MAXIMUM CITY: HARNESSING RESIDUAL SPACES FROM TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FOOD PRODUCTION IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Singapore, known to be a high-density city with over 7,000 persons per square kilometre, has most of its land being urbanized to cater to the growing population. Over 90% of food locally consumed is imported. As we are dependent on international markets for our food supply, any sharp increases in food import prices or export bans by major suppliers can cause serious domestic repercussions. There is a need for Singapore to look at alternate food sources to ensure our food security. This paper examines the challenges and possibility of harnessing leftover spaces within the urban sprawl in Singapore into productive landscape through the use of high intensity and environmentally sustainable farming systems. In particular, residual land created by large transport infrastructures such as expressway feeder roads and flyovers will be studied. A total of 193.65ha of residual land is identified, with the minimum size set at 0.7ha, the approximate size of a football pitch. Findings show that A-Go-Gro system from SkyGreens with its efficient water and electricity usage can produce up to three times more than the consumption of leafy vegetables in Singapore in 2013. This could vastly improve Singapore’s food security. Architecturally, it provides opportunities of integrating productive landscape into the urban fabric at minimal opportunity cost.