH G YLLLH LHZ HZ HZ Z VVWD Z Z VWDUW VWWWDDDUUUWWL WLQ WLQJ WLQ LQ QJJ J solving border issues. ffrom fro rom om so om sol ssolv olvvin o vviing inng th tthe hee b h bo bord ord deerr iis de sssu ss ues ue u es. ees ss..

Ce C ert rta tain ttainly aiin ai nnly, lyy, lly, y, ccross rosss-b bo ord ord rrder der d de eerr fo ffood o oo od o d Certainly, cross-border produ pro p odu od o duct duction uction uc u ction rrequire eqqu uiirres u reees a shift sh shift ifftt iin production requires paradigm governments. pa p aara arad rrad ra adig diiigggm b d byy both both th h ggov go The tthesis aims to provoke a Th T hhes heees aim nnew ew w ew way of looking at border wa site to provide aass a pproductive r gains as well as fostering eeconomic eco ec co cono bilateral relations.

BORDER SEPARATION AND RESULTANT BILATERAL ISSUES According to C.Arbaret-Schultz (2007), a border is “a spatial object that brings distance in proximity�.

The ambivalent notion of border being simultaneously excluding and including (Borneman 1995) results in a blurred and controversial border space in many contexts across the world. In most FDVHV ERUGHU VSDFH KDV EHFRPH WKH YHQXH ZKHUH SRZHU EHLQJ H[HUFLVHG GLVSXWH EHLQJ LQWHQVLĂ€HG DQG VRFLDO FRQWURO EHLQJ H[HUWHG 6WUDLWV RI -RKRU LV QR H[FHSWLRQ 7KH ELODWHUDO LVVXHV DUH LGHQWLĂ€HG and categorized into four aspects: physical, economic, environmental and social.

04 DISCOURSE ON THE BACKGROUND Incongruity Viewing from Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve: ([LVWLQJ ÀVK IDUPV RQ WKH 6WUDLWV RI -RKRU DQG KLJK ULVH UHVLGHQWLDO EORFNV LQ WKH EDFNJURXQG

,QHIÀFLHQW DQG LQDGHTXDWH SK\VLFDO FRQQHFWLRQV GXH WR ERUGHU FRQWURO Physical connection is seen as the fundamental element in any border-crossing dynamic. Currently, there are two existing border-crossing infrastructures across WKH VWUDLWV 7KH ÀUVW RQH LV D FDXVHZD\ FRPSOHWHG LQ DQG LV QRZ RQH RI WKH world’s busiest crossings. Often cited as a direct result of stringent border control RQ ERWK VLGHV WKH EDG WUDIÀF FRQJHVWLRQ GXULQJ WKH SHDN KRXUV KDV QRW \HW EHHQ resolved despite being a subject of intense study and review. Worse still, travellers are prohibited from crossing the causeway by foot after the Johor Bahru Custom, Immigration and Quarantine complex (CIQ) was completed in 2008.

Spanning 1.05 kilometre connecting Johor and Singapore, it was designed as a rubble causeway instead of bridge by then colonial authorities due to economic factor (G. Alphonso, Arkib Negara Malaysia, and National Archives (Singapore) 2011). However, the causeway effectively cut off the continuity of the straits which rendered the passage of water carriage impossible, eventually becomes the main source of inexorable contestations, notably in the born of the infamous ‘crooked bridge’ mooted by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir (Teoh 2015).

In 1998, the second link bridging Gelang Patah and Tuas was constructed in a bid to GLYHUW WKH WUDIĂ€F +RZHYHU LW KDV QRW EHHQ XVHG WR LWV IXOO FDSDFLW\ GXH WR LWV SUR[LPLW\ to the main areas with dense population.

