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Our Parks & Gardens appeal to the citizens as venues for much active leisure. Parks, like the East Coast and Pasir Ris Park, provide invaluable places for active recreation as they contribute to the improvement to their lifestyle and standard of living. Our
citizens are maturing in their appreciation and understanding of green
spaces. They are responding to the shade of trees and enjoying the visual
enhancement to the urban structures. |
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The greening of the Island is one of the very important infrastructure layers that attract foreign investments and talent. Tourists come to admire our achievements; study groups the world over come to observe, learn and take home ideas for their own cities. They are making inroads into our Garden City uniqueness. My passion about the parks has made me believe in the value of Man's understanding of Nature, so as Chairman of the GCF, I am appealing for support and participation to help sustain Minister Mentor's original vision and carry it into the future with a new vision; 'for a City pleasant green and cool'. Your contributions would be a major help to shape the form and function of our parks and gardens providing venues for entertainment, tourism, research, education, rest and recreation. They will value-add to public buildings and outreach programs that will have immediate and tangible benefits for the public at large. It is this sort of engagement that we are hoping to encourage with the Garden City Fund. Thus far, the government, through the efforts of the National Parks Board's staff ensures that our parks, gardens and nature reserves remain green havens. In the coming years, we must now move to take greater ownership of all our green spaces. The government will continue to fund basic infrastructure and ensure there are sufficient breathing lungs within the Urban Scenario. This includes regular plantings, and the basic facilities, like public toilets, benches, playgrounds, playing fields, etc. The question is what we, as good citizens, can do, to become co-stewards of our parks and gardens. We can as individuals and cooperation's strive for a greater role in safe guarding our green urban environment by helping to shape our parks, in deciding what programs and amenities should be provided. Facilities such as more open-air concert stages spread through the estates, or special botanical exhibitions that are so popular in other mature countries: or value-added outreach and education programs for better understanding of the environment. Civic engagement and philanthropy for parks and gardens is commonplace among the more advanced countries. In Singapore, these traditions are relatively new, a function of our youth as a nation. It is our hope that in the years to come, we can forge a dialogue with people like you, our stakeholders, over our respective roles and responsibilities in bringing the Garden City into the future. I would like to encourage everyone to participate in the future evolution of the Garden City by using the GCF as a vehicle for contributions. It is in your hands to continue 'a City pleasant, Green and Cool'
Prof Leo Tan |