Nature & Health in Cities, Citygreen Issue 9

CITYGREEN, winner of the APEX Awards for Publication Excellence for three consecutive years - 2014, 2013 and 2012, is a biannual publication of the Centre for Urban Greenery & Ecology, Singapore. It presents current research on greening and ecology of the urban environment, and features outstanding projects in international cities.

This issue presents information about urban greenery and discusses its necessity and potential for promoting all manner of wellbeing in the city, from specialised healthcare design to everyday streetscapes. Covered in Ecology, Nature Ways is a new programme of the National Parks Board (NParks) that currently comprises seven distinct ecological corridors and 38 kilometres in footprint but will eventually expand and connect in a nationwide network. Under Commentary, founder of International Academy of Design & Health Alan Dilani and Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE) researcher Angelia Sia advocate the importance of a broader understanding of health and its implications on how urban landscapes and buildings are designed to promote not only physical but also mental well-being.

Around the world, health, park, and planning experts and leaders have already recognised how nature and parks are an underutilised healthcare and community resource. Some of these successful governmental and non-governmental programmes are featured in Reports, including Parks Victoria’s Healthy Parks Healthy People movement and the US-based National Park Prescriptions Initiative. Conceived as a hospital in a garden, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital is a pioneer in Singapore in using gardens for healing. Our interview with its former CEO and current Group CEO of Alexandra Health System Liak Teng Lit reveals the story behind the hospital and Liak’s ambitions to take his vision of hospital gardens as community spaces a step further. Beyond healthcare facilities, all parks and gardens are conceived for well-being.

This issue features three projects that achieve this goal very differently: the revitalisation of Máximapark in the Netherlands; the mega mall Star Vista in Singapore that softens and grounds an ultra modern architecture with its landscaping; and One North Park that relieves its dense urban surroundings of office buildings and traffic in Singapore.