Apart from the road connections for private vehicles and buses, the capacity of H[LVWLQJ WUDLQ VHUYLFH KDV EHHQ LQVXIÀFLHQW WR FDWHU IRU WKH QHHG ZLWK WULSV RI SDVVHQJHUV GDLO\ ZKLFK RQO\ DFFRXQW IRU RI GDLO\ FRPPXWHUV 7KLV LQHIÀFLHQF\ LV set to be replaced by the Rapid Transit System tentatively by 2024 (The Straits Time (G ,Q DQRWKHU ERUGHU FURVVLQJ LQIUDVWUXFWXUH ³ .XDOD /XPSXU 6LQJDSRUH +LJK 6SHHG 5DLO +65 SURMHFW ZDV LQNHG ,QLWLDOO\ SODQQHG WR EHJLQ RSHUDWLRQV LQ the project was touted to be able to create millions of jobs apart from connecting the two major cities. However, it is postponed following the formation of new Malaysian government in May 2018, citing the great debt left E\ WKH SUHYLRXV UHJLPH ´,W¡V QRW EHQHÀFLDO LW¡V JRLQJ WR FRVW XV D KXJH VXP RI PRQH\ We’ll make no money at all from it,� says Mahathir justifying the government’s decision to drop the HSR project (Sumisha 2018a). Evidently, the new Malaysian government does not see substantial reason to build the HSR, attesting to the crux of the matter — economic gain.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/3hr-customs-queuesas-travellers-head-across-causeway-for-chinese-new-year

([SDQGLQJ SURÀWDEOH WHUULWRU\ WKURXJK ODQG UHFODPDWLRQ DQG FRQWLQXRXV GHYHORSPHQW Contrasting to the lacklustre efforts in addressing border-crossing issues, the two countries have been zealous in exerting respective power over the territory through land reclamation, starting from Tekong Island, Ubin Island to Forest City. However, disputes escalated when both protested to each other’s land reclamation work which even involved the international arbitration (ITLOS, Ed. 2003).

Moreover, the urban development master plan of both territories across the straits are also proven to be problematic as they are planned independently without considering the opposite side. Ironically, the incongruous developments from across the straits have been greatly affecting the opposite territory due to their proximity. The implications are not limited to visual impact, but further extends to the biodiversity, water, sound and air contamination, as seen in the example of toxic pollution from Pasir Gudang, Johor plaguing residents of Punggol, Singapore (Stolarchuk 2017). Superimposing the master plans of two sides, the ill-matched zonings are made apparent such as Sungei Buloh-Pasir Gudang and Forest City-Tuas. For Singapore, the northern coastal area has always been the backwater of the city-state, primarily zoned as residential areas and nature reserves. For Iskandar Malaysia (development region involving Johor Bahru metropolitan area), the coastal areas along the straits are considered prime land and mostly earmarked for high revenue developments, including the existing ports, new administrative zone Nusajaya, high end residential areas and also megaprojects.

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Another persisting dispute arose from border separation is the disproportion of natural resource endowment, in which water supply poses the biggest threat to the land-scarce Singapore. Water security had been a contentious issue between the two sides and concerns loomed large for decades in Singapore that Malaysia would FXW VXSSOLHV LQ UHWDOLDWLRQ RYHU ELODWHUDO GLIIHUHQFHV 8QGHU D :DWHU $JUHHPHQW Singapore holds the exclusive right to draw up to a maximum of 250 million gallons RI ZDWHU SHU GD\ IURP WKH -RKRU 5LYHU XQWLO $SSUR[LPDWHO\ RI 6LQJDSRUH¡V current water needs are met by Malaysia, though the island republic has aimed to improve its domestic water supply, including the opening of desalination plant (Chen 2018). On 13th August 2018, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir has revealed his intention to increase the price of water supply by tenfold WR UHà HFW WKH KLJKHU FRVW RI OLYLQJ 6XPLVKD E

The rapid developments along the coastal area especially on the Johor side following the inception of Iskandar Malaysia project have been detrimental to the water quality. $OWKRXJK WKH ZDWHU SROOXWLRQ GXH WR RLO VSLOOV DQG PDVV ÀVK NLOOV DUH FRQVWDQWO\ UHSRUWHG RQ ORFDO QHZV VHULRXV DFWLRQV DUH \HW WR EH H[HFXWHG *HQHUDOO\ PDVV ÀVK kills are caused by the low oxygen level in the water due to plankton and algae bloom which are attributable to the massive land reclamation in the area apart from climate change. Besides, dead dugongs are also constantly spotted ashore (Khew 2015). The ironic fact of the strait being co-owned instead of fully owned by any sides has caused many efforts to improve the situation go futile when both do not see eye to eye.

