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Singapore: Lessons from a City in Nature

Urban greenery is important for liveability and dynamism in cities as it contributes to both sustainable environment outcomes and improvements to residents’ physical and mental wellbeing. Yet urban construction and demand in the forestry industry have led many cities to deprioritize green space and tree coverage. Singapore is one such city that has managed to turn that trend around.

What was the challenge?

In the 1830s and 1840s, the rise of gambier cultivation led to widespread deforestation as forests were cleared for plantations. By the late 1840s, there were around 600 plantations, resulting in indiscriminate tree cutting and a significant reduction in primary forests. In response, the colonial government imposed restrictions on forest destruction in 1848.

Despite these efforts, deforestation continued. To address the issue, Nathaniel Cantley, superintendent of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, conducted a survey in 1883, revealing that only 7 percent of the island’s original forests remained intact . To safeguard the remaining forests, recommendations included establishing local forest reserves and promoting the propagation of indigenous timber seeds.

After World War II, Singapore’s government initiated a tree planting and landscaping initiative to enhance the island’s aesthetics. The Parks Department oversaw tree planting in urban areas, while the Public Works Department focused on rural roads. However, by the late 1950s, while certain residential areas had seen substantial tree planting, the city’s business districts remained relatively devoid of greenery.

What action was taken?

The Singaporean government has since been actively promoting tree planting and green initiatives, beginning with the launch of then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s Tree Planting campaign in 1963 to improve Singapore’s image and the living environment for residents by providing shade and greenery. Their goal was to plant 10,000 new trees each year, in addition to the following milestones:

 

  • 1967: Introduction of Garden City vision
  • 1971: Launch of annual Tree Planting Day
  • 1975 Passing of Parks and Trees Act
  • 1970s-1980s: Greening up infrastructure and planning for parks
  • 1990: Bukit Timah and Central catchment gazetted as Nature Reserves
  • 1992: Opening of first park connector
  • 1993: Start of NParks Volunteer Program
  • 2000s to 2010s: From “Garden City” to biophilic “City in a Garden”
  • 2005: Launch of Community-in-Bloom (CIB) program
  • 2007: Establishment of Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE)
  • 2009: Launch of Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme
  • 2013: Announcement of Nature Ways program
  • 2014: Unveiling of plans for establishment of marine park
  • 2015: Singapore Botanic Gardens inscribed as Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • 2016: Launch of Friends of the Parks (FoTP) initiative
  • 2017: Announcement of first Nature Park Network – Central Nature Park Network
  • 2020: Introduction of first Nature Corridor
  • 2020s onwards: Transforming into a City in Nature

Throughout the years, government leaders, including ministers and parliament members, led tree planting efforts in their constituencies, at times selling plants at discounted rates making overseas visits to explore bringing new fruit tree species to Singapore. Furthermore, the National Parks Board has encouraged roof gardens to create a greener cityscape and combat urban heat, while inspiring Singaporeans to be stewards of nature and preserve the city’s biodiversity. Singapore’s Green Plan 2030 aims to plant another million trees, and for every household to be within a 10-minute walk from a park, in addition to other key sustainability targets.

What changed?

Through these initiatives, Singapore’s government has consistently worked to integrate trees into urban spaces, making it a leader in tree coverage with 28,389 square meters of tree cover per person as of 2016, according to the Urban Environment & Social Inclusion Index.

See how Singapore compares to other cities on tree cover and other metrics in the Dynamic Cities Dashboard.