Driving on the highway in Singapore is a strangely tranquil experience. At first I’m not sure why I feel so relaxed after a 12-hour overnight flight, but as I watch the landscape unfold dreamily, I slowly realise: I’m surrounded by beautiful towering trees, lush foliage, invigorating tropical flowers and vast vegetation. In the centre of a city.
That wasn’t my first impression of this city-state, known as a global financial hub with cutting-edge architecture and a culturally rich dining scene. But on a recent visit, I saw a very different side of Singapore. A very green one. It included sprawling jungle canopies over the highways, vertical planting along much of the city’s towering skyline, lush balcony garden ideas and community-based urban growing initiatives.
I’ve been an advocate of urban gardening for nearly 20 years, but what I saw there was on a whole different level. So what can we learn from Singapore’s pioneering urban gardening to grow and harness nature in a city? I spoke to Boyi Zhou, deputy director of the National Biodiversity Centre at the Singapore National Parks Board, to find out more.
Solar panels are a central element of green roofs in Singapore
(Image credit: Singapore Tourism Board)
A groundbreaking vision to create a city in nature
The Singapore National Parks Board (NParks) has an ambitious plan: to transform the island nation into a “city in nature.” This vision aims to achieve a number of key environmental goals by 2030, including creating 200 hectares of green space for high-rise buildings and planting one million trees.
“We have planted 640,000 new trees so far since 2020 and are on track to reach our target three years ahead of schedule,” says Boyi. “These trees will be planted across Singapore, including in our streets, gardens, parks and park compounds, and conservation areas. By stepping up our tree planting efforts, we are improving our urban environment and increasing our resilience to climate change.”
Inspired by the sheer scale and breadth of urban gardening in Singapore, here are three key lessons I took away from my time there, and how you can implement these gardening ideas and initiatives wherever you live.
Lessons from promoting a city’s climate resilience
Vertical, green walls are a design element in many city apartments
(Image credit: Future/Rachel Bull)
Restoring and cultivating nature in the built environment is no easy task, but this city has fully embraced it. The challenges are clear: land is scarce and expensive, the climate is tropical year-round, and the construction of new skyscrapers shows no sign of abating.
Hot, humid temperatures and large crowds of people in small spaces mean that plants, trees and green spaces have never been more important.
“The cooling, air-purifying and therapeutic effects of plants are becoming increasingly important for the future-proofing of this city,” says Boyi. “Integrating green spaces into Singapore’s urban landscape not only improves air quality and thermal comfort, but also demonstrates how city dwellers can live, work and relax seamlessly in nature.”
When growing in the city, creativity in growing in small spaces is crucial
(Image credit: Future/Rachel Bull)
The sight of vertical living walls, rooftop gardens, green spaces cascading down from the balcony terraces of high-rise buildings and green roofs is everywhere – and it is truly calming. To date, Singapore has about 193 hectares of green space for high-rise buildings and this shows that our connection to nature in cities can thrive even in limited spaces.
If you want to implement this idea in your home, you could consider plants with air purifying properties or plants for a living wall, which can help reduce pollution while purifying the air.
Lessons on integrating nature into a cityscape
Over 100,000 species of plants and shrubs grow in the indoor jungle of Changi International Airport
(Image credit: Singapore Tourism Board)
Wherever you look in Singapore, green spaces are an integral part of the cityscape. The skyscrapers are no exception, and neither is the airport.
Built in 2019, Changi International Airport features a 6-hectare indoor forest and the world’s largest indoor waterfall surrounded by more than 2000 trees and 100,000 species of plants and shrubs. It’s a wonderful and frankly amazing example of immersive nature in arguably one of the most stressful places ever – an airport.
It features a rainwater collection system that channels rainwater into a 30-meter-high vortex, creating a mesmerizing waterfall. Vegetation is spread across 10 floors of terraces to create the most incredible indoor jungle experience.
CapitaSpring’s lush rooftop garden is a relaxing urban oasis for busy executives
(Image credit: Future/Rachel Bull)
One of the most gratifying facts I have discovered is that when a new skyscraper is built in Singapore, the amount of green space and land lost in the construction of the building must, by law, be replaced within the new structure, be it through interior planting or a roof garden, for example.
The CapitaSpring tower in the city’s central business district does just that. Completed in 2022, the roof garden (pictured above) and lush planting integrated into the building fabric are a wonderful example of biophilic design in a city.
One of its main goals is to create an urban oasis for stressed city workers and residents with more than 80,000 plants and trees, giving them the opportunity to restore their mental and physical health and recharge their batteries.
The indoor garden at the Park Royal Collection Marina Bay Hotel has a calming effect and helps purify the air
(Image credit: Future/Rachel Bull)
But urban jungles aren’t just found on rooftops. There are also plenty of indoor gardens filled with tropical, restorative plants. The indoor oasis at the Park Royal Collection Marina Bay hotel (pictured above) includes 9-foot-tall fiddle leaf figs among 2,400 plants and trees.
How to implement these ideas? Well, for city dwellers with very little space, it’s all about figuring out what you can grow vertically (both up and down) rather than horizontally. Consider height and depth to complement your space with cascading, climbing, trailing or hanging houseplants. Consider a diverse selection of plants within a living wall and – most importantly – get creative with space.
Boyi tells me that many of the large urban oasis gardens are controlled by energy-efficient, automated irrigation systems that “reduce water waste and the long-term costs of maintaining vertical green spaces.” While this isn’t something we’d implement in our own homes, there are planting technologies like hydroponic systems where irrigation is controlled via an app. Many of these systems are specifically designed for apartment living and urban gardening, helping city dwellers grow a wider variety of food and flowers indoors or on a small balcony.
Lessons on Fostering Community Through Gardening
The diversity of crops that grow in this tropical climate is huge
(Image credit: Singapore Tourism Board)
The City in Nature goal is first and foremost a community goal. Planting one million new trees and creating therapeutic gardens that specifically benefit older members of society are all being implemented at grassroots level.
“Through our partnership with the community, we aim to inspire and bring Singaporeans together to act as stewards of nature,” says Boyi.
Another important NParks initiative is Community in Bloom – a national gardening movement that aims to strengthen the sense of community and promote gardening culture and green therapy to improve wellbeing.
“It actively encourages residents and institutions to create and maintain community gardens across the island,” explains Boyi. “Today, we have more than 2,000 thriving community garden groups. Engaging communities in the creation and maintenance of rooftop vegetable, ornamental and biodiversity gardens is an effective way to foster a sense of ownership, promote environmental protection and create sustainable, livable urban environments.”
Community gardening groups, clubs and societies exist in almost every town. Check with your local extension service, garden center or library to find out what’s going on in your area and how you can get involved.
With this rust-proof garden trellis you can grow climbing and vining plants in any outdoor area and utilize the vertical space in your garden.
With these attractive and modern hanging planters you can grow your favorite hanging plants and flowers even in small gardens or on balconies.
This compact indoor gardening system is ideal for growing herbs on your kitchen counter so you can harvest fresh produce all year round.
Experiencing real ingenuity in urban gardening in Singapore was not only inspiring but also hugely motivating, opening my eyes to innovative and creative ways we can all embrace nature and encourage greenery in our cities. You might find even more practical advice on this topic in our guides on balcony privacy plants and home gardening.
Singapore Airlines offers direct flights from Changi Airport to Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. Singapore Airlines also flies four times a day from London Heathrow to Changi Airport.
