Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods - Comprehensive Notes

Development

• Economic Indicator: GDP per capita, which is the total value of goods and services produced in a year divided by the population.

• Social Indicators: Life expectancy and adult literacy rate.

  • Life expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live, influenced by healthcare quality, access to clean water, sanitation, food supply, and living conditions.

  • Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people aged 15 and above who can read and write with understanding.

Sustainable Development

• Sustainable development aims to meet the needs of the present population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

• It balances social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

• Meets the 3 pillars of needs of the present population by achieving high standard of living for all.

• Ensures the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs)

• Goal 1: No Poverty

• Goal 2: Zero Hunger

• Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

• Goal 4: Quality Education

• Goal 5: Gender Equality

• Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Goal 13: Climate Action

• Goal 14: Life Below Water

• Goal 15: Life on Land

• Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Singapore Green Plan 2030 Focus Areas

• City in Nature

• Energy Reset

• Green Economy

• 30 BY 30

• Resilient Future

• Sustainable Living

Achieving Economic Sustainability in Urban Neighbourhoods

• Ensure high population density to support local businesses.

• Regular customer flow and employment opportunities.

• Keep transport and infrastructure costs low; residents do not need to travel too far to access places.

Achieving Social Sustainability in Urban Neighbourhoods

• Residents should feel included and have a shared identity.

• Shared community spaces promote regular social interactions.

• Small and tightly-knit population size builds a culture of open communication, mutual respect, and understanding, reducing misunderstandings and conflicts.

• This builds resilience and positive relationships between residents.

• Residents’ Networks (RN) promote neighborliness and community cohesiveness.

• Each neighborhood is divided into smaller zones, andRegular activities are organized.

• Encourages residents to voice opinions and participate in decision-making processes regarding issues affecting their neighborhood, enhancing their social well-being.

Achieving Environmental Sustainability in Urban Neighbourhoods

• Ensure ample protection for nature.

  • Roof gardens, pocket parks, and street trees provide adequate shelter and food for a wider variety of wildlife to thrive, increasing biodiversity in an urban neighborhood.
    Examples: Singapore 50 Nature Ways, connecting areas of high biodiversity across the island.

  • Specific trees and shrubs are planted along Nature Ways to facilitate the movement of birds and butterflies between green spaces; designed to mirror the natural structure of forests.

  • Flowering plants attract butterflies and support their reproduction.

• Having facilities to support waste minimization and recycling.

  • E-waste bins minimize waste with recycling facilities and infrastructures conveniently located around housing estates.

  • Encourage residents to recycle and organize activities (e.g., sale of preloved clothes).

• Adopting energy- and water-efficient design approaches for buildings and landscapes.

  • Use rainwater to wash void decks.

  • Energy-efficient and water-efficient smart technology and eco-friendly features.

  • Cool paint colors to reduce temperature.

  • More trees.

Ecosystem Services in the Urban Neighbourhood

• An ecosystem is a geographic area where living communities and non-living environments interact with each other to form a bubble of life.

• Ecosystems vary in size and depend on one another directly or indirectly.

• Corridor plants are small-scale ecosystems.

• Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park: transformed from a man-made concrete canal to a naturalized river.

  • Improved water quality.

  • Allowed more organisms to thrive in the river ecosystem.

  • Brought wildlife back into the park, adding to the biodiversity in the neighborhood.

Wildlife in Singapore

• Singapore Freshwater Crab: Critically endangered, found in forest streams.

• Common Grass Yellow: A common butterfly easily spotted in most parts of Singapore.

• Common Palm Civet: Lives in forests, mangroves, and sometimes in parks located in urban neighborhoods.

• Oriental Pied Hornbill: Previously extinct, returned due to conservation efforts.

• Reticulated Python: An endemic species, found in almost all kinds of habitats.

• White-collared Kingfisher: Found all over Singapore near water bodies.

Types of Ecosystem Services

1. Provisioning Services: Products obtained from ecosystems.

2. Regulating Services: Benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes.

3. Cultural Services: Non-material benefits obtained from ecosystems.

4. Supporting Services: Services necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services.

1. Provisioning Services

• Tangible resources people get from ecosystems (food, water, wood).

• Plants and animals provide food and nutrition.

• Freshwater bodies provide drinking water.

• Nature provides fuel (firewood, coal, oil).

• Examples: Agricultural activities and fisheries.

Urban Farming - Tampines

• Vertical High-Tech Farm role:

  • Promotes zero-mile food production with a lower carbon footprint.

  • Contributes to the 30 by 30 goal on food security.

  • Produces pesticide-free and organic vegetables.

  • Uses unutilized vertical space of HDB blocks.

  • Reduces water consumption and wastage.

  • Ensures food security, biosecurity, and food safety.

  • Produces zero waste and consumes zero energy.

  • Builds communities and creates green-collar jobs.

  • Empowers the next generation of agri-technologists.

  • Example of a vertical community garden in Tampines neighborhood.

  • Singapore's first community-based circular ecosystem for sustainable food production.

  • Includes a Black Soldier Fly Facility and Tilapia Fish Farm.

2. Regulating Services

• Help maintain environmental conditions favorable for life.

• Include the regulation of climate, water and air quality, flood mitigation, and disease.

• Roots of mangrove trees trap sediments and filter pollutants, regulating water quality.

• Plants regulate temperatures by providing shade.

• Tree roots bind soil particles together and prevent soil erosion.

Examples of Climate, Water and Air Regulation

• Regulating climate: Trees can lower surface and air temperatures by providing shade generating rainfall increase water available.

• Regulate water flow: Vegetation cover can promote infiltration reduce surface runoff.

• Plants purify water by trapping pollutants.

• Regulate air quality: Trees remove pollutants from atmosphere.

3. Cultural Services

• Refer to the non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems, including:

  • Aesthetic Experiences

  • Educational opportunities

  • Recreational activities

• Natural environments provide opportunities for recreation.

• Places of natural scenic beauty provide opportunities for aesthetic appreciation and tourism.

• Nature spaces serve as sites of traditional ceremonies and rituals.

  • Foster a sense of place and identity.

Examples of Cultural Benefits

• Stress-relieving recreational activities (e.g., hiking).

• Can improve physical and mental health.

• Educational opportunities (e.g., learning about tropical rainforests).

4. Supporting Services

• Necessary for the functioning of all other ecosystem services.

• Include:

  • Soil Formation

  • Pollination

  • Photosynthesis

• Ecosystems facilitate the water cycle.

• Ecosystems provide diverse habitats.

• Ecosystems facilitate nutrient cycling.

Examples of Supporting Services

• Soil formation: essential for terrestrial ecosystems, provides habitat, acts as a water filter.

• Pollination: Wild bees ensure crops reproduce, providing food.

• Photosynthesis: Produces and maintains the oxygen content of Earth’s atmosphere.

Ecosystem Services Summary

• Provisioning

• Regulating

• Cultural

• Supporting

Hazards

• A hazard is a process, phenomenon, or human activity that may cause loss of life, health impacts, property damage, and other social and economic consequences.

Hazard Types

• Fire Hazards

• Air Pollution

• Traffic Hazards

Fire Hazards

• May occur in both residential and non-residential areas.

• Common causes include:

  • Unattended cooking

  • Faulty electrical appliances and wiring

  • Fires from the overheating of food

• Increase in fire incidents involving Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs).

• Natural causes: dry weather may result in vegetation fires.

Impacts of Fire Hazards

• Health: Burn injuries, carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation, suffocation

• Property: Commercial & industrial properties destroyed, loss of goods, and furniture

• Economic losses

Air Pollution Hazards

• The presence of contaminant or pollutant substances in the air that do not disperse properly and interfere with human health.

• Commonly caused by:

  • Burning vegetation

  • Industrial and motor vehicle emissions

• Forest fires release pollutants into the atmosphere.

• Increased industries and car usage lead to a deterioration of air quality in urban areas.

Impacts of Air Pollution Hazards

• Respiratory infections, heart diseases, and lung cancer.

• Nitrogen dioxide leads to higher risks of developing asthma in children.

• PM2.5 can lead to lung function decline and even lung cancer.

Traffic Hazards

• Commonly caused by:

  • Speeding

  • Running red-lights

  • Drink-driving

Impacts of Traffic Hazards

• Road accidents involving injuries and fatalities.

• Pedestrian and motorcyclist fatalities.

Building a Sustainable Urban Neighbourhood

• Environmental Stewardship

• Disaster Risk Management

• Community Resilience

1. Environmental Stewardship

• Actions taken to protect, care for, or responsibly use the environment.

• Aims to reduce the negative impacts of human activities on the natural environment.

• Actions should seek to:

  • Conserve natural resources

  • Preserve the existing natural environment

  • Repair damages and reverse negative impacts

Promoting Environmental Stewardship

• Promoting volunteerism: residents educate one another on the importance of healthy ecosystems which leads to an increased awareness of responsible use and protection of natural environments.

• Partnering private and public stakeholders leads to different expertise to enhance environmental stewardship efforts.

• Authorities encouraging residents to lead eco-friendly lifestyles (e.g. reduce waste) and promoting volunteerism to allow residents to take ownership of their living environment.

• Residents, public and private stakeholders can work together to strengthen recycling efforts.

2. Disaster Risk Management

• Disaster risk refers to the likelihood of damage to properties, injuries, and loss of lives from a disaster in a given period of time.

• Disaster Risk = Nature of Hazard + Vulnerability + Exposure

• Singapore’s disaster risk management strategies primarily focus on:

  • Improving residents’ emergency preparedness.

  • Implementation of monitoring and warning systems.

Examples of improving emergency preparedness and monitoring systems

• SCDF conducts a Community Emergency Preparedness Programme.

• SCDF has a Public Warning System(PWS) warns public of imminent threats that may endanger lives and property, allowing residents to respond quickly.

3. Community Resilience

• Community resilience refers to the ability of a community to resist, adapt to and recover from impacts of disasters in a timely and efficient manner.
  Strengthening of relationships among residents and raising their awareness of potential hazards.

• To strengthen relationships between residents, residents are encouraged to get to know their neighbours which promotes mutual support and cooperation among neighbours in times of emergency.
  People’s Association (PA) in Singapore also organizes community activities to foster positive relationships amongst residents.

• Developing residents' ability to organize and equip with resources to resist, adapt and recover from a disaster.
  Encourage residents to come together to discuss, learn and prepare for potential urban hazards in the community.

Community First Responders (CFRs)

• Volunteer as Community First Responders (CFRs) to help out in times of crisis.

• They support the government in search and rescue operations and relief work.

• They are equipped with basic first-aid and firefighting skills.

• Total Defence framework: everyone has a part to play in building a strong, secure, and cohesive nation.