Hello! I’m someone who loves exploring cities that care for our planet. On my travels, I’ve found few places as inspiring as Singapore. This island nation is a shining example of a modern green city, where towering skyscrapers and lush rainforests exist side-by-side.
I want to share with you my personal journey through the most incredible sustainable places in Singapore. From buildings wrapped in plants to ancient forests in the middle of the city, let’s discover how Singapore became a global leader in eco-friendly design.
Singapore’s story is unique. It started with very few natural resources, but through amazing planning and a powerful vision, it transformed into what they call a City in Nature. Everywhere you look, you’ll see this commitment.
It’s not just about looking pretty; it’s a smart plan called the Singapore Green Plan 2030, which sets big goals like planting a million more trees and using cleaner energy. As I walked through its streets, I saw this plan in action, and it filled me with hope for the future of cities.
Why Singapore is a Master of Green Urban Living
Singapore demonstrates that even a hard-going modern city is capable of becoming a friend to environment. They have made difficulties their strong points. On small parcels they construct vertically green land, in other words, sky gardens! Their public transport is also one of the best in the world and hence it is easily reachable without a car.
Their trick is to get ahead. Several decades ago, such leaders as Lee Kuan Yew initiated the vision of Garden City that has now become a strong culture of sustainability that affects all aspects of life. It was like travelling into the future to a visitor who was me.
My Favorite Sustainable Buildings and Green Architecture
The initial observable element of Singapore is buildings. They do not simply exist in glass and steel, they are living! I was astonished to find the way in which architectures incorporate nature into their creations. Lots of them have to be of high green building standards and the cityscape in itself is the gallery of ecological building.
Gardens by the Bay: A Forest of the Future
This was literally where my breath was taken away. Gardens by the Bay is not just a park, but a representation of a green city innovation. The Supertrees are not only beautiful, but intelligent. Such trees are giant tree-like constructs which have more than 150000 plants. They are huge air filters and some even utilize solar panels in order to extract power to their incredible light display by night.
As I strolled around the cool Cloud Forest dome, I was informed how Singapore is conserving energy and at the same time exhibiting climates of other regions in the world. It is the ideal site to see how nature and technology can be united in a beautiful way.
Oasia Hotel Downtown: A Living Skyscraper
I lifted up my eyes, and beheld a red building blanketing with green. This is the Oasia Hotel. It is a great specimen of a living building. All its exterior is covered by a natural vine sunscreen, and sky terraces are full of vegetation. This design enables good cross-ventilations according to an architect, which minimizes the use of air conditioning.
It looks more of a vertical forest in the heart of the business district which demonstrates that hotels can be impressive and eco-friendly.
Parkroyal on Pickering: A Hotel in a Garden
As the name suggests, this hotel appears to have been a garden that was picked and set on a building. The Parkroyal on Pickering contains sky gardens, waterfalls as well as planter walls that occupy over two times the area of the land. It saves water, applies rain sensors and solar power.
It was almost a miracle that I was sitting in its lobby, with greenery around, and I did not feel like I was in one of the busiest cities in the world. It is a quiet resort that luxury does not always have to be an expensive affair.
The following is a brief overview of other striking green buildings that I visited:
| Building Name | Cool Sustainable Feature | Why It's Special |
|---|---|---|
| Kampung Admiralty | A “club sandwich” of community plaza, healthcare, and senior housing. | World Building of the Year 2018; mixes community living with greenery. |
| CapitaGreen | A giant red wind scoop funnels cool air inside. | Uses natural wind for cooling; over half its facade is living plants. |
| Jewel Changi Airport | The world’s tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex. | Turns an airport into a stunning natural attraction with a forest valley. |
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Exploring Singapore’s Natural Green Spaces and Parks
In addition to the fantastic architecture, Singapore is a biodiversity region. The proportion of green space is nearly fifty percent of the land. Most nature reserves are safeguarded by the government and they are linked with park connector networks in order to allow wildlife and people to coexist.
The Heart of Green: Central Catchment & Bukit Timah Nature Reserves
I hiked and it was a world-away experience. The green lung in Singapore, the giant forest, is the Central Catchment Nature Reserve that safeguards our water catchment zones. The island has one of the remaining primary rainforests near the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
A super cool fact? Special bridge was constructed to allow animals to move between these two forests safely with the assistance of a special bridge known as the Eco-Link@BKE. It was touching to see this treatment of little animals.
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve: A Haven for Birds
On a separate adventure, I went to Sungi Buloh Wetland Reserve. This is paradise of birds and a major attraction of migrating birds. As I strolled along the mangrove ecosystem using the wooden paths, I was able to see mudskippers and beautiful birds. It is an ASEAN Heritage Park and demonstrates the commitment of Singapore in preserving various types of habitats, and not only forests.
