The Water-Land Interface: Evaluating the Sustainability of the ABC Waters Programme at Geylang, Singapore

Abstract

Waterfront developments can be thought of as forms of urban renewal as these undertakings could lead to the achievement of a variety of goals, including environmental amelioration, economic revitalisation and even a change in social conditions. In recent times, smaller scale waterfronts are also gaining precedence. In Singapore, under the PUB’s ABC Waters Programme, utilitarian canals are transformed into aesthetically pleasing sites which communities can enjoy. The ABC Waters Programme can thus be viewed as an urban renewal policy and it is increasingly being implemented across the country as a future and sustainable form of development for Singapore. However, the concept of sustainability is highly debatable. Therefore through the case study of the Geylang River, this thesis seeks to evaluate the environmental, social and economic impacts of the ABC Waters Programme and ascertain if the Programme is a sustainable form of urban renewal for Singapore. For this study, a range of methods and methodology were utilised. They include participant observation, questionnaire surveys with residents living near the waterfront, business owners and semi-structured interviews with a senior engineer from PUB and communications with two NGOs’ personnel. Even though the ABC Waters Programme has been positively espoused as being emblematic of sustainable development, this thesis contends that the Programme is not entirely sustainable. It is largely sustainable in terms of greening the waterfront and enhancing the physical infrastructure. However, there are doubts over the viability of social sustainability over time. Therefore, there is a divide between the success of the “hardware” and “software” of the Programme. This thesis thus provides multiple insights on the sustainability of the ABC Waters Programme, especially in terms of the human and social aspects and also operationalised the nebulous concept of sustainable development, thereby providing an empirical contribution to the literature.