Perspectives on five decades of the urban greening of Singapore

Abstract

For about five decades since the onset of rapid urbanization and industrialization, Singapore has placed significant emphasis on urban greening as a key component of its development approach, setting the foundation for its development as a “Garden City”. Much of the original forest cover that had been lost due to urbanization and agriculture had been replaced by managed vegetation in the form of urban green spaces. This article assessed the distribution of urban green spaces in Singapore at the aggregate level and between the designated planning areas. It showed a high level of heterogeneity in the distribution of urban green spaces. Increasing population density is a key driver of lower per capita green cover and park provision ratio as reported for other cities. In particular, the park provision ratio had consistently stayed below the planning target for the past decade despite increasing land area dedicated for parks. Comparative assessment of Singapore’s urban green space provision indicates that it is not significantly differentiated from other high-density cities, indicating that the physical distribution of vegetation in the urban fabric is more important than the absolute quantum of vegetation to create a perception of pervasive greenery. Given the downward pressure created by the increasing built-up area and population density, broad strategies are suggested for how Singapore can continue to upkeep its high level of urban greening.