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Megacities as the New Economic Geography .KDQQD

ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF BORDER: ONE ENTITY BASED ON CONNECTOGRAPHY Identifying border separation as the root of the perennial issues, a revisit on the notion of border and its state-of-the-art viewpoints is thus of paramount importance. A border is an ideological VRFLR FXOWXUDO FRQVWUXFW E\ ZKLFK FRPPXQLWLHV QDWLRQV GHĂ€QH DQG GHIHQG WKH QRWLRQ RI WKHLU territory. As noted by Nick Vaughan-Williams (2009), borders are constitutive of political life.

Border is produced, dynamic and politically charged. A look into the history reveals that border LV FRQVWDQWO\ EHLQJ FKDOOHQJHG DQG HYHU FKDQJLQJ DUH LGHQWLĂ€HG DQG FDWHJRUL]HG LQWR IRXU DVSHFWV physical, economic, environmental and social. ,Q KLV VHPLQDO ERRN Âś&RQQHFWRJUDSK\¡ 3DUDJ .KDQQD SRVLWV DQ DOWHUQDWLYH SHUVSHFWLYH RI looking at our world atlas and border, i.e. highlighting the network and connection instead of static OLQHV DV VHSDUDWLRQ +H DOVR DUJXHV WKDW IXQFWLRQDO JHRJUDSK\ LV LQFUHDVLQJO\ KROGLQJ PRUH VLJQLĂ€FDQFH than political geography. This is especially true when we trace back the earliest civilizations which were based on cities, in comparison with the border as a demarcation of territorial exclusivity and limit of sovereignty to Nation-States, which only came in 17th Century. In Khanna’s thesis, our world is and will continue forming global network civilization, while political borders are losing its relevance, in which he summarized as ‘connectivity is destiny’. In order to serve the one goal — sustainable urbanization, he teased out the two most salient points to focus on, which are infrastructure and supply chain. :KLOH UHVHDUFK SUHGLFWV WKDW RYHU RI WKH ZRUOG¡V SRSXODWLRQ LV H[SHFWHG WR OLYH LQ XUEDQ areas by 2050 (United Nation 2018), Parag Khanna and his research team further mapped out the distribution and concentration with a map of ‘Megacities as the New Economic Geography’ (see Figure above), which conjectured 50 mega city regions — agglomeration of neighbouring metropolises forming into regions. To date, except those of Euroregions, mega city regions are predominantly aggregation of cities within a country.

Borrowing ‘Connectography’ as the theoretical lens, the thesis probes into how Singapore and Iskandar Malaysia can be conceived as a cross-border megalopolis. Land-scarce Singapore is always in need of hinterland to reinforce its status as a global city. As Singapore is undergoing economy restructuring, Singapore can relocate labour and land-intensive industries to Johor while retaining high-tech manufacturing and services sectors. Furthermore, Singapore has been importing foreign talents and manpower due to its aging population. On the other hand, Iskandar Malaysia is welcoming foreign direct investment and technological inputs from around the world (see Figure 3).

By integrating the two sides as one economy and leveraging off each own’s comparative advantages, positive collective economic growth can be expected from the economy of scale as well as diversity +XWFKLQVRQ DQG &KRQJ

Food Security Roadmap by AVA Singapore AVA, 2013. Accessed on November 25th, 2018 from KWWSV ZZZ DYD JRY VJ ÀOHV DYDYLVLRQ LVVXHV B IRRG VHFXULW\ roadmap.html

COMMON ISSUE — FOOD SECURITY AS AN OPPORTUNITY

Taking infrastructure and supply chain from ‘Connectography’ as a basic framework to connect the both sides’ economic complementarity, the thesis delves into food security in the region, attempting to take opportunity on the food demand as a possible answer towards collaboration.

