Chapter 7:

HOW CAN WE BUILD SUTAINABLE CITIES

What are cities?
 large population size
o large pop. size vs rest of country,
o different guidelines in different countries for what is considered a city,
o minimum population size is an example of a guideline
 high population density
o it is a measurement of number of people living on average in a given
area of land, for eg. 2100 people / sq km (shanghai)
o formula : pop. density = number of people living in an area / land area
 built-up area
o cities are built-up areas
o land surface area is mostly covered by buildings
o extensive infrastructure:
 system of buildings and equipment to provide basic services
 basic services: water, electricity, sanitation, telecommunications,
transport
 range of functions
o range of functions or activities - administrative, commercial and
education activities
o eg. Jakarta important admin abd econ function in Indonesia:
 office of president (admin)
 highest court of law (admin)
 many manufacturing industries - produce and sell variety of
products(econ):
 iron
 paper
 cars

What is the relationship between cities and rural areas

rural lower pop. density, fewer function, less built up,
However, city and rural are still connected
rural-urban migration
 some people living in cities originally came from another loc. in their country,
which are called migrants
 it is common to move from rural areas to cities in rural-urban migration
 push factors are reasons that make migrants want to leave place of origin
o eg. hard work, low pay, etc
 pull factors are reasons that attract migrants towards a destination like a city
o eg. more pay, more opportunities, etc
provision of goods and services
 cities rely on rural areas for much of food supply due to little space for
agricultural activities
 rural farmers rear animals / grow crops for their own needs or sell them at
markets in cities for money which becomes their income
 rural inhabitants benefit from amenities in cities
o eg. hospitals where they can:
 expert medical help
 advanced treatment
o eg. malls:
 get certain goods only available there

How do cities affect their inhabitants and the environment

Opportunities for people
 education and employment,
o education and employment are linked
o education = gain useful knowledge and skills
o apply these skills to get EMPLOYMENT
o make money -> purchase food and other necessities to improve well-
being
 cities are centres of learning
o large populations of children and young people of school-going age
o adults who are pursuing life-long learning
 cities thus are home to a variety of educational institutions
o eg. vocational schools, universities that cater to different interests

Businesses thrive in cities because:

 developed infrastructure
 availability of services
 opportunities such as education
 They benefit from concentration of education institutions
 hiring from a large pool of skilled employees
 They can also implement work-study arrangements with education institutions
to train employees
o in a work-study arrangement students spend time working in a
company while receiving training
 eg. Both studying and learning to wash cars for a work-study
arrangement in the automobile industry in Germany
Technological improvement
 cities are known for their technological innovation (use of scientific knowledge
to create new products / services)
 this is because there are many skilled people living in cities (because
educational facilities above)
o eg. researchers, designers, entrepreneurs, etc
 funding from Govt and investor for them to experiment with new ideas
 Case Study: future cities laboratory (research centre in SG) project "cooler
calmer Singapore" to develop new designs for buildings and the built
environment so people can live more comfortably
o Vegetation: greenery on roofs and building facades to prevent sunlight
from heating up buildings
o Building facade: light-coloured surfaces on buildings to reflect sunlight
and reduce heat absorption
o Water bodies and features: ponds and pools in the design of urban
spaces help to prevent overheating
o Shading: apart from trees, sheltered bus stops and covered walkways
are installed to provide shade and shield from rain
o Transport: use of public transport, cycling and walking helps to reduce
heat production from the transport sector