The Southern Ridges: A Walk in the Sky
Another of my favorite walks was the Southern Ridges. This is a 10km track linking various parks over bridges that are elevated so high above the ground. The bridge with the distinctive wave-like design called Henderson Waves provided me with panoramic view of the building and the sea.
It is an ideal scenario of how Singapore is developing green belts that people can use to have nature and fantastic scenery.
Getting Around: Singapore’s Eco-Friendly Transportation
A sustainable city must have sustainable transport. Singapore is one of those places where it is extremely effortless and agreeable to navigate without vehicle. They aspire to ensure that Walk-Cycle-Ride modes are the predominant modes of travel by 2040. I loved their system as a visitor who utilized their system daily.
The Excellent Public Transport Network
The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) is speedy, clean and timely. It is that good that Singapore has 75 percent of peak journeys on publix transport by 2030. A large number of the stations are green buildings such as the Canberra station which is certified with the Platinum sustainability. Better still, all new public buses are now cleaner-energy buses and by 2040 the entire fleet will be clean, which will make air much better to everyone.
Cycling and Walking Paths Everywhere
One afternoon I rented a bike and discovered that there was an entire system of bicycle routes. Singapore is also constructing a cycling network of approximately 1,300km of cycling tracks all over the island by 2030.
Neighborhoods such as Marina bay and Gardens by the Bay are built in such a way that they are a pleasure to walk around. I would take hours strolling around the waterfront taking in the breeze and the scenery with not a single bit of stress.
The Shift to Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Singapore is also going green even in cars. By the year 2030, every new vehicle registered has to be a cleaner-energy vehicle. To reinforce this, they are deploying 60, 000 EV charging points by the year 2030. I noticed a lot of charging stations in the car parks of the general population, and it was easy to select electric by the drivers. It is all a part of the scheme of a car-lite, cleaner future.
How to Be a Sustainable Visitor in Singapore?
To love Singapore the green spaces means that one should care about the green spaces. Here are some of the few basic steps that I took to make my trip more environmental friendly:
- Selection of Green Stays: The sustainability undertakings by many hotels including the one I listed are impressive. Find those that have Green Mark certifications.
- Take MRT, buses: Get an EZ-Link card and ride the fantastic MRT and buses. And it is the most appropriate manner to explore the city as a resident.
- Respect Nature Reserves: Please do not cross the foot trails when walking in areas such as Sungei Buloh or Bukit Timah. This conserves the fragile native plants and animals.
- Bring a Reusable Bottle: Singapore does not have any health issues with its tap water. The re-filling of a bottle is cost and time saving.
- Support Local Eats: Have hawker centre food. It is tasty, cheap and it has a smaller carbon footprint compared to imported meals.
Singapore’s Green Vision for the Future
The most striking thing was not only what Singapore has accomplished, but what it is about to do. Singapore Green Plan 2030 is a national to-do list on the planet. It also covers such grand ambitions as carbon neutrality of 20 percent of schools and a fourfold increase in the use of solar energy.
They are not slowing down as seen in such projects as the forthcoming Tengah forest town with its car free town center and central cooling. They are ever discovering means of merging city life with environmental responsibility.
Conclusion
The exploration of the sustainable places I have traveled in Singapore was not just a vacation but an educational experience on hope. It demonstrated to me that we can create not only successful but also friendly to the Earth cities by smart planning and a shared vision.
The green urban development is a living example of the future which can be followed by Singapore and everyone who visits the city can become a part of it. Pack your walking shoes, your reusable bottle and come down and see how a city can actually live peacefully with nature.
Questions you have: Singapore Sustainability.
Which is the most well known sustainable destination in Singapore?
The most renowned one is Gardens by the Bay. The Supertrees and hi-tech conservatories that it has established are the hallmarks representing the potential of Singapore to unite nature, technology and architecture into a spectacular experience.
Are Singaporean forests real?
Yes! Singapore is a city that preserves valuable forests. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is the home of some of the remaining primary rainforest on the island, and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve is a large secondary forest, which is important to the wildlife and water.
Can tourists easily move around Singapore in a sustainable manner?
Absolutely. It is among the most green travelable cities. The transport system (MRT and buses) is also big and convenient. Active mobility is also an excellent choice as most attractions also have nice walking and cycling tracks.
What does “City in Nature” mean?
Its Singapore vision is not to be a Garden City. A City in Nature implies integrating nature further into the urban environment - creating wildlife habitats, making the city cooler through parks, and ensuring that people live in a green environment anywhere.