The fact that global food system in current world is getting more interconnected does not guarantee a more resilient food supply. Paradoxically, it is vulnerable to political, natural disaster and economic crises, where a disturbance may have snowball HIIHFW DFURVV WKH JOREH 7RWK 5HQGDOO DQG 5HLWVPD )RU 6LQJDSRUH WKDW LPSRUWV 90% of its food, the crisis is ever looming and alarming, which calls for a change in policy and consumer’s behaviour to adapt to the dynamic global system (Allen and 3URVSHUL $V VXFK RSWLPLVLQJ ORFDO IRRG SURGXFWLRQ KDV EHHQ RXWOLQHG DV D FRUH component of Singapore’s Food Security Roadmap (AVA 2013).

Despite being a net exporter of food, Malaysia has been ranked at 40th in 2018 Global Food Security Index, due to the low affordability and quality. In contrast, Singapore LV UDQNHG DW ÀUVW SODFH IRU WKH ÀUVW WLPH PDLQO\ DWWULEXWDEOH WR WKH VWDEOH HFRQRPLF environment and high gross domestic product per capita. However, its availability of food is most susceptible to natural resource risks. Evidently, a collaboration between the two — exchange of technology and natural resources — in food production LQGXVWU\ LV EHQHÀFLDO WR ERWK LQ WKH HYHQW RI FDWDVWURSKH VXFK DV WKH IRRG FULVLV LQ 2008.

CRITIQUE: THE POLITICS OF FOOD Digging deeper into the global food system reveals that apart from natural hazards, the biggest threat of the food supply is in fact on the human agency. Undeniably, present day food industry is by and large controlled by the hegemonic force of neoliberal capitalism.

WHO CONTROLS OUR FOOD?

HOW CORPORATES CAPITALIZE ON FOOD? Capitalism has made our food system to transform from what should have been a direct producer-consumer relationship to appear somewhat of an hourglass structure, where farmers on the top and consumers at the bottom; in between are being stretched into multiple levels, each controlled by a few players. Capitalism effectively establishes an ensuring path-dependency wherein any innovation is set to follow a same trajectory.

Power within the food industry is concentrated in the hands of a few, i.e. several large multinational FRUSRUDWLRQV NQRZQ DV Âś%LJ )RRG¡ VHH )LJXUH &RQVXPHUV DUH SUHVHQWHG ZLWK D ZLGH DUUD\ RI product brands in the supermarkets. However, with stealth ownerships, acquisition and merger, FRQVXPHUV DUH QRW DZDUH RI WKH PRQRSRO\ E\ WKH IHZ +RZDUG ZKLFK LQFUHDVLQJO\ JDLQV control over our daily dietary habits and expenses. Worse still, the monopoly and control have resulted in a visible ‘nutrition transition’ from simple meal to diets which are high in sugars, fat, and meats (Caballero and Popkin 2002).This shift in dietary consumption then lead to many health issues such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and so forth. Meanwhile, there are undernourishment and famine in less developed countries. Clearly, the key contributing factor of the food shortage in the world is due the unequal distribution of food which mainly attributed to the global food economy protected by fair trade policy of. Governments now are more inclined to relinquish their authority to champion the public interest to the corporations whose main responsibility is to their shareholders (Monteiro and Cannon 2012).

IN THE REGION? In this region, the price hike of food is also closely related to the voracious capitalism, attested by many cases of illicit trades. In Singapore, among others, a big scale collusion between the chicken VXSSOLHUV WKDW RSHUDWH DV D FDUWHO KDV EHHQ IRXQG WR FRRUGLQDWH VXSSO\ DQG SULFH À[LQJ ZKLFK FDXVHG price increases of fresh chicken (Lim 2018). Across the strait, a huge fall in supply of cockles in Malaysia is attributable to smuggling and overharvesting, both a direct result of the rapacious nature of traders.

Concept Collage from Interim 1

05 DESIGN INTENT

SPATIALIZING BORDER AS FOOD PRODUCTION SITE )RU WKH ERUGHU WR GHYHORS DQG HYROYH LQWR D ÀHOG RI UHFRQFLOLDWLRQ DQG LQWHUDFWLRQ the space has to be turned into a social space for interaction, a cultural space of assimilation, as well as an ecological space of evolving nature, therefore agency has to be activated and steps have to be taken towards transformation (Grichting 2018).