Challenges people face

 increased environmental pollution,
 large amounts of fossil fuels are consumed in the city every day due to high
conc. of people, businesses and transport networks
 leads to env pollution, where contaminants are produced and released into
the physical environment which leads to harm on human health
Water pollution:
 Water supplies in cities are often affected by improper management of
household and industrial waste due to inadequate or broken sewage systems
 when waste disposed directly / leaked into waterways, water quality is
reduced
 this threatens human health and aquatic life
 good example of handling it : SG
o Singapore's tap water is safe for drinking without boiling
o PUB oversees the water treatment and distribution
o samples are collected in the reservoirs, waterworks and distribution
systems and tested in laboratories
o online sensors also monitor the water quality during treatment and at
reservoirs
o these ensure that water quality is good
o Trivia: 400k tests are conducted annually (about 1096 per day)
Air pollution:
 WHO survey worldwide conducted in 2016 showed that less than 20% of the
worlds urban population live in areas with clean air
 the use of coal to generate electricity, high volume of vehicular traffic and
emissions from factories are key causes
 air pollution can cause respiratory infection, lung cancer, heart disease and
death, which all would lead to higher demand for healthcare services
 competition for natural resources
natural resources - land, water, etc
 as cities increase in population, they require larger amounts of natural
resources to build infrastructure and supply materials for industrial use
 high demand by cities and limited amount of natural resources = competition
Land resource:
 city need land to accommodate their large and growing populations for
different purposes
 cities may be forced to expand towards rural areas, replacing forest and
farmlands, or levelling hills
 parts of current city can be rebuilt to use land more intensively (optimising)
 eg. replace low-lying buildings with taller ones
 competitions for land use also cause unhappiness when residents have to be
relocated to make way for new buildings
Water resource:
 cities need to ensure that the continual supply of clean water to meet needs of
people and businesses, this is compromised by competition for land
 this limits the construction / expansion of reservoirs
 water catchment areas and groundwater is also affected as more natural
vegetation is converted to concrete surfaces
o eg. July 2018 cape town south Africa turned of water taps for homes
and businesses
o this way because the water level in reservoirs had dropped to
dangerously low levels
o city officials said it was caused by high pop. growth, peoples
consumption habits and prolonged drought
How can cities be sustainably built and managed
Environmental management
management of physical environment
 cities have large env. footprints because of people's actions and activities
such as transport and industry,
 large amounts of waste and pollutants are released into the physical env.,
causing env. pollution.
 pollution causes reduced quality of the physical environment and its
sustainability
 this can spread into the surrounding areas past the city's boundaries, or even
other countries
 management strategies help to regulate the use of natural resources and
minimise the negative env. impact from human activities.
 case study Kranji Reservoir in SG:
o it is one of 17 reservoirs in SG and is located in an agricultural area
o when it rains, rainwater may mix with nutrients from the nearby farms
and flow into reservoir and reduce the water quality.
o To prevent this, farms set up drains around their farm plots and water
treatment ponds to channel and collect rainwater and excess nutrients
o plants such as cattails and fragrant pandan are grown in the water
treatment pond to purify water, thus reducing pollution in the reservoir
 reducing air pollution through laws:
o 2013 Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei in China adopted the Air Pollution
Prevention and Control Action Plan.
o It had laws like the Environmental Protection and Air Pollution Prevention
and Control
 enables the city Govt to regulate people's actions and industrial
activities
 each city has its own limit on air pollutants for industries and
vehicles (which are 2 causes of heavy smog)
o they also implemented a license plate lottery policy
 it limits number of new vehicles that can be registered
 it also which limits the use of private cars on certain days in the
week according to last number on license plate
o These strategies also help to lessen traffic congestion
management of hazards
 hazards are events that have a negative impact on people, the physical and
built environment and the economy
 human-induced hazards arise from human actions / inactions
o eg. fires, oil spills, industrial accidents
 important and urgent to find sustainable ways to manage hazards so they
don’t turn into disasters
 otherwise, human costs of injuries and deaths as well as economic costs of
rebuildings can be very high
 Use of better quality building materials
o buildings need to be good quality to withstand hazards
o so when got hazard, immediate effects like collapse of buildings,
infrastructure damage and injuries / deaths will not occur
o Example: Japan Mori Tower
 It is one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo, Japan
 designed to be a refuge for people to escape into earthquakes
 it uses oil-filled shock dampeners
 when the buildings sway due to tremors / high winds, the fluid
sloshes in the opposite direction to counter the movement
Land use planning
 it is the decision making on how land resources will be used for various
purposes like:
o housing
o recreation
o transport
 planning agencies may disallow some these uses and construction in unsafe
locations to prevent hazards
 this infomation is then shared with land owners and property developers to
ensure everyone's safety
improve quality of life
 providing safe housing,
 housing refers to structures / buildings that are constructed to shelter people
from weather elements such as extremely high or low temperatures and rain
 they are also places for rest and social gatherings
 Singapore used to face the problem of inadequate / low quality housing due to
high rates of migration and overpopulation
o Singapore Improvement Trust (big skill issues who were bad) and
Housing & Development Board (HDB) were set up to build affordable
public housing
 80% of SG population stay in good quality public housing surrounded by
many amenities
 When housing supply is insufficient / too expensive, people may resort to
building their homes at locations without permission
 these are called squatter settlements and can be found in unsafe locations
like steep slopes and along railway tracks
 The people who stay here have a lower Quality-of-life, or QOL (more info in
chap 8)
providing a variety of transportation modes,
 transportation mode are the ways people and goods from one location to
another air, water, land
 having a variety of transportation modes offer 3 main benefits:
1. travelling around the city can be easier because people have more
transportation options such as buses, trams and trains, which are also
more affordable
2. traffic congestion is reduced when there are move options for
travelling, and opting for bigger transport (trains, busses, etc) which
carry more passengers than cars
3. env. pollution in cities can be reduced as fewer cars on the road lead to
less fuel consumption and carbon emissions
considering the needs of different groups
 many cities have aging population like Singapore (SG is bcos of baby boom
after the war)
o in these cities, a growing proportion of elderly persons aged 65 and
older
 to ensure a good QOL for the elderly or people with disabilities, cities need to
be designed with their needs in mind
 Singapore adopts a Univeral Design concept for buildings in public areas,
which aims to create a built env. that is safe and accessible for everyone
o pedestrian paths
 routes are cleared of any obstacles and are at least 1.8 m wide
 furniture and fixtures are built in a space that is away from the
travel path
o traffic crossings
 tactile warnings on the ground on the two sides of traffic
crossings to aid the visually handicapped and elderly
 warning indicators are provided at road crossings to remind
users to be careful when crossing roads
Chapter 8:
HOUSING AND ITS SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
What is housing
 housing refers to structure of buildings developed to shelter people from the
elements
 it is often seen as a basic necessity that everyone should have access to
 housing can be planned or unplanned, and building materials can use a
variety of materials in all shapes and sizes
 housing can be temporary or permanent, but it is usually permanent
 examples of temporary housing are camping settlements built by nomadic
tribes and relief shelters in disaster-hit areas
 housing in cities can be classified according to height and density
 housing that is more than 6 stories and requires the use of lifts are considered
high-rise, which accommodates more people in a given area, thus higher
density
 high-rise, high-density housing are found nearer th city centre, and that is also
inversely true (low-rise, low density in the city fringes)
 high-rise, high-density housing usually comprises of apartments and shared
amenities like playgrounds, exercise equipment and swimming pools
 low-rise, low-density may comprise detached houses (sides of the houses
does not touch any other house), semi-detached (2 houses that share a
common wall), terraces (rows of houses with shared walls) and shophouses
What are types of housing available
 spatial distribution (how far from city centre)
 type of materials used to built houses, such as brick or wood
 we can also consider if the houses are built for small families, extended
families or for entire communities

What are the different types of housing

formal housing
 built by Govt or private developers,
o formal housing are part of urban planning processes, and are usually
undertaken by the Govt or private businesses
 o eg. look at chap 7, improve quality of life, providing safe housing, same
example
o apart from housing built by the Govt, plots of land may be sold or
leased to private businesses, which develop into private housing
projects (like condos)
o these housing units are sold to any interested buyers
 legal right to occupy land,
o this refers to housing that is built by those with legal right to occupy the
land, that may be lived in, sold or leased to others
 access to basic services,
o as urban planners determine the sites of formal housing, basic services
are planned
o basic services : easy access to water and electricity, provision of
sanitation services, etc.
o infrastructure to support these services (underground water pipes,
electrical substations, power lines, sewage pipes, etc.) is often built
with the housing project,
o these improve QOL of residents in these housing developments
 high quality building materials
o formal housing is usually regulated, thus has to conform to planning
authorities guideline and use high-quality materials
o examples of high-quality would be but are not limited to : concrete,
metal or hard wood
o such materials and guidelines differ in different countries based on
econ, environmental and social circumstances of the place
o If it is built with high-quality building materials, it should be able to
withstand elements such as fires and last for a long time with minimal
maintenance
o example : in Singapore, all housing construction must conform to the
BCA (Building and Construction Authority)'s specification for building
quality and safety
informal housing -> self-built squatter settlements,
 it is typically built by individuals in a unplanned fashion unlike formal housing,
 while it may appear to line up neatly along roads / rivers, its development was
unplanned
 it is often built with scavenged materials such as zinc sheets and recycled
lumber, thus is constructed with inferior building materials,
 it is at a higher risk of collapsing, being flooded on rainy days or catching fire
easily
 no legal right to occupy land,
o informal housing is built out of necessity and on any available,
accessible plot of land by residents desperate for shelter
o they commonly occupy Govt land or private property which are
undeveloped or / and unsecured
 o thus, the residents are often illegal occupants of the land
o When the legal owners of the land discover this, the informal housing
may be cleared away and residents evicted
o thus, informal housing residents not only have to face env. threats to
their safety but are also at constant risk of losing their home
 lack of access to basic services
o it is built by individuals and in areas not meant for housing
development,
o thus residents have a lack of basic services (electricity, water,
sanitation)
o residents thus resort to illegally tapping onto nearby electrical grids,
siphoning water from nearby pipes and disposing of sanitary waste into
the ground or nearby rivers
o such practices increase the risk of injury and ill-health due to
electrocution, consumption of contaminated water and waterborne
diseases
What are different housing types found in cities
 location of formal housing -> found on desirable land
o Govt and private developers are able to situate formal housing near
greenery and amenities, away from pollution, and are supported with
quality infrastructure like roads, piped water, electricity, sanitation, etc
 location of informal housing -> found on locally unwanted land-use
o near landfills, sewage treatment plants and large, polluting industries
o often neglected and lack infrastructure development
o informal housing occurs in these areas bcos they are often the only
spaces lefta available
o sometime slums (informal housing) are found near industrial sites as
the dwellers want to save travelling time and cost by living near their
workplaces

