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Dense, well-planned cities are part of a sustainable future, says Singapore minister
(Eco Business, 8 Nov 2019) People migrate to cities for opportunities, and the unit cost of supplying electricity, food and other services in a dense, compact and well-planned city is lower than in the countryside, said Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
Growing migration to cities is part of the solution for a more sustainable future, said Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday.
Urban migration is how people vote with their feet in favour of job opportunities, education and cultural exchange, and urban planners must design cities to deliver electricity and other services efficiently, he said at the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) Leadership Conversations forum, co-organised by the council and Eco-Business.
More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities, and two in three people are expected to do so by 2050, according to the United Nations.
The unit cost of supplying electricity, water, food and other modern amenities in a dense, compact and well-planned city is lower than in the countryside, said Balakrishnan, who was previously the country’s environment minister. This may be counter-intuitive to the notion of nature lovers wanting to live in the countryside and “see green”, he told an audience of about 150 industry representatives.
With buildings accounting for some 36 per cent of global energy use—such as for air-conditioning—the sector has a significant role to play in addressing the climate crisis.
“The building industry is crucial. It is crucial in a world confronting climate change, it is crucial in a world undergoing rapid and progressive urbanisation,” said Balakrishnan.
Eco Business, 8 Nov 2019: Dense, well-planned cities are part of a sustainable future, says Singapore minister