By identifying the resources on the Straits of Johor, the thesis proposes to capitalize on the natural resources from Straits of Johor — water and marine life, to build a food supply chain network. Unlike many political borders that are imposed on the ODQG WKURXJK KXPDQ DJHQF\ WKH 0DOD\VLD 6LQJDSRUH ERUGHU LV GHÀQHG E\ D QDWXUDO strait which is home to plenty of marine life. Apart from that, there are also a number RI H[LVWLQJ VHD EDVHG DTXDFXOWXUH ÀVK IDUPV RQ WKH ZDWHU 7KHVH QDWXUDO DQG FXOWLYDWHG resources could potentially be multiplied into a shared resource through bilateral efforts.

Adopting the open border approach and mega city region as a beacon, the muchcontested strait is reimagined as a productive border that acts as a holistic approach that is able to leverage on the positive externalities to address the multifaceted and convoluted bilateral issues.

(QYLURQPHQWDO )RRG ² :DWHU TXDOLW\ It is the human nature to sustain our environment when/where we need them most.

Human only strive to achieve the sustainability of nature when human need the QDWXUDO UHVRXUFHV WR VXUYLYH 6XVWDLQDELOLW\ LV GHĂ€QHG DV WKH SURFHVV RI PDLQWDLQLQJ change in a balanced fashion, in which the exploitation of resources is in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations (Brundtland 1992). By creating the needs on the food resources at the strait, the water quality will be constantly being monitored. This is vividly illustrated by the case “when (our) farmers along the Straits of Johor were devastated by a massive loss RI Ă€VK VWRFN LQ )HEUXDU\ ZH $9$ LPPHGLDWHO\ UROOHG RXW DSSURSULDWH initiatives to help them during this ordeal.â€?

3K\VLFDO )RRG ² %RUGHU FURVVLQJ 7KH WKHVLV SURSRVHV WR DGGUHVV WKH WUDIÀF LVVXHV WKURXJK D FURVV ERUGHU IRRG QHWZRUN by creating higher food interdependency. By reducing border control, a smoother crossing would enhance food delivery — both raw food material or cooked meals — and further enrich the current cross-border dynamic. As mentioned in the previous FKDSWHU WKH QHZ 0DOD\VLDQ JRYHUQPHQW GRHV QRW ÀQG WKH VLJQLÀFDQFH RI EXLOGLQJ WKH KLJK VSHHG UDLO ,Q WKLV FDVH WKH QHHGV IRU +65 FDQ EH IXUWKHU MXVWLÀHG DV LW SURYLGHV an opportunity to export food to other parts of Malaysia and even the world by land, integrating itself to the infrastructure network under Belt Road Initiative for regional advantages. For example, local fruits such as durian and pineapple are deemed as new source of wealth as they have high demand in China and Kuwait, where Malaysia is looking for extra land to grow them to meet the markets (Mohd 2018).

(FRQRPLF )RRG ² :DWHU VXSSO\ Since 2005, Singapore has been investing in the desalination technology dubbed the Fourth National Tap. Two plants have been built and three are in the pipelines which will meet 25% of Singapore’s water needs. Singapore Public Utility Board (PUB) DLPV WR GRXEOH WKH FDSDFLW\ E\ DQG WULSOH LW E\ ZKLFK PHDQV PRUH DFUH of lands are needed (PUB n.d.). Food production need water supply for irrigation, thus also acts as a catalyst to accelerate the desalination technology. By maximizing comparative advantages, Singapore can contribute its technology input and R&D while Johor has vast land to host the land-intensive plant. A shared desalination plant is important to build the resilience in response to the imminent climate change.

In January 2018, Singapore and Malaysia announced a joint venture to conduct a hydrometric modelling study of the Johor River and Linggiu Reservoir which receded WR SHUFHQW FDSDFLW\ LQ FDXVLQJ WKH ZDWHU FULVLV 6HRZ 2Q WKH RWKHU hand, one from the eight water treatment plants of Singapore is located in Johor.

Existing cross-border collaboration on water supply manifests the interdependency hence indicate opportunities.