What factors affect the location of housing

land-use planning,
 guidelines drawn up by planning authorities to practise zoning as a planning
control tool for ensuring that the built environment is well developed
 zoning restricts the type of activities / land-use in a specific area, to shape the
layout of cities and enable various types of developments
 formal housing occupies zones that are designated for housing development
while informal housing can spring up anywhere regardless of land-use
planning
developers,
  location of housing is affected by whether it was developed by Govt or private
developers
 private developers, who develop properties for profit, tend to pick sites that
are more commercially viable,
 Govt housing tends to consider people's needs more than just profits (Govt
rich)
land prices,
 if land prices are high, housing will gave to be sold at a higher price, and
people who wish to buy them may no longer be able to afford them
 thus, the Govt must regulate land prices to prevent such a situation
 if land prices in a city is too high, informal housing is likely to spring up to
accommodate the rural-urban migrants or the local urban poor
housing financial support
 housing financial support for developers can lower the cost of building
houses,
 this can encourage the developers to consider building more houses and
prevent housing shortages
 financial support schemes are important because they enable developers to
sell houses at affordable prices
 without these types of schemes, formal housing may be out of reach for many
 places without finance support schemes and a lack of formal housing will
have more informal housing settlements as affordability of housing would be
low in these areas
Chapter 9:
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING

How does housing affect the natural environment?

use of natural resources,
 Deforestation occurs to clear land for the construction of housing
 Food and water must be extracted from the environment to support
inhabitants
 Building materials like steel and wood must be extracted from the
environment
 Fossil fuels must be extracted from the environment
environmental pollution
 environmental pollution is the introduction of substances that do not belong in
the env.
 Land pollution
o Caused by improper disposal of sewage or industrial waste from
factories or mining
o Results in long-term damage in land, making it unsafe for building
houses
o Managed with landfills or incineration plants
o In Singapore, waste is incinerated to produce electricity for the city, as
well as removing foul odors It also conserves space as incineration
plants take up less space than landfills.
o Singapore also only has one landfill: Pulau Semakau.
 Water pollution
o Caused by surface runoff from streets, bringing rubber, heavy metals
and other contaminants from vehicles
o Caused by improper disposal of industrial waste to avoid processing
cost
o Caused by surface runoff from farms, resulting in eutrophication
because of fertilizer in water
o Caused by construction of housing which may pollute water bodies
 Air pollution
o Caused by burning of fossil fuels, releasing harmful gases into the
atmosphere
o Caused by carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation
o Caused by harmful gas emissions from vehicles
o Managed by using public transportation more often or using alternative
power sources
How does access to housing affect people
provision of basic needs (physical),
 Water, Electricity, Sanitation, Shelter
presence of amenities (physical),
 Eateries, Grocery Stores, Markets, Clinics, Hospitals
presence of communities (social)
 Playgrounds, Community centres

