First symposium in Singapore on integrating nature into urban design

14 October 2015 – The ‘Biophilia and the Future of Sustainable Cities’ Symposium, jointly organised by the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), attracted over 300 public servants, academics, and industry partners together in Singapore to learn how nature can be integrated with urban landscape to improve liveability and quality of life for city-dwellers.

The term Biophilia describes an innate attachment to nature. It is in our genetic makeup to be associated with nature. Since time memorial, human beings have been living in natural environments. With the evolution of cities, we are increasingly living in built up environments but this does not change our innate affiliation to nature. Through the understanding of Biophilia, cities are able to replicate and incorporate elements of natural systems into our built up environment, bringing about restorative effects to the mental well-being of city dwellers. The topic of Biophilia and its role in our urban environment is one of growing importance, as it has the potential to further bring about a quality living environment in cities.  

Held at the Civil Service College, the event provides, for the first time, a platform for those involved in urban planning, biodiversity conservation, landscape design and architecture to discuss the application of biophilic principles in city planning and design and learn from the key international innovators. They include:

• Stephen Kellert, Tweedy Ordway Professor Emeritus of Social Ecology at Yale University, who has won multiple awards for his work in environmental conservation and sustainable design and development;
• Timothy Beatley, Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities at the University of Virginia, who developed the principles of Green Urbanism to guide how cities should develop to be beneficial to both human and the environment; and
• Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University, who is known for his research and contributions to revolutionising the transport system in Perth, shifting the city’s dependence on automobiles to more sustainable public transport practices.

Mr Kenneth Er, Chief Executive Officer of NParks, said, “Since the early years in Singapore’s development, our leaders have understood the importance of nature and greenery in an increasingly urban environment. As we progress as a nation, we need to move beyond greenery provision to become A City in a Garden - a biophilic vision. Indeed, the topic of Biophilia and its role in our urban environment is one of growing importance, as it has the potential to bring about a better quality living environment. We look forward to working with our experts and participants over the next few days to develop a set of guidelines based on Singapore’s experiences. This will bring us to the next level as we work across agencies to refine and develop facilities that support the principles of Biophilia, thereby bringing us even closer to our vision of A City in a Garden.”

Mr Khoo Teng Chye, Executive Director for the Centre for Liveable Cities, said, “CLC, as a knowledge centre for liveable and sustainable cities, is happy to provide this opportunity for thought leaders to share their expertise on integrating nature into urban solutions. I am certain today’s symposium will be enriching for those in the industry, and CLC looks forward to more collaborations with partners such as NParks in knowledge-sharing to create a sustainable environment for our people.”

Representatives from government agencies will have the opportunity to participate in a two-day workshop following the symposium, where they will explore applying biophilic concepts in the local context and their areas of work.

At the end of the symposium and workshop, NParks aims to develop a set of biophilic guidelines which could be used by agencies to assist with the planning of future developments. 

Factsheet: Biophilia and the Future of Sustainable Cities Symposium