As the former head of NParks, Dr Tan Wee Kiat's green fingers have shaped the Garden City's icons such as the Botanic Gardens. Now CEO of Gardens by the Bay, which turns two this month, Dr Tan, 71, tells Andrea Ong about the tension between using land for development and keeping it green.
The Straits Times, 21 Jun 2014
The Straits Times, 21 Jun 2014
It's a natural and very healthy outcome. It is the outcome of a very competent Government that has provided the necessary infrastructure for businesses and housing. Those needs have been satisfied and people can now concentrate on their wants.
People also need to understand, what do you give up if you don't allow the Government to do this infrastructural development? Singapore depends upon its efficiency and competency to compete in the world.
For instance, if everybody wants to own a car, you need to give the Land Transport Authority more land. Otherwise, you have to make the hard choice, we cannot have individual cars. We need better public transport. So knowing our constraints, we must among ourselves decide what are our priorities and then relay that message to the Government to make the final hard decision.
Do you see a change in mindset from that in the past?
Do you see a change in mindset from that in the past?
In the early 1980s, when we talked about conservation of nature and natural areas, everybody in Government was afraid that we were going to tie their hands for development, especially since a lot of the sentiments (concerning conservation) came from NGOs. If you even approached some of those sentiments, you were targeted as a greenie, which was a bad word.
To me, one of the most wonderful things now is when the parks people cut a tree for structural reasons, it's the public that's complaining about trees being cut. They've now taken ownership. But we still have a long way to go as we start to integrate nature with public housing, because it brings along other living things. Singaporeans have yet to become comfortable with the natural world. They do not know that (with) bees, leave them alone, they will leave. You need them if you want your mango trees to bear fruit.
Do you see greater contestation in the future over usage of space?
Do you see greater contestation in the future over usage of space?
No. When you start integrating, the built space can also be green space.
Some will say it's not a replacement for natural green space.
Some will say it's not a replacement for natural green space.
No, it's not a replacement. This is why the professionals have to work very closely with the planners. We have to preserve these open bodies. The Government now appreciates that that's what the people need. Gardens by the Bay is a perfect demonstration of the sensitivity to the need for open space. I think we're finally turning the tide.
Most governments reduce their nature reserves as developments start encroaching. Here, people are very solicitous of the health of their nature areas. The young people that were exposed to nature awareness about 30 years ago are now voters.
There will be conflicts like Bukit Brown Cemetery. This is why the planners have to say, can we have our cake and eat it too if we do it smart? Instead of having lots of small chunks of open space, we can sacrifice some of these and have a big chunk somewhere where it's big enough for Singaporeans to come together as a community.
But the argument would be that some of these areas, like Bukit Brown and Bukit Timah, overlap with heritage as well.
But the argument would be that some of these areas, like Bukit Brown and Bukit Timah, overlap with heritage as well.
Exactly. In the past, I couldn't convince government agencies that nature reserves were also heritage. Now we have the irony of both being considered heritage that people want to preserve. Very serious dialogue must take place, because the Government will more and more feel it cannot make unilateral decisions on what to do with the public's views of what future generations need.
Have we already lost too many such spaces?
Have we already lost too many such spaces?
Probably more than we should, but we've also secured more than we would have otherwise. This current acknowledgement, that we need to look at an entire island like Pulau Ubin with great care, is huge. It is a significant mindset change by a very pragmatic government that knows that pragmatism also caters to the public's current and future needs of space and nature.
You were instrumental in developing Singapore Botanic Gardens in the past. What do you think of Singapore's bid for it to become the nation's first UNESCO World Heritage Site?
You were instrumental in developing Singapore Botanic Gardens in the past. What do you think of Singapore's bid for it to become the nation's first UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Very timely. This garden is an internationally valuable institution. It's a repository of the work of botanists in the archives, both written and printed, and in the collected dry material and living specimens when they were documenting and elucidating the flora of this region. This is the main distinction between applying for the Botanic Gardens to be a World Heritage Site versus Bukit Brown. Bukit Brown is a very intensely national institution. The World Heritage Site criteria would not apply as much.