How can housing be sustainably managed

integrated land-use planning,
 Have people representing different groups come together and make decision
on how the city should be managed
 Competing demands of different groups are resolved to sustainably manage
the city
 In Singapore, the HDB developed housing together with other services in an
integrated manner
provision of inclusive public housing,
 Catering to different sizes of families; single residents may only require small
apartments while extended families require larger homes
 Catering to people of all ages and physical conditions
o Braille on lift buttons for blind people
o Ramps to assist the wheelchair-bound
o Disability-friendly washrooms

environmental features in buildings,

 Solar panels to generate electricity
 Water efficient fittings to minimise water consumption
 Green walls and roofs to reduce temperature
 Recycling bins to encourage and facilitate recycling
improvements to the conditions of slums
 More sustainable to improve slum conditions than to demolish and reconstruct
 Since 1994, Favela Bairro in Brazil seeks to improve access to basic services
and the building quality of homes while involving the local community in the
formulation and rollout of housing policies
Chapter 10:
TRANSPORT SYSTEM AND THEIR SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION

What are transport systems

components and characteristics of transport systems
 density of transport network,
o Transport networks consist of nodes, routes
 Nodes are locations which provide entry to the transport network
 Routes are the path of travel between nodes
 Network density is the number of nodes and routes in each area
 When Singapore’s MRT network first started in November 1987,
there were 5 nodes with a 6km route, but in 2020, the rail
network expanded to 200 km
 quality of transport infrastructure,
o Infrastructure (roads, walkways, bridges) is the basic physical or
organisational structure required for the operation of a society or
enterprise
o Coverage
 Indicated by availability and reach of his influence
o Capacity
 Indicated by number of people or amount of goods that can be
moved
 Double decker bendy bus
 Flipping up seats on MRT to accommodate more people during
peak hours
o Frequency
 Indicated by number of occurrences of a service
o Convenience
 Indicated by ease of movement
o Environmental sustainability
 Indicated by environmental impact
o Example: Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) has a dense
network of 159 stops over 231 km, with wide coverage of 75% of the
population and 94% of the workplaces located within 1 km of it
 variety of transport modes
o Coverage on air, land and sea
 More non-motorised modes of transports
 Healthier and environmentally-friendly
Where are transport nodes located within a city
concentration of activities,
 Transport nodes are often located near such concentration of activities so that
more people can access them
o In Singapore, the Central Business district (CBD) and the Marina bay
financial centre (MBFC) have a lot of train stations due to their
commercial significance
o In Singapore, tourist destinations such as Gardens by the Bay, Little
India and Chinatown are shown in relation to transport nodes on tourist
maps, so tourists know how to get to them
level of accessibility is determined by:
 Time consumed
 Cost of using mode of transport
 Major transport nodes are usually located in areas with high accessibility

Why are transport systems located in cities

reasons for transportation
 movement of people,
o Enable people to commute to work as most people do not live at the
city centre, where most employment opportunities are
o Enable access to social activities and amenities, improving social and
emotional well-being
o Land Transport Authority built sheltered walkways to schools and other
amenities within a 400m radius of an MRT station and within a 200m
radius of bus interchanges
 movements of goods and services,
o Vital to supplying goods and services from where they are produced to
where they are consumed
o E-commerce increased its demand
o In Mexico, people who live beyond the reach of piped water distribution
depend entirely on water supply trucks
 connection between transport modes,
o Unimodal (Point A to Point B) transport only allows for limited options of
transport from any one place
o Intermodal (Point A to Points B, C and D) transport allows for more
options of transport from any one place
 Optimal modes
o On short distances, road transport is the most efficient, but over longer
distances, air or marine transport are more viable
o In smaller volumes, a car or taxi would suffice, but in larger volumes,
bigger vehicles like buses or trains would have to be used
 Intermodal transport is preferred because it has
o Seamless movement of passengers and freight because different
modes of transportation can be used
o Passengers and goods are less likely to become lost because it is
more connected to many destinations
 connection between cities
o Point-to-point connections allow direct transport from one city to
another without any interruption of services
o Hub-and-spoke connections connect every location to an intermediary
location called a hub, forcing any transport into the hub before arriving
at the destination
Chapter 11:
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

How do transport systems impact the environment in cities -

 changes to physical environment,
o Case study: Natural vegetation must be cleared to build roads
(deforestation)
 Forest is divided into smaller fragments, restricting the animals’
movement
 When they try to cross roads, they become victims of roadkill
 Solved by building overpasses or wildlife corridors
 In 1985, after the Bukit Timah expressway (BKE) was
built, the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve was cut off from the
much larger Central Catchment Reserve, adversely
affecting biodiversity.
 This was solved by the construction of a 62 metre long
and 50 metre wide wildlife corridor known as Eco-
link@BKE, restoring the connection between the nature
reserves
 To make Downtown Singapore more accessible, part of
the Singapore River was diverted for construction of MRT
tunnels connecting Chinatown and Fort Canning to the
Downtown Line.
 The original river flow was restored after the construction
was finished
 increased carbon footprint
o Measure of greenhouse gases emitted to support human activities
o Transport accounts for 25-30% of carbon footprint

