THE POLITICS AND PRACTICES OF URBAN SUSTAINABILITIES: THE BCA GREEN MARK IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Buildings account for a rapidly growing share of urban carbon emissions. This thesis deploys a human geographical perspective that is attentive to the dynamisms, contingent relations and spatial specificities of knowledge of climate change. Building upon recent geographical work on urban sustainabilities and urban climate change responses, this thesis argues for a systematic approach connecting the collaborative associations between technical and scientific knowledge specialists and policy specialists to the practices that spatialize particular configurations of urban spatialities and socio-environmental relationships. The BCA Green Mark green building assessment and certification standards is investigated as the empirical locus of study. The standard?s constituent categories and examine the issues of energy efficiency, renewable energy and high-rise greenery are unpacked to demonstrate how the politics of bringing circulating knowledges to ground within Singapore?s institutional context and governance imperatives is linked to the emerging spaces and practices of urban sustainabilities in Singapore?s urban climate response.