Critical Appraisal of an Example of Best Practice in Urban Sustainability

Abstract

Urban centers are key to achieving the global goals of sustainability. Urban sustainability entails having thriving cities that fulfill their needs without impacting the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem. Achieving urban sustainability is, therefore, an important goal as sustainable urban centers portend numerous benefits to the ecosystem. This paper critically appraises Singapore as a best practice in Urban Sustainability. It reviews the literature on urban sustainability and discusses the high and low-performing sectors in Singapore. It finds a gap in contemporary urban sustainability metrics whereby most of the globally acclaimed Urban Sustainability Indicators do not measure universal design for inclusivity as an aspect of urban sustainability. This study, therefore, includes it as a measure and appraises it. High-performing areas highlighted in this study comprise education; universal design for inclusivity; transportation; people-centered approach; water and energy management; healthcare, safety and security; and food security. Areas for improvement comprise self-sufficiency in food production, urban heat island effect, and public participation and social welfare. The aim is to serve as a lesson to cities worldwide as they work towards achieving urban sustainability and provide key information to policymakers as they seek to improve the sustainability of their urban environment.