![]() The city-state and its citizens can ignore the essential importance of sand and labour to their city’s growth thanks to complex supply chains and networks of subcontracting that are deliberately obscured from view, all the better to ignore the consequences of this seemingly scentless urban growth model. Like two sides of an hourglass, just as Singapore has grown, it has become increasingly dependent on labour and sand, extracted almost entirely from countries in the wider region. And yet, this seemingly limitless economic and physical growth - in which 25 per cent of the city-state has been reclaimed from the sea - draws from invisible and distinctly limited external sources. Judging by its ranking as the most liveable and sustainable city in Asia (and fourth in the world), as well as the language of greening and sustainability that wreaths its urban policy, you’d be forgiven for thinking the country’s phenomenal and continuous expansion was achieved through ingenious governance and hard work, with little to no social or environmental impact. ![]() In later speeches, he also spoke of Singapore overcoming its “geographic and economic constraints”, as though these two factors were interdependent. In the preface of Lee Kuan Yew’s autobiography, the founding Prime Minister of Singapore begins with an overture to young Singaporeans, teaching them about the hardships of governing “a small country of 640km² with no natural resources”. Singapore is a city-state renowned for its size, or lack thereof. ![]() This article is part of the FA special series Building Workers Unite
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |