Publication Type
News Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
10-2025
Abstract
In a commentary, SMU President Professor Lily Kong called for a widened definition of sustainability in city-making. She proposed that cities must be resilient, regenerative and restorative (3Rs) — able to withstand shocks, replenish ecosystems, and restore human well-being. Prof Kong cited Singapore’s Draft Master Plan 2025 as an illustration of balancing technical innovation with inclusive engagement, stressing that trust is the “invisible infrastructure” of resilience. She also emphasised the role of universities as conveners of dialogue and innovation, spotlighting SMU’s co-convening of the City Dialogues in Vienna and its hosting of the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition, one of the world’s largest university start-up competitions focused on urban sustainability.
Keywords
City planning, resilience, engagement
Discipline
Human Geography | Place and Environment | Urban Studies and Planning
Research Areas
Humanities
Publication
Straits Times
First Page
4
Last Page
4
ISSN
1692-9344
Publisher
Singapore Press holdings
Citation
KONG, Lily, "Can Singapore be a city that bounces back and gives back?" (2025). Research Collection School of Social Sciences. Paper 4305.
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/4305
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/4305
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/can-singapore-be-a-city-that-bounces-back-and-gives-back
Included in
Human Geography Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons