Green urbanism: holistic pathways to the rejuvenation of mature housing estates in Singapore
Date
2011
Authors
Lehmann, S.
Editors
Wong, W.
Yuen, Y.
Yuen, Y.
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Source details - Title: Eco-city planning: policies, practice and design, 2011 / Wong, W., Yuen, Y. (ed./s), Ch.8, pp.180-208
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Abstract
Cities play a crucial role in the way out of the environmental cnS1S. This chap ter argues that our fast growing cities need to develop as more compact, polycentric mixed-use urban clusters, strongly inter-connected by public transport and highly mixed-use, towards sustainab le "network city" mode ls (Castells, The rise of the network society. Oxford: Blackwell, 1996). Cities are systems already under stress; cities are resource-intensive, and can sometimes be messy and chao tic. Not every thing in cities can always be planned to last more than 25 or 30 years; mature components, such as housing estates, have to be re-engineered and retrofitted . Today, many mature housing estates, which play such a significant role of Singapore's urba n fabric, are over 3 decades old and in need of urgent rejuvenation and retrofitting. Some of them are relatively energy-inefficient and highly air-conditioning dependent - but what could be the most appropriate model for such rejuve nation?
It is timely to rethink and re-conceptualize these aged estates and districts of Singapo re, in order to future-proof them for a fast approaching low-to -no-carbon society. Eco-city planning and the retro fitting of existing inefficient housing esta tes involves the introduction of mixed-use programmes and smart densification of the urban form. These concepts go far beyond environmental aspects; they include systems' integration and holistic thinking, rather than piecemeal approac h or single-minded "techno-fix" approaches. System-integration and holistic conceptual approaches are necessary to ensure that these rejuvenated estates become part of a larger sustainable ecosystem, in regar d to their management of waste, energy, water, publi c transport, materials and food supply. What is needed is a practica l strategy for re-energis ing tired housing, to undergo radic al modernization, to meet the changing aspirations and lifesty les of contemporary Singaporeans.
It also requires new typologies for both public and private housing, appropriate to the tropical climate, with terraced gardens. courtyards, andenvironment friendly solutions. This study explores the typology and findings of a German case study: the city of Freiburg, where two recently comp leted eco-districts are analysed, as they could inform urban developments in Singapore. This case study shows that cities need to always find local solutio ns appropriate to their part icular circumstances, and that government is key in driving the outcome. The argument is that good urban governance and governmental leadership is crucial to eec-development. In connection with this, the paper also examines a study conducted by the author at the National University of Singapore: an architecture master class, which was looking at careful neighbourhood re-configuration and the integration of the existing estates, avoiding the negative impactof demolition of these estates, tomaintain the social community networks.
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Copyright 2011 Springer