SPEECH BY SENIOR MINISTER GOH CHOK TONG AT THE SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS 46TH ANNUAL DINNER, 4 MAY 2007, 8.30PM AT RITZ CARLTON MILLENIA
MAKING SINGAPORE A GLOBAL CITY
Friends and Fellow Singaporeans
1 My wife and I are delighted to join you this evening to celebrate the Singapore Institute of Architects’ (SIA) 46th Anniversary.
2 I am both deeply honoured and humbled that your Institute has chosen to make me an Honorary Fellow. However, credit for the achievements you have cited is certainly not mine alone. It belongs to all Singaporeans. In particular, I would like to thank the urban planning and architectural community for its contributions to Singapore in three key areas.
3 First, you have helped to transform Singapore’s cityscape. Over the years, our architects have produced many high-quality and visually-pleasing works.
4 Second, you have been a close partner in the nation’s conservation efforts. You have helped Singapore to retain our heritage and maintain our social memories.
5 Third and more recently, you have enhanced our public housing programme. With the inflow of private sector ideas, we have seen a freshness and the diversification of public housing designs, particularly through the HDB’s (Housing and Development Board) Design and Build Scheme.
6 Singapore could not have achieved its high level of development without the strong private-public sector partnership - the architectural community, builders and developers working closely with MND (Ministry of National Development), URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) and other government agencies. We have the solid foundation to build a truly outstanding global city.
7 This evening, I would like to reflect on this, and how the architectural community can further contribute.
What Makes a Global City
8 The term, “global city”, is not just a new buzz word for Singapore. This “global city” strategy, in fact, goes back some 35 years. In 1972, the late Mr S Rajaratnam, one of Singapore’s founding fathers, said in an address to the Singapore Press Club:
“We can no longer be the Change Alley of Southeast Asia… [Singapore’s] role as the entrepot city of Southeast Asia, the market place of the region, will decrease in importance. This is because Singapore is transforming itself into a new kind of city – a Global City.”
- Address to the Singapore Press Club, (6 February 1972)
9 Mr Rajaratnam used the term “global city” long before the word “globalisation” entered our daily vocabulary. He described how Singapore was being linked to other global cities through the “tentacles of technology” and “worldwide system of economics” and communications. He foresaw Singapore’s future as being tied to the world economy rather than solely to the fortunes of the region. We have been relentlessly pursuing the strategy of making Singapore a global city over the past few decades.
10 During the initial years of nation-building, we built fast and within a tight budget, to meet the basic needs of our people. Public housing was functional with a few standard, even Spartan, designs. Today, our basic housing and infrastructural needs are largely met. We now also have the resources to plan and build a beautiful city of the future. Given increasing demand on land use, we must find new and innovative ways to maximise our limited space. We are rejuvenating our older housing estates and replacing outdated buildings through en bloc redevelopment, bringing in world-class projects like the Integrated Resorts and Gardens by the Bay, and creating venues for large-scale events like the F1 grand prix and Marina Bay New Year Countdown.
What Makes a Global City
11 But what makes a great, global city? How can Singapore be such a city?
12 I am sure that as practitioners, you will have your views on the factors which make a global city. Let me give my views as a policy maker.
13 I would group the factors into two broad categories: “hardware” and “soft factors”. They are not meant to be comprehensive but I hope they will stimulate discussion.
14 “Hardware” includes:
(i) The economic engine and availability of business opportunities;
(ii) The environment, including beautiful cityscape, distinctive architecture, and greenery, parks and gardens; and
(iii) Connectivity to the world through communications, commercial, transport and technological links.
15 The “soft factors” include:
(i) Quality of life like good schools, safe and secure place to bring up the family, cultural vibrancy, recreational activities, urban buzz and exciting night life;
(ii) Quality of human capital and openness to foreign talent; and
(iii) Ability of the society to adapt to the changing global environment and ability of the city and economy to reinvent themselves and stay relevant to the world.
16 Singapore already has many of these factors. We have excellent infrastructure and global connectivity. We are a significant node for business in the global economy and a major home for MNCs. Our public policy is strong and we have the ability to plan long term and to follow through with the implementation. We have a long tradition of welcoming foreign talent and are arguably the most diverse and cosmopolitan city in Asia - this diversity is reflected in the food, the culture and the public holidays we celebrate.
17 Let me quote from the September 2005 issue of Wallpaper, which ranked Singapore as one of the six most exciting cities in the world. Wallpaper is widely-regarded as the international lifestyle and design magazine. To be featured is “cool”. The report said:
“[Singapore] has been quietly investing in quality design and architecture and learning how to live a little. The result is a city that will confound almost all the preconceptions you might have had. The nightlife is vibrant, the eating and drinking choices equal to the best of the West and now that the puritans are passé here, there’s a new joie de vivre about the place that is positively infectious”.
18 Overall, I would say that we are on the right track to become a truly global city, yet one which is distinct from others because it is a tropical city where the East truly blends with the West in harmony.
A Work in Progress
19 However, it is very much a work in progress and there is no room for complacency.
20 Many other cities in Asia and the Middle East are vying to catch up with and overtake us. They are investing billions to make themselves attractive. Even well-established cities are reinventing themselves. We have to continue to learn from them and other vibrant cities, and reinvent ourselves to stay relevant and ahead of the competition.
21 We need to build on our strengths and make up for our weaknesses. Where do we fall short? What more needs to be done? Let me briefly discuss two areas.
22 First, we must continue to develop Singapore in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly way. This involves ecological preservation, economic growth which does not damage the environment and maintenance of social harmony. It is about a balanced and integrated approach to development.
23 Second, focus on architecture and urban design excellence in creating a city of distinction. This means more than just having a few iconic and fanciful buildings. It means treating the whole city as a piece of artwork where the buildings, roads, gardens and so on are but details on a canvas.
24 Singaporeans are now also much more sophisticated and aware of good architecture and urban design. They have travelled widely and seen the best and worst of cities. We should strive for quality in individual buildings and urban elegance as a whole city. We should aim to create a global city, cosmopolitan but with a strong Asian core. This is something which others will find hard to copy. It will set Singapore apart.
25 Our architectural community has an important role to play. I am encouraged that a new generation of local architects is developing its own distinct style. They are growing in confidence and making their presence felt both locally and internationally. In my travels through the Middle East, China and India, I noticed that Singapore architects have made significant inroads and are winning international projects and accolades.
Conclusion
26 Let me conclude. Singapore is poised for an exciting future. The government will be bold and creative in working with partners in the private sector like architects, building owners and developers. Singapore can gain its place amongst the pantheon of celebrated cities in the world – a vibrant and distinctive global city and an endearing home for Singaporeans.
27 I wish everyone an enjoyable evening.
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