6RFLDO )RRG ² FR SURGXFWLRQ DQG FR FRQVXPSWLRQ The border space is proposed as a new form of urban common for food production: a large-scale inclusive urban system under a systemic governance for co-production and co-consumption. In this way, the production areas do not only yield food crop, but also doubles as a culture cauldron that produce social cohesion through serendipitous encounters and interaction. As argued by Sennett, a limited sense of fraternity with others arises when people do something together rather than being together. In a similar vein, the new space for production should be designed to ensure colocation, FRSUHVHQFH DQG FROODERUDWLRQ 7KH JRYHUQPHQWV FRXOG DQWLFLSDWH D PRUH HIÀFLHQW XVH of the urban and natural resources while constructing a common regional identity for collective gain. Bilateral collaboration in lieu of contestation also means that solidarity between the two nations could be built, natural surveillance could be promoted, making the border space less vulnerable to global threats.

NEW URBAN COMMONS TOWARDS FOOD SOVEREIGNTY )RRG SURGXFWLRQ RQ WKH ERUGHU DV QHZ XUEDQ FRPPRQV How can food production engender a new typology of cross-border urban commons?

8UEDQ FRPPRQV DUH GHĂ€QHG DV D VSDFH RI VRFLDO LQWHUDFWLRQ ZKHUH UHVRXUFHV are collectively owned or shared between the commoners. Parker and Johansson SURYLGH WKH GHĂ€QLQJ DWWULEXWHV RI XUEDQ FRPPRQV DV ODUJH VFDOH RI RSHUDWLRQ HQWDLOV FRQWHVWDWLRQ GXH WR ODUJH DQG Ă XLG JURXS RI SHRSOH DQG RSHUDWH RQ FURVV VHFWLRQDO collaboration. At Straits of Johor, the proposed food industry could possibly bring upon the emergence of new commons as it involves an immense scale of population from two nations to exchange both zero-sum and non-zero-sum resources.

In ‘Rebel Cities’, Harvey (2012) urges the need on examining the other forms of commons and recognize the interaction of urban commons with other urban systems. &RUUHVSRQGLQJO\ WKH SURSRVHG XUEDQ FRPPRQV DV D Ă€HOG RI IRRG SURGXFWLRQ HQWDLOV and thus engender other forms of commons.

Agroecology as an agriculture system that incorporate ecological processes and principles; while aquaponic is an approach that combines aquaculture and hydroponic farming. Employing these close-looped farming systems allow the new urban commons to reutilize the nature as a transborder commons, in a more sustainable manner.

Apart from food production, food education also contributes to the knowledge commons. Programmes such as agri-talents by AVA and the burgeoning urban farming movement involve sharing of knowledge on how to grow our own food is a form of commoning. This empowerment of the people through education of common pool knowledge is the key to the change towards food sovereignty. Besides, an array of food-related event and activities also contribute to the social cohesion. Recreational IDUPLQJ DQG Ă€VKLQJ KDYH DOZD\V EHHQ WKH IDYRXULWH SDVWLPH IRU PDQ\ ORFDOV H[HPSOLĂ€HG E\ WKH Ă€VK DQG FRRN UHVWDXUDQW LQ .DPSXQJ 3HQGDV -RKRU DQG WKH UHFUHDWLRQDO Ă€VKLQJ DUHDV GHVLJQDWHG E\ 38% 6LQJDSRUH 2Q WRS RI WKDW WKHUH DUH DOVR D QXPEHU RI gastronomic events held in the region yearly, ranging from World Gourmet Summit, Singapore Food Festival, Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival to annual Food Expo inviting the master chefs, connoisseur, food entrepreneurs and foodies from around the world to share the love for food. The event ‘Breakfast on the Bridge’ at Sydney Harbor Bridge remains a best example of how an infrastructure can be turned into a gastronomic event space gives an insight on the possible scenario across Straits of Johor.

Food waste on the other hand is a pressing issue in the world where up to 40 percent of the food produced in the United States is never eaten but thrown away.

In Singapore, food waste accounts for approximately 10 percent of the total waste generated, with 84 percent of the food waste are incinerated at waste-to-energy (WTE) plants to generate electricity. Scaling down and decentralizing the WTE plants in neighbourhood scale might help to better manage the food waste and contribute to a common resource.

