COMPARATIVE STUDY OF URBAN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES IN SINGAPORE AND TOKYO

Abstract

Rapid development brings with it economic growth, improved quality of life and technological advancements. However, a city’s rapid economic progress may occur at the expense of environmental and social sustainability. As a result, urban sustainability challenges such as urban regeneration, transport, pollution, climate change and resource efficiency may arise (University of Gloucestershire, 2010).

Cities do not experience an identical set of sustainability issues due to their varied technological advancement, economic development and socio-political influences. Thus, cities possess different degree of reaction capacity when challenged with sustainability issues. In addition, the diverse cultural and ethnic aspects of the inhabitants may also have an impact on the manner in which different cities deal with sustainability issues

Post World War Two period saw the beginning of Singapore’s and Tokyo’s bid to become Asia’s two most economically developed cities. The circumstances of how each city started out differ, in that, Tokyo was rebuilding its metropolis that was destroyed by the historic American air raids during the second World War, while Singapore was a young nation, trying to find its foothold as a small city state, after gaining its independence from British Colonial rule. However, despite the different starting point, both Tokyo and Singapore underwent rapid urban development especially in the twentieth century, which saw them quickly being recognized as top world cities, especially when measured in economic terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Today the two cities have emerged as economic superpowers, especially in the Asian context, with rapid urban development and are facing related urban sustainability issues such as growing population, demand for modern infrastructure, resource scarcities and high levels of environmental pollution. There are several common challenges faced by the two cities such as land scarcity, growing population and high population density, housing shortage and fresh water supply issues.