The Tale of Nature in Two Cities — Singapore and Sydney
Scenic Sydney
Sydney is such a beautiful city! Just take an easy drive through the city and you will find towering buildings built around natural attractions and residential areas built along Sydney’s magnificent coast. Many of the apartment buildings in the CBD are a short walk away from ferry stations which make ferries a convenient and scenic mode of transportation. We managed to hop on one of these ferries after an interview and the views were jaw-dropping. I truly believe that Sydney is a great example of how the natural environment and urban areas can be integrated.
The spirit of adventure and being around nature also seem to be very ‘Australian’. During our interviews with respondents, we have heard many stories about how they would spend their mornings on a nearby beach or take short drives out of the city regularly just to enjoy the sights. It seemed to me that being in a natural environment is not just a brief escape from their daily lives but a large part of their routine and priorities.
I remember an Uber driver telling us that on most nights, he drives an hour out of the city just to enjoy the scenery and relax. Such beautiful sights are so close and easily accessible that he never hesitates to just hop into his car and go. I also remember laughing about the fact that another Uber driver tried to tell us where he lives but saying us it is ‘just three beaches away’ — what an amazing way to measure distance and it goes to show just how much the Aussies value being close to nature.
City within a Garden
Things are a little different in Singapore. Even though we have been named a ‘City within a Garden’, I believe we have a more passive relationship with nature compared to the Australians. As a Singaporean, our relationship with nature is something that I have always found interesting.
Our greening journey started in 1963 with a mempat tree planted by our founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew. Since then, our ‘green’ vision has evolved beyond tree planting to creating a biophilic city within a garden. Despite this, our interactions with nature can sometimes feel prescribed. Even though public parks are never more than 500m away from our homes and our streets are always lined with greenery, none of our interaction with nature seems deliberate. Perhaps due to the warm weather, many of us prefer to stay indoors. Even when we visit parks, there is always an agenda — going for a jog or taking the kids out to play.
I believe that this is because greening in Singapore always felt like a ‘top-down approach’. This is true at least for me. It wasn’t until I got a little older and started travelling more that I learned to appreciate the abundant greenery in Singapore and how shady Singapore can feel compared to other tropical countries. These days, I am very thankful to be living in such a green city and the city’s innovative efforts at greening. Especially for many Singaporeans whose days can get hectic, being able to walk through streets lined with trees or have a view of a neighbourhood park from their window can be very beneficial, even if it sometimes goes unnoticed.
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These are just some of the observations I gathered from spending time in both countries. I am definitely no expert so I would really love to hear what you think! How do you prefer to interact with nature where you live?
