Interview: Fundamentals crucial to building ideal city: Singapore city planner
Liu Thai-Ker
Having just wrapped up a visit to China on the eve of the Shanghai World Expo's opening  Liu shared his views on urban planning and what an ideal city is about.
 The 72-year-old Liu was an architect-planner and chief executive of Singapore's Housing and Development Board and chief planner and chief executive of Urban Redevelopment Authority. He is currently the director of RSP Architects Planners
 For Liu  fundamentals are  first and foremost  the pre- requisite to building a modern ideal city. Aesthetic architecture  on the other hand  is a feather on the cap  and one should not place the bull before the cart.
 Liu said "An ideal city should have a pleasant environment  smooth traffic  pollution free and be an ideal dwelling where the people own their own houses. These are the fundamentals that must be put in place. Other distinguishing buildings such as sports stadiums  integrated resorts belong to the class of sexy things." Liu added that while residents are interested in "sexy" things  and the government will hold them up as a scorecard for political credits  the basic things are what the people will experience daily.
 Taking Singapore as an example  Liu said that in the first 20 years of nation building for Singapore  it was through sheer grit  with the aim of building up an infrastructure. In the early days  foreign experts commented that Singapore is as boring as a hospital. "I told my colleagues not to listen to them!" Liu reminisced  "Our city is not Disneyland  we will continue with our own way  and they will regret what they say."
 He said that people who visit Singapore these days say that the city is beautiful and that the architecture is full of characteristics. This is not true. "Buildings with high creative value are few and far between in Singapore. They are only good in the matter of planning and design requirements."
 "I tell my Chinese friends  to be good in urban planning  fundamentals are crucial. If this is lacking  sexiness is superficial. For China  tidiness is a characteristic. If every house has its own characteristic  it will become a mess " Liu said.
 For Liu  he felt that many modern cities are getting bigger in scale and the buildings are taller. Big cities need to build skyscrapers mainly because the cities are big  the land tension is great and prices are high. This is necessary in order to meet the need of residents' housing and employment requirement. But the problem arises when a city starts building sky-high buildings regardless of the size of the city.
 Liu believed that every city has its own identity. He likens a big city to a tycoon  a mid-tier city a professor  and a small city a village girl. For the different identities  different personalities must be portrayed and hence  different strokes applied to city planning.
 Liu Thai-Ker said that Shanghai builds tall buildings due to many pressures. But a small city should make a Shanghainese envious  exuding a carefree  relaxed and romantic environment and feel.
 He said that there can be three major types of characteristics to a city: natural environment  historical monuments and modern buildings. "Modern buildings are faceless  their structures globalized  materials globalized  and it is hard to break out of the globalized confines no matter what one does. To focus the local flavor on modern buildings is to be devoid of characteristics." He felt that some old dilapidated traditional architecture in China should be accorded their deserving respect as they represent the true cultural essence.
 Liu Thai-Ker emphasized that developing the economy and improving the environment are not mutually exclusive. Using the Singapore experience as an illustration  he said that protecting the natural environment will not impede economic development. When the environment improves  many people would willingly stay here  which in turn generate many employment opportunities  thereby fostering economic development.
 "(Environmental conservation) is a task that can be done  and it is a worthwhile effort!" he claimed.
 Besides  he felt that while advancing the development of cities  China must at the same time pay attention to the environmental development of the towns and villages. After all  the local flavor can only be found in the towns and villages.
Having just wrapped up a visit to China on the eve of the Shanghai World Expo's opening  [TGT] shared [TGT] views on urban planning and what an ideal city is about.
 [TGT] was an architect-planner and chief executive of Singapore's Housing and Development Board and chief planner and chief executive of Urban Redevelopment Authority. [TGT] is currently the director of RSP Architects Planners
 For [TGT]fundamentals are  first and foremost  the pre- requisite to building a modern ideal city. Aesthetic architecture  on the other hand  is a feather on the cap  and one should not place the bull before the cart.
 [TGT] said "An ideal city should have a pleasant environment  smooth traffic  pollution free and be an ideal dwelling where the people own their own houses. These are the fundamentals that must be put in place. Other distinguishing buildings such as sports stadiums  integrated resorts belong to the class of sexy things." [TGT] added that while residents are interested in "sexy" things  and the government will hold them up as a scorecard for political credits  the basic things are what the people will experience daily.
 Taking Singapore as an example  [TGT] said that in the first 20 years of nation building for Singapore  it was through sheer grit  with the aim of building up an infrastructure. In the early days  foreign experts commented that Singapore is as boring as a hospital. "I told my colleagues not to listen to them!" [TGT] reminisced  "Our city is not Disneyland  we will continue with our own way  and they will regret what they say."
 He said that people who visit Singapore these days say that the city is beautiful and that the architecture is full of characteristics. This is not true. "Buildings with high creative value are few and far between in Singapore. They are only good in the matter of planning and design requirements."
 "I tell my Chinese friends  to be good in urban planning  fundamentals are crucial. If this is lacking  sexiness is superficial. For China  tidiness is a characteristic. If every house has its own characteristic  it will become a mess [TGT] said.
 For [TGT][TGT] felt that many modern cities are getting bigger in scale and the buildings are taller. Big cities need to build skyscrapers mainly because the cities are big  the land tension is great and prices are high. This is necessary in order to meet the need of residents' housing and employment requirement. But the problem arises when a city starts building sky-high buildings regardless of the size of the city.
 [TGT] believed that every city has its own identity. [TGT] likens a big city to a tycoon  a mid-tier city a professor  and a small city a village girl. For the different identities  different personalities must be portrayed and hence  different strokes applied to city planning.
 [TGT] said that Shanghai builds tall buildings due to many pressures. But a small city should make a Shanghainese envious  exuding a carefree  relaxed and romantic environment and feel.
 [TGT] said that there can be three major types of characteristics to a city: natural environment  historical monuments and modern buildings. "Modern buildings are faceless  their structures globalized  materials globalized  and it is hard to break out of the globalized confines no matter what one does. To focus the local flavor on modern buildings is to be devoid of characteristics." [TGT] felt that some old dilapidated traditional architecture in China should be accorded their deserving respect as they represent the true cultural essence.
 [TGT] emphasized that developing the economy and improving the environment are not mutually exclusive. Using the Singapore experience as an illustration  [TGT] said that protecting the natural environment will not impede economic development. When the environment improves  many people would willingly stay here  which in turn generate many employment opportunities  thereby fostering economic development.
 "(Environmental conservation) is a task that can be done  and it is a worthwhile effort!" [TGT] claimed.
 Besides  [TGT] felt that while advancing the development of cities  China must at the same time pay attention to the environmental development of the towns and villages. After all  the local flavor can only be found in the towns and villages.