Urban design as a discipline barely exists in most American and Canadian cities. In Singapore, there are innovative transportation strategies at work.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I'm completely taken and impressed by the planning authority of Singapore and its Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). It's the most cutting-edge agency in the world. They have very effective guidelines for development, and they review design as it evolves.
I love cities, I spend most of my life talking about cities. And the design of cities does have an effect on your life. You're lucky if you can see trees out of your window and you have a square nearby, or a bar, a cornershop, a surgery. Then you're living well.
I've always been fascinated with how transportation systems work and how cities are designed.
Not every innovation in transportation is going to come from government or even a large enterprise. There are smart people out there with tools and skills to come up with great ideas.
Every city has to deal with the problem of cars and public transport.
Don't feel you have to stick to plans, because something better might come up; and try to blend in, because you see more. I've learnt that the principles of moving around a big city are the same everywhere; only the people and streets are different.
Singapore is an international city, and it would be a grave mistake to close our doors.
Roads get wider and busier and less friendly to pedestrians. And all of the development based around cars, like big sprawling shopping malls. Everything seems to be designed for the benefit of the automobile and not the benefit of the human being.
As the world's 'most dynamic' cities seek to manage their own urban growth, American state and local officials have much to offer. Our mayors can share their experiences in urban design, clean energy projects, Smart Grids, codes for energy efficient buildings, transportation safety, and innovative environmental solutions.
If we're talking about transportation, the best thing a city can do is densify as quickly as it can. That needs to be said every time this issue comes up, because it's the only universal strategy that works.