Chapter 2

• Sustainable development:

  • Meets the needs of the present population by achieving high standards of living for all.
  • Ensures future generations can meet their own needs.
  • Three key aims of sustainable development are economy, environment and society.
  • An over focus on one dimension may lead to other dimensions being overlooked.
  • The approach to sustainable development should vary from place to place and across time.

  Example: United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals

  • Shared goal that aims to achieve high standards of living and peace for current and future generations.
• Economic sustainability:

  • Achieved by ensuring that a neighbourhood has enough people to support local businesses, and keep transport and infrastructure costs low.
  • Residents can also take up employment at these shops, earning income and increase their standard of living.
  • Buildings and objects are usually located close to one another, residents need not travel far, keeping their transportation costs low.
  • When schools are located near an integrated transport hub, students just need to walk a short distance to go to school, minimising their transportation costs.
• Social sustainability:

  • Achieved by ensuring residents feel included and have a sense of shared identity.
  • Can be fostered by having shared community spaces to promote regular social interactions.
  • Residents may come together to discuss issues affecting the neighbourhood and find solutions to various challenges.
  • This builds resilience and positive relationships between residents, maintaining a culture of open communication, mutual respect and understanding, reducing misunderstandings and conflicts.
• Ample protection for nature.

  • Concerted efforts should be made to protect existing native species. habitats and ecosystems, and to re-establish species that once existed.
  • Biodiversity in urban neighbourhoods can be maximised by having a wide variety of habitats instead of just having large uniform areas of grass.
  • The types of plants and trees planted in an area should also be of different varieties and species.
  • This provides adequate shelter and food for a wider variety of wildlife to thrive, thus maximising biodiversity in an urban neighbourhood.
• Having facilities that support waste minimisation and recycling.

  • Conveniently located recycling facilities and infrastructures such as blue recycling bins around the estates can encourage residents to recycle.
  • Having a high enough population density in a neighbourhood ensures adequate waste can be collected and recycled in an economically viable manner.
  • Waste recycling can be encouraged through neighbourhood scale recycling activities organised by either the residents or the town council.
• Energy and water-efficient design approaches for buildings and landscapes.

  • Buildings and landscaping in urban neighbourhoods may be designed to be energy- and water-efficient to minimise the use of resources.
  • Smart technology and eco-friendly features can be installed

  Examples:

  • Green Towns Programme, cool paint is going to be used in neighbourhoods to lower temperatures by up to two degrees celsius, reducing energy consumption.
  • Water harvested from rain is used for block washing of void decks and corridors to reduce overall water consumption.
• Provisioning ecosystem services:

  • Refers to resource people could get from ecosystems such as food, water and wood
  • Food can be found in an urban neighbourhood system in rooftop gardens
• Regulating ecosystem services:

  • Refer to benefits obtained from the regulation of various ecosystem processes
  • Climate can be regulated through provision of shade and generating rainfall from presence of trees
  • Air quality is regulated when plants remove pollutants from air
• Cultural ecosystem services:

  • Refer to benefits received from ecosystems such as the aesthetic appreciation of green spaces
  • These experiences help to improve people’s physical and mental wellbeing

  Example:

  • The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is a site for residents to engage in recreational activities such as hiking, as well as a space which provides educational opportunities, such as when geography students engage in fieldwork.
• Supporting ecosystem services:

  • Services that are necessary for the functioning of all other ecosystem processes
  • Includes processes like soil formation when microorganisms break down organic matter and the pollination of plants by pollinators
• Fire hazards:

  • In urban neighbourhoods, fire hazards may occur in both residential and non-residential areas.
  • Common causes include unattended cooking and faulty electrical appliances and wiring which can ignite nearby flammable materials, resulting in a fire.

  Examples:

  • In 2021, there were a total of 358 cases of fires due to unattended cooking reported in Singapore.
  • There has also been an increase in fire cases involving Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) which typically occur in residential areas.
• Health impact of fires:

  • During a fire, people may suffer from burn injuries if they are unable to evacuate in time, and severe burn injuries may lead to disabilities or deaths.
  • High levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide may be released during a fire, and may cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Other irritants from a fire, such as acid gases, can permanently damage a person's respiratory system.
  • Smoke inhalation can cause breathing difficulties and suffocation,
• Property damage from fire:

  • Fires can destroy commercial or residential properties which leads to economic losses as goods, furniture, and important documents may be destroyed.
  • Further costs may also be incurred after the fire is over as money is required to repair and rebuild the properties that were damaged in the fire.
• Health impact of air pollution:

  • Some of the negative health impacts of air pollution include respiratory infections, heart diseases and lung cancer.
  • Nitrogen dioxide is emitted in areas of high vehicle traffic.
  • PM2.5, also known as particulate matter such as soot, smoke, dust and liquid droplets measuring less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, may be produced in urban neighbourhoods.
  • These pollutants may lead to poor health.
• Health impact of speeding:

  • People may suffer serious injuries when involved in a traffic accident. which may lead to disabilities or loss of life.
  • Elderly pedestrians and motorcyclists typically account for a high percentage of traffic accidents resulting in injuries or death.