WCS 2016: Centre for Liveable Cities and the MPA Academy Jointly Organised Forum on “The Future of Ports and Their Relationship with Cities”

Jul 12, 2016

The Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and MPA Academy, the training arm of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) jointly organised a forum, “The Future of Ports and Their Relationship with Cities” on Tuesday, 12 July. This was held in conjunction with the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2016 – an exclusive platform for government leaders and industry experts to exchange ideas on co-creating innovative and integrated urban solutions to create more liveable and sustainable cities.

Leaders of historically important port cities, Mayor of Antwerp, Bart de Wever and Deputy Mayor of Yokohama, Toshihide Hirahara, shared the port development journeys of Antwerp and Yokohama with close to 150 maritime professionals, students and executives from the private and public sectors at the forum held at Marina Bay Sands this evening. Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA, presented Singapore’s opportunities and challenges at the Tuas Mega Port, and was the moderator for the session.

The development of cities such as Antwerp and Yokohama had been shaped by the growth of their port industry over the years. However, this relationship is dynamic, and both cities have come up with innovative solutions to balance port growth and urban liveability. In the case of Antwerp, the redevelopment of public spaces in old port land areas were highlighted, while retaining the maritime character of the city centre, Het Eilandje. Meanwhile, Yokohama, a special mention recipient of the 2014 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, showcased the close private-public partnership involved in revitalising the attractiveness of the city’s waterfront district at Minato Mirai 21.

Chief Executive of MPA, Mr. Andrew Tan said, “The Port has always been an integral part of our economy and with the future consolidation of our port at Tuas, we will take full advantage of technologies to enhance our port’s efficiency, reliability, safety and competitive edge. We will also look at intensifying land use such as above and underground spaces for maritime and logistics related activities, industrial uses and storage needs. Along with other developments and amenities in the area, the Next Generation Port will also include green and community spaces and facilities to educate visitors on our port heritage and growth opportunities. There is also much we can learn from other leading ports, such as on how to promote and encourage greater community ownership and awareness of the importance of our port.”

Executive Director of CLC, Mr Khoo Teng Chye said, “Given Singapore’s high urban density, planning for port growth in tandem with the city’s development is a huge challenge. CLC is excited to gather international leaders and maritime practitioners today as part of CLC’s mission to share knowledge on the challenges faced by port cities and the processes that help to achieve synergies in port and city growth.”

To round up the evening of sharing, Mr Khoo launched the latest series of Urban System Study books, titled “Port and the City: Balancing Growth and Liveability” which distilled key lessons from Singapore’s experience in balancing trade-offs of the port industry’s growth while creating a highly liveable urban environment through dynamic governance and integrated planning.