Singapore has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, but it also faces some of the most unusual problems relating to urban planning, such as restrictions on the purchase of private cars. The island, which is the size of New York, is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and now it is the citizens themselves who have had to put the brakes on the government to save one of the city's increasingly scarce natural green spaces.
The Singapore government has had to rethink its plan to clear and redevelop two-thirds of the Maju Forest, covering some 23 hectares, which it had intended to develop by building residential skyscrapers. More than 700 residents signed a letter addressed to their PM calling for the Maju Forest to be saved. On Sunday, around 2,000 people took part in a demonstration to show their support for nature and biodiversity, according to organisers speaking to Reuters.
The government announced that it would make adjustments to preserve more green spaces than originally planned, but did not provide any details. "We will work out exactly how many more green spaces, but we will have to accept that this means we will be able to build fewer homes," said Deputy Minister for Housing Alvin Tan.
Singapore currently has a population of 6.11 million (its highest density ever) and it is estimated that between 6.5 and 6.9 million people will be living there by 2030.