Bukit Brown is what we ourselves should evaluate for our own cultural growth and historical meaning.
Given that there are now two garden attractions in Singapore, how do you see their roles vis-a-vis each other?
Given that there are now two garden attractions in Singapore, how do you see their roles vis-a-vis each other?
They are so mutually complementary, they are like book ends. The Botanic Gardens specialises in research, education and conservation. Gardens by the Bay specialises in horticultural recreation, dependent upon the knowledge that is engendered by the Singapore Botanic Gardens. In the US, you have Longwood Gardens, a wonderful show garden founded by the Du Pont family. Then you have the Missouri Botanical Garden, a botanic institution founded by Henry Shaw. In Britain, you have Kew Gardens, botanic, and Wisley Garden, show garden. Now Singapore has BG and GB.
A recurring criticism of the garden city concept is that gardens are artificial.
A recurring criticism of the garden city concept is that gardens are artificial.
All gardens are artificial. We are a city in a garden, which is even more artificial because a city is totally artificial. You want to be natural, you live like Tarzan.
How did the city in a garden concept come about?
How did the city in a garden concept come about?
It's a natural evolution. A garden city means you have gardens dotted throughout the city. We want the concept of the garden to be more pervasive, more a green blanket that ameliorates the conditions that are negative in a city.
Do you get inspired by movies? Some have compared Gardens by the Bay to Avatar.
Do you get inspired by movies? Some have compared Gardens by the Bay to Avatar.
I look at, for instance, The Amazing Spider-Man, and I see how they use graphics, design and colour and how imaginative they are. So yes, you are always constantly absorbing, good and bad. That's why it's very hard to know when you're working and when you're playing.
You've spoken about the social role of Gardens by the Bay. Could you elaborate?
You've spoken about the social role of Gardens by the Bay. Could you elaborate?
From day one, we had planned it as a people's garden. Gardens by the Bay has a social role though we are a commercial entity because we have to make it economically sustainable to a degree.
But for the entire garden's outdoor footprint, you can come in for free.
Actually most people forget the fact that the outdoor gardens are free. Only the domes and some amenities attract a charge which we moderate so they are very affordable for our people.
Even today, most of the visitors are surprised that the premium rates are still cheaper than similar attractions anywhere else. On top of that, for locals, we moderate it so that if you're a senior, immediately you get a discount.
And from here, within this garden, you get a view of Singapore as it grows. You see the city skyline and we actually provide some of the best images for the branding of modern Singapore as a city in a garden. You see all those high-rise towers fringed by garden space and with the reservoir in front, which illustrates the fact that we are a tropical island nation.
Underlying that, we are saying: This is done for Singaporeans by Singaporeans. Some of the best places in Singapore are reserved for Singaporeans.
Gardens by the Bay turns two this month. What were some of the highlights of the past two years?
Gardens by the Bay turns two this month. What were some of the highlights of the past two years?
The greatest thrill was when the World Architecture Festival that was held in Singapore chose Gardens by the Bay as the best building in the world just as we were opening. To at least have the infrastructure affirmed as top quality stuff was really exciting, because it really was not easy.
On a more personal level, the most satisfying thing for me was to take former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew around, because he and (the late) Mrs Lee were some of the most important and biggest supporters of this garden.
People underestimate the role of Mrs Lee where the greening of Singapore is concerned.
Did Mrs Lee get the chance to see the Gardens?
Did Mrs Lee get the chance to see the Gardens?
That was my biggest sadness, that Mrs Lee passed away before we opened. Mr Lee came a couple of times, most recently just last month. He wanted to come again and he was still asking very cogent questions.
What's next for the Gardens?
What's next for the Gardens?
We as parks people want to be forward-looking. We are starting to look into the parks and gardens that an ageing generation will need. One of the fastest-growing demographics is the grandparent taking the grandchild out. So our parks will have to cater to the snow on top and the green grass below.