Call for Ideas to Co-Create a City in a Garden

Vision for Singapore aims to enhance our living environment and build a more endearing home.

22 Aug 2011 - At the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about "building to keep Singapore special and exceptional".  He said, "We're going to have parks and gardens in the heartlands.  And we'll link them all up to create a City in a Garden (CIAG)."

To introduce the CIAG vision and framework, the National Parks Board (NParks) is launching a public engagement exercise starting today. As part of this engagement, a roving public exhibition on CIAG will be held at various locations island-wide, including parks, educational institutions and housing estates. This will start today at the Botany Centre of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

All Singaporeans are invited to visit the exhibition, and contribute their views at the CIAG portal: www.nparks.gov.sg/ciag.

Enhance the quality of our living environment

For over fifty years, Singapore has enjoyed economic success.  At the same time, Singapore has become greener, despite increased urbanisation.  Satellite photographs show that almost half of Singapore (more than 40% in 2007) is covered in greenery, compared to about 36% in 1986.  Our network of gardens, parks, nature reserves, park connectors and tree-lined roads has made living in an urbanised city more pleasant and relaxing.

As Singapore continues to urbanise, it is critical that it remains green and vibrant - a city nestled within a thriving garden.  This will help us mitigate against the effects of dense urban living.

Mr Poon Hong Yuen, CEO of NParks, explained, "We want to transform our Garden City to a City in a Garden. The difference is like having your home within a garden, compared to just having a garden beside your house. Imagine being surrounded by greenery and biodiversity, and being able to step out into an island-wide network of exciting parks, nature areas, streetscape and park connectors. We invite everyone to work hand in hand with us to make this vision a reality, to make Singapore our City in a Garden."

Call for ideas from all Singaporeans

As the City in a Garden vision has a direct impact on our living environment, NParks is calling for ideas from all Singaporeans on how the vision can be achieved.  NParks has identified six key areas to focus on:

(1) Establish world-class gardens

(2) Rejuvenate urban parks and enliven our streetscape

(3) Optimise urban spaces for greenery and recreation

(4) Enrich biodiversity in our urban environment

(5) Enhance competencies of our landscape and horticultural industry

(6) Engage and inspire communities to co-create a greener Singapore 

BG (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister of State for National Development and Manpower, emphasised, "The City in a Garden vision is not just about building our green infrastructure. It is about our home and what we want it to be. The CIAG vision is a powerful one that seeks to tie in our environment, history and heritage with recreation and community space. These are spaces which we live, work and play in and which bind our communities together. Hence, this vision is really for all of us to shape and realise. I thus urge Singaporeans to come forward to contribute their ideas and suggestions on how we can realise this vision together. All of us have a stake in shaping the Singapore we and future generations would like to live in.  Together, we can develop a greener, more endearing home for all Singaporeans."

Through roving exhibitions and online media, NParks will collate contributions from the public and incorporate the best ideas into specific plans.  When ready, the plans will be shared with the public.