Sharing City 共享城市: A Lecture in Tongji University, Shanghai (Transcript)

Strategies and Policies for Environmental Eco-design for the High-Rise High-Density Asian Urban Habitat with a Reference to Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore

January 2017

Synopsis
As practitioners and educators, a daunting task in the discourse on Asian cities is to frame the questions on living, mobility, economy and interaction in urban streets. Asian urban streets are multi-dimensional, embodying facets of social, cultural, economic and spatial features. This is particularly true with rapidly changing social practices and economic conditions. How we forge appropriate urban design parameters and create fitting architectural responses depend on how we frame questions on human needs.

Introduction
I am delighted to participate in this colloquium in the company of professors from Tongji and other renowned universities as well as my colleagues from NUS. You are experts in the field of urban design, environmental systems, and digital technology; not to forget, also fellow distinguished industry professionals.

My name is Tan Teck Kiam. I worked for ten years in an architecture office before setting up KNTA Architects in 1993. From time to time, I have reviewed student projects and have lectured at various schools of architecture, including the Bartlett. In 2011, I took up an offer to teach at NUS where I am now the Director of the Master of Architecture Programme at Department of Architecture.

Innovation and Inclusiveness
At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an opening plenary address in which he raised two interesting points, among many. One was 'Innovation' presented by technology and digital economy, and 'Inclusive and Balanced Development'. Coincidentally, we are here today to share ideas of similar concern.

My interest is in the area of urban design and architecture. Specifically, an inquiry into the possibilities of what is probable in urban design and architecture in these conditions i.e. New Economy.

Singapore Management University (SMU): Located within the Civic and Cultural District of Singapore

In 2000, my practice had the honour to be the appointed architects to design Singapore Management University, located at the heart of the city centre of Singapore. This came after we won the International Architectural Competition for SMU (in collaboration with Edward Cullinan Architects, UK) for the master plan.

The decision to build a city university in the heart of Singapore city centre (by the Singapore government) signified a fundamental shift in thinking towards a thriving city that is human-centric. For a Singapore that had placed overwhelming emphasis on economic development since independence in 1965, this was a significant policy decision.

Urban Design Concept

A city is a matrix of overlapping networks of places and spaces, each with its own identity but connected to one another, like a set of vibrantly colourful ribbons and beads. Creating connectivity between campus facilities, amenities, and the city became the overarching concept of this project. Sustainability refers to connection and acknowledgement to history and its social implications. The role of the city university is also to provide a Forum for teaching, learning and play. As such, social spaces like the campus green, pedestrian footpaths, roadside green corridor stitch the neighborhood together like ribbon and beads.

Design Studio - Urbanism in an Emergent Economy

Sharing Economy – alternative urbanity and creative economy

This design research project speculates mobility and urbanism from the viewpoint of Stay, Production, Consumption, Distribution and Care. The research starts with framing questions on the city.

The site is Jurong East located on the western part of Singapore, the birthplace of Singapore industrialisation program fifty years ago. Industries in Singapore have shifted from mass production in the early 1960s, gradually moving on to value-added production in the following decade. Going forward, ambitious plans are promoted to anticipate new industries engaging in the production of knowledge to enable a thriving economy. 

With this as a backdrop, the research began by questioning the role of urban design in a society - how urban design can benefit users in contemporary conditions. The relationship between human, environment, and context takes precedent. The urban design process thus becomes user-centric. 

Graphical narrative (Tales in a City) is used as a key instrument in speculating urban design. Each narrative reflects on the conditions of human living in Singapore. Together, they explore the notion of well-being, discovering one’s creative self, personal space, and revealing subliminal behavioural compasses. Water and ‘Tropicality’ weave the tapestry of human commons and environment. The intrinsic value of residual parcels of land and spaces are subsequently revealed.