The Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and Urban Land Institute (ULI) have jointly published a report highlighting strategies for improving the walkability and bikeability of Singapore.
The book, ‘Creating Healthy Places through Active Mobility’ (pictured), concluded that an emphasis on walking and cycling helps to improve the liveability of urban areas by orienting design and development toward people, rather than automobiles.
CLC hopes the book will give planners, developers, architects and policymakers clear information about the value of active mobility, and ideas on how to go about it.
The publication also provides suggestions to make Singapore more liveable, with lessons drawn from cities such as Amsterdam, Taipei, Copenhagen, Seoul, and New York City.
“This book builds on earlier preliminary findings by presenting instructive case studies from around the world, showing how different cities were able to effect transformative changes in terms of active mobility,” said CLC Director Limin Hee,.
In a blog post yesterday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post yesterday Singapore’s planning has always embraced active mobility, and cited the Park Connector Network and National Cycling Plan as examples.
However, more can be done. Compare to some cities, such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, walking and cycling as transport modes are seen as the normal way of life.
“In these cities, they make up more than half of the modes of transport. Bench-marked against them, we are way behind. Cycling merely makes up one to two percent of our transport modes here,” Mr Khaw wrote.
He added Singapore must now go beyond cycling for recreation, and view it as a viable transport option for short trips.
Image source: CLC
Muneerah Bee, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact her about this or other stories email muneerah@propertyguru.com.sg