How do transport systems impact people in cities -

improved mobility for the elderly and persons with disabilities,
 Provision of age friendly and barrier free transport systems such as tactile
indicators and lifts enable them to move around and access opportunities
independently, improving mobility
 Silver zones
o Accident rates involving seniors in silver zones decreased by 75%
o Features:
 Gateway marked with fluorescent lights to indicate start of silver
zone
 Reduced speed limit of 40km/h
 Reduction of lanes at crossing areas to reduce time taken to
cross
 Two-stage crossing allows seniors to rest in the middle
  Lower centre dividers that let emergency vehicles pass over if
safe to do so
 Properties that determine location of silver zones
o High proportion of senior residents
o High accident rate involving seniors
o Close proximity to amenities frequented by seniors

traffic congestion,
 Tends to occur during peak periods (peak hours?)
 Causes drivers to be frustrated, increasing risk of accident
 Wastes and burns more fuel as vehicle is constantly starting and stopping,
worsening air quality
health and safety risks
 Fuel is burnt/used to power transport, but it can emit harmful air pollutants or
particulate matter
o Respiratory problems are caused such as asthma and lung cancer
o 5000 premature deaths in UK and 53000+ deaths in US
 Noise is generated from traffic
o A 2020 European Environment Agency report states that 1 in 4
Europeans are exposed to traffic noise above 55 decibels
o This problem causes mental stress, hearing impairment and heart-
related illness
 Safety issues
o Large crowds at train stations increase the risk of crimes such as theft
and sex crimes, as well as giving rise to terrorism
 Solved by gender segregated transportation
 Solved by implementing more security personnel and resources
at more prominent and visible transport terminals
o Road accidents account for 90% of transport accidents, hence
prompting measures such as:
 Regulating the use of mobile devices while driving
 Setting up more speed cameras to deter and detect speeding
 The Singapore Traffic Police paints new enforcement cameras in orange, with
prominent warning signs put up to alert motorists to where enforcement
camera zones begin
o Road safety education aimed at promoting safety among all road users

How can transport systems be sustainably managed

 laws and policies on transport
 Road safety campaigns are formed to raise awareness and educate all road
users
 Congestion pricing forces drivers of private vehicles to pay a premium when
driving on certain roads
 o In Stockholm, Sweden, this system was implemented, reducing traffic
by 20%
 Car-lite policies are made to drastically reduce car usage by focusing on
alternatives such as public transport, walking and cycling
o Constraining vehicle ownership while promoting public transport,
making alternative methods of transportation more efficient and
affordable
o Singapore adopted a zero-growth stance for private vehicles, reducing
the need to increase road capacity
 integrated land use and transport planning
 Integrated land-use planning can make it so employment opportunities are
closer to housing so the need for transport over long distances
 Transport planning can ensure that transport is able to move people and
goods in a safe and affordable manner
 provisions of a range of mobility options for different groups of people
 Provision of barrier-free transport systems to aid the elderly and PWDs
o Green Man+ scheme in Singapore allows elderly and PWDs 13
seconds more green man time by tapping their senior citizen
concession or Green Man+ card on card reader
o Audio signal systems introduced to aid visually impaired, adjusting their
volume according to the volume of the environment
 reasearch and development in transport
 Applications to improve mobility and more environmentally friendly transport
modes
o Provides real-time traffic information regarding travel time, cost and
possible routes to undertake
o May provide incorrect information, resulting in time being wasted and
inconveniences for users
 Greener building materials and techniques
 Autonomous vehicles (AVs) / driverless vehicles use sensors to detect
surroundings, preventing accidents and improving road safety
o Requires more investment and is time consuming
o Many safety and cybersecurity challenges to overcome
 Electric vehicles (EVs) have a smaller carbon footprint and produce less noise
than conventional vehicles
o First fleet of electric buses were on Singaporean roads in 2020 and
authorities are trying to expand the number of electic buses in service
o Expensive and requires a lot of R and D