Changing Landscapes Of Singapore

Changing Landscapes of Singapore illuminates both the social and the physical terrains of modern Singapore. Geographers use the term landscape to refer to visible surfaces and to the spatial dimension of social relations. Landscapes arise from particular historical circumstances, and in turn help shape social arrangements and possible courses of future development. The authors describe how the settings inhabited by various social groups in Singapore affect life experiences, and explore the impact of broader regional and international forces on Singapore. Written for non-specialists, the volume reflects fresh perspectives from the scholarship of Singaporean academics. Their work is sensitive to historical and geographical trends in the region, and also engages with broader theoretical themes.

Landscape architecture plays a vital role in creating Singapore's Garden City image. This book helps to explain the Republic's successful implementation of environmental policies since independence to achieve its present-day image. There are ten chapters in the book. The first three cover background information, the historical setting, and the work of the current government. The approach is to evaluate different plans against natural, social, and sensory criteria. The next six chapters are case studies, selected to show landscape planning policies in more detail. The last chapter includes a discussion of comments made about Singapore's landscapes followed by a summary. The book is illustrated by a profusion of maps, diagrams and plans.

The positive effects of urban green spaces are well-known, ranging from the promotion of health, support of biodiversity to climate regulation. However, the practical implementation of urban landscapes is less discussed. How can we make these spaces functional, economically feasible and inclusive, especially as cities become more diverse? The publication explores strategies to reconcile the various demands, such as food production, resilience and nature conservation. Indeed, urban landscapes have to be restorative, ecological and aesthetically pleasing at the same time. This is a particular challenge in high-density cities like Singapore, Seoul or New York where space is a scarce commodity. The continuing growth of the worldwide urban population imbues the topic with a special urgency.

This long-awaited new edition of the classic reference on the changing landscapes of Singapore, which features 156 sites, may be said to have been more than 45 years in the making. Its genesis can be traced to a series of Then & Now articles produced by Ray Tyers for the British Association Beam magazine. Tyers selected 18th- and late-17th-century views of Singapore, stood at the spot where they were photographed or painted and took new images of the sites as they existed in the 1970s. In 1993, Landmark Books updated the book and added the then current views to those documented by Tyers. This 2018 edition continues the record. The result is that most sites now have at least four views taken over time. Some have even up to six pictures showing the dramatic changes that have shaped the built environment of our city state. As architectural historical Dr Lai Chee Kien states in his Introduction to the book: “Singapore Then and Now will continue to have importance and relevance because of the meticulous work that Ray Tyers and the book’s subsequent editors have done over many decades.”