Agora

I've spent close to 3 weeks in Singapore for a work trip recently.  The city is a gleaming example of prudent, sensible & effective public policy. Every square-inch of the island has been mapped out, years before, with the room to rework the space if the need arises. Let's talk about walking, specifically, the decision to walk to your destination and forgo other means of transportation. Not enough people in Malaysia like to walk. Many blame the weather, the cracked sidewalks or that it's simply much easier to drive or share a ride there. Their reasons are justified. However, I'd argue that walkability is the end result of many policies aligning to create just the right environment to inspire people to lace up their shoes and make that walk. These policies are, in no particular order of importance: spatial planning, accessibility, public transportation. Using Singapore as a case study, I'll provide some observations and thoughts. Spatial Planning:  S...

Give me some space. Give me just some space where I can spend my Saturday afternoons, a retreat from the sterile, air-conditioned corridors of those shopping malls. Give me just some space where I can enjoy a picnic with my friends. Give me just some space where I can be sheltered from the scorching sun. Give me just some space with trees, green grass, benches and pebbles, to watch others play softball or throw a frisbee. Give me just some space with well-lit pathways and snaking lanes which lead nowhere, just to explore in the evening breeze. Give me just some space with a canopy, so that bikers can enjoy the shade once in a while. Give me just some space so that I can look up at the clear blue sky, lounging as time goes by. Give me just some space so that I can feel that I live in a place.

We don't. What's the number one thing you wished would change in the place you live in? I'm not talking about a trip to IKEA for your personal living space. It's something bigger. Beyond your drive way, your porch. Your immediate surroundings or even the township that you're in. When was the last time we paused and reflected on the state its in? Are there clogged drains, litter, stray animals, broken lights, mosquito infestation, rats, roaches, cracked sidewalks, potholes, unused empty spaces, overgrowth, weeds? Just to name a few. Maybe you think it'll be nice to finally add more park benches for people to sit in. Or maybe, to have a park to start with. "Livability" as a concept is not widely discussed on its on, but implied: whether the place has a high quality of living, infrastructure, public transportation, education, amenities, suitable climate, access to jobs. All of these decide whether a place is "livable" or not. B...