7KH IRRG VRYHUHLJQW\ PRYHPHQW ZDV ÀUVW DGYRFDWHG E\ 9tD &DPSHVLQD LQ FKDPSLRQLQJ WKH ULJKWV WR WDNH FRQWURO RYHU WKH IRRG SURGXFWLRQ DQG distribution by the people who produce, distribute and consume, rather

)RRG VRYHUHLJQW\ LQ OLHX RI QDWLRQDO VRYHUHLJQW\ 7KH IRRG VRYHUHLJQW\ PRYHPHQW ZDV Ă€UVW DGYRFDWHG E\ 9tD &DPSHVLQD LQ championing the rights to take control over the food production and distribution by the people who produce, distribute and consume, rather than the big corporations. &HQWUDO WR WKH Ă€JKWEDFN DJDLQVW WKH FRUSRUDWLRQV LQYROYHV WKH SHRSOH¡V ULJKWV WR ÂśKHDOWK\ DQG FXOWXUDOO\ DSSURSULDWH IRRG¡ DQG ÂśGHĂ€QH WKHLU RZQ IRRG DQG DJULFXOWXUH V\VWHPV¡ 1\pOpQL ,W LV LPSRUWDQW WR GLVFHUQ WKH GHĂ€QLWLRQV RI ÂśVRYHUHLJQW\¡ LQ different contexts.While ‘sovereignty’ is closely related to the demarcation of borders DQG VROLGLĂ€FDWLRQ RI FRHUFLYH SRZHU ZKLFK LV DQWLWKHWLFDO WR WKH LQWHQWLRQ RI WKLV proposal; the concept of ‘food sovereignty’ on the other hand is not bounded by the territorial boundaries but rather manifests itself at multiple scales and may conform to the distribution of resources, knowledge and peoples (Iles and Montenegro de Wit 2015).

Commons is often cited as the ideal model to attain food sovereignty against the corporations. Commons within agriculture and food production is not a new concept but in fact existed and subsisted an embedded undercurrent within farming, albeit FRQVWDQWO\ JORVVHG RYHU E\ WKH JRYHUQLQJ IRUFHV /\VRQ $V DUJXHG E\ %LHO

the recuperation against the capitalist food system thus requires the reinstatement and popularization of commons, which proved resilient and survived through the global challenges. On that account, disseminating the idea of ‘commoning’ of food production and consumption in the region is the priority towards food sovereignty.

LEVERAGING OFF CORPORATE FOOD REGIME This design project also aims to raise a critique to the capitalism entrenched in global food network, which is termed as ‘Corporate Food Regime’ by Philip McMichael (2005). In face of the hegemony force, the project poses a question of what capacity does architecture possess to intervene in such mechanism. )LUVWO\ WKH DUFKLWHFWXUH VKRXOG GHPRQVWUDWH D V\VWHP WR OHYHUDJH RII WKH Ă€QDQFLDO investment from corporate to build up infrastructure and network. From the outset, the intervention may look inhuman and austere, serving the corporate to gain production from the surface, yet the spatial system is devised in such a way to constrain their exploitation. While allowing the capitalists to accumulate wealth, the spatial system ensures that the public interest is not compromised and more importantly create added social value to it.

The project also takes into account the fourth dimension in the design – time.

Through a phased comprehensive masterplan and design of adaptable architecture, it demonstrates how the governments can possibly leverage capitalist corporates, WXUQLQJ WKHLU SURĂ€W PDNLQJ LQWHQWLRQV LQWR FDWDO\VW IRU DFKLHYLQJ EURDGHU VRFLDO objectives. The narrative culminates in the revelation of the social intention when the capitalistic food production is dismantled and displaced to other parts of the hinterland, while leaving the physical, social, environmental and economic legacies.

Food supply chain becomes a magnet for the governments to attract the investors to leverage off the capital as the catalyst to address the border and bilateral issues, while architecture acts as a spatial tool to contrast between the opportunistic capitalists and the lasting social effect.

05 FINAL DESIGN