SINGAPORE MODEL OF SMART CITY: A OLUTION TO GROWING URBANISATION

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SINGAPORE MODEL OF SMART CITY: A OLUTION TO GROWING URBANISATION

Journal Title: International Journal of Research in Social Sciences - Year 2018, Vol 8, Issue 1

Abstract

Various cities around the world are experimenting with smart city technologies to tackle the issues of street lighting, waste collection and traffic light management, Singapore ambitiously got hold of all these issues in advance and is impressively labelled as the world‟s first smart city in the international community. Singapore had started the plan to transform itself from a smart city to smart nation, with plans like underground expansion of the city, and selective use of robotics to further curtail or enhance human efforts. It has a mix of urban town planning, multi layered sewage pipes with sensors to detect damage, integrated transport plan to charge less from commuters despite their long distance tours, and a change in the mode of transport with greater focus on bicycling for their daily activities rather than relying on cars. Singapore, in many respects shouldn‟t exist at all. The small island nation which is just one degree above the Equator with hot and humid climate all the year round lacks all the basic natural resources. It has no energy deposits, no forests, and nofarms and for years it relied on Malaysia for the supply of drinking water. It is not a natural country yet with its extraordinary intelligence it became the smartest city of the world. The smart metropolis that exists today was the vision of Lee Kuan Yew, who spoke of his dream to create a city in garden decades ago. Lee‟s vision of using the English language as a unifying factor and, attracting foreign investments into the country worked wonders for the island nation. The main emphasis was put on strengthening the economy and beautifying the city, but over time, the scope got broadened fostering towards liveable and healthy environment for the residents ofSingapore. It managed its journey from one of a cluttered city with less water towards the present city that has 17 water reservoirs and has water sports in place for tourist attraction. All this is considered a multiagency work with proper plan implementations. For every 10 years, since 1971, Singapore issues a concept plan with a 40- to 50-year time frame. Every five years it issues more detailed plans on smart growth. Many cities today engage in such master planning exercises. Unlike many of them, Singapore fully commits to transforming its plans into policy. Such a singular vision helped it to overcome major problems like traffic congestion, liveability and density. It introduced express lanes that charge higher tolls during rush hour. Singapore, in contrast to the routine measures implemented in other countries, has put forth vastly extreme measures, including strict limits on how many new vehicles can be added to roadways each year along with congestion pricing.Apart from all these features the city has a rare combination of liveability and density. Singapore is the only nation which ranks high in both. As the world gets more urbanised in the coming decades, it is this scheme of development that should be popularised for good quality of life. Singapore is thinking of becoming the world‟s first smart nation by looking into robotics to use it selectively in the future.

Authors and Affiliations

P. Manasa

Keywords

Singapore Model Smart City Solution To Growing Urbanisation

EP ID EP20803
DOI -
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