What does a successful dense and green district look like to you?
Answering questions like this is not easy but the stark need of the hour. As researchers of the [DEN] Dense and Green Cities Singapore team, we presented our findings and sparked thought-provoking discussions on sustainable integrated districts during our research conclusion and book launch event. Held on 23 July at the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) Global, Singapore-ETH Centre, CREATE Tower, the event drew a full house with a diverse mix of urban science academics, landscape and urban architecture industry professionals, and sustainability enthusiasts!
The event aimed to bring together this cross-sector audience to discuss the Dense and Green Cities research of sustainable integrated districts, the performance of studied cases, and their broader implications in cities today. Sustainable integrated districts are planned to integrate density and greenery along various aspects of performance (architecture and urban planning, environmental, social, and economic) and are testbeds for innovative solutions to urban challenges today. The event was marked with the Singapore launch of the book Dense+Green Urban Development, which was the culmination of the past 36 months of research.
The two-hour event saw a variety of segments that piqued interest amongst the audience. Following the welcome address by SEC Director Prof. Dr. Manu Kapur, and the research introduction by our Principal Investigator and FCL Global Singapore Programme Director, Prof. Dr. Thomas Schroepfer, our team presented our research in lightning talks. Reflecting the interdisciplinary spirit of the event, we followed with a panel discussion featuring experts from diverse fields, including:
- Dr. Anuj Jain, Founding Director and Principal Ecologist at bioSEA;
- Yvonne Tan, Director at DP Green and President of the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects (SILA);
- Michael Chadney, Arup’s transport planning leader in Singapore; and
- Dr. Srilalitha Gopalakrishnan, Associate Director Research at FCL Global Singapore, and our module coordinator
Insights from ecology, landscape architecture, urban transport, and urban research sparked an engaging discussion on the complexity of cross-sector collaboration, the importance of fostering new mindsets around human-animal interactions, and a shared optimism for Singapore’s urban future. Then our team presented the various exhibitions and high-profile events that we have participated in through these years. Our team was excited to share our video exhibited at the Venice Biennale 2025 and a demo of our digital twin. We wrapped up the day with lively conversations over some excellent finger food—mini-pizzas, quiche, and chocolate tarts!
On a personal note, this event was particularly meaningful as it marked the impending completion of my doctoral research. This event gave me the opportunity to connect with many peers, friends and well-wishers about the urban research that we’re passionate about. Working with the Dense and Green Cities team over these years has been invigorating as we’ve navigated many challenges and triumphs together. Many thanks to our entire team for such a successful event!
Anjanaa
DEN SG Research Team: Ivan Beliaev (presenter), Dr. Chloe Tongchaoran Gao, Dr. Sri Gopalakrishnan (presenter and panellist), Dr. Irina Orlenko (presenter), Junyao Ren (presenter), (presenter), Dr. Lei Xu, Daniel Wong (presenter), Ruby Zhang
Special thanks for the event: Sanjana Singh Raichur, Senior Research Assistant; Wang Qi, Research Intern; Kaena Sutanu, Research Intern; Joni Ong, PhD Researcher
