Singapore is Most Liveable City in Asia

It was ranked third worldwide, coming in behind Geneva and Zurich in the Global Liveable Cities Index. Published by Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities, the index looked at 64 cities including 36 from Asia.


In individual rankings, Singapore came in first for domestic security and stability, and third for good governance and leadership. And it ranked fifth for economic vibrancy and quality of life.


But the republic paled in the area of eco-friendliness and sustainability, which looked at things like pollution and environmental initiatives.


Dr Tan Khee Giap, lead researcher of Global Liveable Cities Index, said: “We did very well on water management but this data is not available to most cities. Data which is available in Singapore but not available in most of the 64 cities we studied, will not be used.”


These preliminary findings were unveiled at the World Cities Summit yesterday. While the index is comprehensive and covers 135 indicators, it is by no means complete. Dr Tan said more factors may be included.


The index’s framework will be discussed during a workshop at the summit today.


The Centre for Liveable Cities said its index stands out from other current rankings as it takes a more balanced approach. But the way its computed will be discussed and refined further.


Mr Andrew Tan, director of Centre for Liveable Cities, said: “In terms of looking at liveability from a more holistic and balanced framework, I think there are probably very few, if any, such set of indicators around.”


Every day, about 200,000 people move into cities and towns and by 2050, seven in 10 will live in cities. This presents challenges for governments to provide access to clean water, affordable housing and good sanitation.


National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan proposed a “Learning Network for Cities” to share the best practices in building a liveable city.


He said although cities differ from one another in size and character, there are some recurring themes in the development practices of successful cities. These include strong governance, citizen engagement, balancing development and the environment, and international collaborations.

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