"Driven by a vision of sparkling, picturesque rivers and lakes with lush landscaped banks, Singapore has undertaken the challenge of transforming itself into a City of Gardens and Water." – Active Beautiful Clean Waters Design Guidelines
Second only to breathable air in urgency and importance, clean water is an essential human need and Singapore, a wonderful laboratory of progressive urban planning, is keenly aware of its limited water supply. In 2006, the city-state adopted an award-winning program, Active Beautiful and Clean (ABC) Waters, described as “a strategic initiative to improve the quality of water and life by harnessing the full potential of our water bodies. By integrating the drains, canals and reservoirs with the surrounding environment in a holistic way, the ABC Waters Programme aims to create beautiful and clean streams, rivers, and lakes with postcard-pretty community spaces for all to enjoy.” (www.pub.gov.sg/abcwaters/).
With a compelling, guiding vision - linked to significant enforceable policies - Singapore is not only protecting a universally precious resource but is creating a livable and world-class urban environment through a creative portfolio of multifunctional, open space infrastructure.
Recently, I visited several ABC Waters project sites, beginning with Alexandra Canal. The existing 1.2 km (0.7 mile) drainage canal has been transformed into an attractive, multipurpose corridor softened by plantings and enhanced with bikeway, educational, and recreational features providing amenities for adjacent residents.
Second only to breathable air in urgency and importance, clean water is an essential human need and Singapore, a wonderful laboratory of progressive urban planning, is keenly aware of its limited water supply. In 2006, the city-state adopted an award-winning program, Active Beautiful and Clean (ABC) Waters, described as “a strategic initiative to improve the quality of water and life by harnessing the full potential of our water bodies. By integrating the drains, canals and reservoirs with the surrounding environment in a holistic way, the ABC Waters Programme aims to create beautiful and clean streams, rivers, and lakes with postcard-pretty community spaces for all to enjoy.” (www.pub.gov.sg/abcwaters/).
With a compelling, guiding vision - linked to significant enforceable policies - Singapore is not only protecting a universally precious resource but is creating a livable and world-class urban environment through a creative portfolio of multifunctional, open space infrastructure.
Recently, I visited several ABC Waters project sites, beginning with Alexandra Canal. The existing 1.2 km (0.7 mile) drainage canal has been transformed into an attractive, multipurpose corridor softened by plantings and enhanced with bikeway, educational, and recreational features providing amenities for adjacent residents.
The Sengkang Floating Wetland helps improve water quality and provide natural habitat. Its boardwalks provide an attractive local pedestrian connection as well as allow people to enjoy scenic views and access educational information to learn more about the wetland ecosystem.
Revitalization of Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park resulted from collaboration between Singapore’s water and park agencies and converted “a sterile concrete canal into a picturesque river teeming with life. A combination of plants, natural materials such as rocks, and civil engineering techniques to soften the edges of the waterway, give it a natural appearance and prevent soil erosion. Known as soil bio-engineering, this is the first time that such techniques have been explored in Singapore.”
The Lorong Halus Wetland collects and treats water passing through a former landfill, and provides habitat for wildlife. The nature trails feature interpretive signage about the wetland, plants, and wildlife.
Punggol Waterway runs through Punggol Waterway Park, providing a recreational resource and attractive frontage for dense adjacent housing (https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/punggol-waterway-park). It is also a creative component within Singapore's "Four National Taps"(local catchment, imported, desalinated and reclaimed water) for potable water.
The Sungei Serangoon Park Connector provides recreational bicycle / pedestrian connectivity and several stretches of aesthetically pleasing bioswales (or "rain gardens"). These storm water management features are shallow vegetated depressions which combine short-term water retention, efficient infiltration, flood control, and opportunities for creative planting design. Think of them as modern perennial beds that play a part in combating climate change.
In college, I was taught that the profession of landscape architecture was created and trained “stewards of the land”. If Singapore can evolve its early vision as a “City in a Garden” to a “City of Gardens and Water”, I am updating my personal definition of what it means to be a landscape architect to “steward of both land and water”.