SUSTAINABLE ECO-TOWNSHIPS FOR SINGAPORE: A CASE STUDY OF PUNGGOL

Abstract

Rapid population growth will see the total world population approaching an unprecedented 9.3 billion in 2050 and eventually 10.1 billion in 2100 (Bloom, 2011). This entails severe implications for our societies – a growing and unsustainable level of consumption on a planet finite in resources (Weiss, 2011). The focus falls upon cities to combat the sustainable issues that Mother Nature faces today. More so than ever, the trend of the number of people living in cities is on the rise. The agglomeration of people and subsequent creation of urbanized cities presents the opportunity to restructure cities to become more environmentally sustainable. Singapore faces numerous sustainability challenges and problems – in particular, land, water, energy consumption, transport and waste management – that is spawned from attempts to fulfill the resource and consumption requirements of a burgeoning population. Stresses on the natural and built environment have resulted in heightened awareness and initiatives in the planning and development of sustainable facilities and features for an eco-city (Low, Liu, & Wu, 2009). Two case studies were examined in this study – Punggol and Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city (SSTEC). Punggol, the “Waterfront Town of the 21st Century”, has been earmarked to become Singapore’s first eco-township. The newly completed ‘My Waterway @ Punggol’ envisages waterfront living for the public domain. Survey questionnaires are conducted to evaluate the ‘social’ aspect of living sustainably. As such, the residents’ perceptions towards residing in an eco-township and leading an eco-lifestyle have been evaluated. Owing to the success of SSTEC planning and development, it could provide a ‘practical, replicable and scalable’ eco-city prototype to other cities alike. Comparative analysis of the two case studies attempts to create a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for application in Singapore. A further interview is conducted to ‘validate’ the residents’ acceptance and comments on the conceptualization and development of waterway and how it coincides with the eco-township development of Punggol. This study proposes to bring about a more efficient constitutional framework for the use by urban planners and government in the future sustainable development of Singapore.