Imagine Singapore
In Search of New Ground
Singapore is a vibrant city that offers many exciting possibilities, but like other cities, it is confronting new and emerging challenges. Key among these are its limited land area and the need to plan for a future estimated population growth of 6.9 million by 2030. For a small city state like Singapore, land is a treasured resource that needs to be carefully planned and designed for and the quest for new ground means challenging the status quo of how land areas are currently being extended, developed and utilized.
With Singapore’s aspiration to become a more sustainable and resilient city, its looks to innovative strategies to help the city state free up more surface land, and at the same time, look beneath itself in its endeavor for more space.
How can Singapore turn its challenges into opportunities to provide for future infrastructure and civic needs while ensuring a holistic and sustainable approach which allows Singapore to retain its identity and heritage? What lessons can be learnt in the way the island nation approaches urban planning and city rejuvenation? Imagine Singapore convenes public policy makers and leaders in urban planning, infrastructure and business in an exchange of ideas to envision a new paradigm where Singapore can stride boldly into her future.
Speakers and Panelists
Goh Chok Tong
Emeritus Senior Minister,
Republic of Singapore
Goh Chok Tong
Emeritus Senior Minister, Republic of Singapore
Mr Goh Chok Tong was Singapore’s Prime Minister from November 1990 to August 2004. Mr Goh graduated with First Class Honours in Economics from the University of Singapore in 1964 and joined the Administrative Service of the Singapore Government the same year. In 1967, he graduated with a Master of Arts in Development Economics from Williams College, USA. Mr Goh joined national shipping company Neptune Orient Lines in 1969, and was its Managing Director from 1973 to 1977.
Mr Goh was first elected into Parliament in 1976, and was reelected in the nine subsequent general elections. He remains a Member of Parliament. Between 1979 and 1990, he served as Minister of Trade and Industry, Health and Defence, respectively. He was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in 1985, and succeeded Mr Lee Kuan Yew on 28 November 1990 as Singapore’s second Prime Minister. He relinquished the premiership in August 2004 to pave the way for leadership renewal. Mr Goh remained in the Cabinet as Senior Minister and was Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) from August 2004 to May 2011. Upon leaving Cabinet, Mr Goh was given the honorary title of Emeritus Senior Minister, and was appointed Senior Advisor to MAS.
Lawrence Wong
Minister for National Development
and Second Minister for Finance,
Republic of Singapore
Lawrence Wong
Minister for National Development and
Second Minister for Finance, Republic of Singapore
Mr Lawrence Wong was elected a Member of Parliament in May 2011 and subsequently held positions in the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Communications and Information, and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. As Culture Minister, Mr Wong led the bid for the Singapore Botanic Gardens to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the 2015 General Election, Mr Wong was appointed the Minister for National Development and the Second Minister for Finance. He is also a member of the Future Economy Council, the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council and the National Research Foundation Board, and co-chairs the Singapore-Tianjin Economic and Trade Council, as well as the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Joint Working Committee.
Mr Wong contributes to the labour movement as Chairman of the Singapore Labour Foundation, and serves as Advisors to the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) U Associate Leaders’ Circle, and the Union of Power and Gas Employees. Beginning his career as a civil servant, Mr Wong’s portfolio included the Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority, and the Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Prior to these appointments, he was the Director of Healthcare Finance at the Ministry of Health, where he implemented reforms to MediShield, to provide Singaporeans with better protection against large hospital bills.
At the community level, Mr Wong was involved in youth work in the church and voluntary organisations. He co-founded PromiseWorks, a voluntary organisation which develops and mentors youths. PromiseWorks had received the Outstanding New Volunteer Initiative award in 2003.
Mr Wong was educated at the Tanjong Katong Secondary School and the Victoria Junior College. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Wisconsin- Madison and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor respectively. He also holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Professor Chan Heng Chee
Global Co-Chair
Asia Society
Professor Chan Heng Chee
Global Co-Chair, Asia Society
Professor Chan Heng Chee is Ambassador-at-Large with the Singapore Foreign Ministry. She chairs the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities in the Singapore University of Technology and Design. She is Chairman of the National Arts Council, a Member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights. She is also Deputy Chairman of the Social Science Research Council, and a member of the Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and Data, Ministry of Communications and Information. She was elected the Global Co-Chair of the Asia Society in December 2017 and is a Council Member of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
Previously, she was Singapore’s Ambassador to the United States and Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations with concurrent accreditation as High Commissioner to Canada and Ambassador to Mexico.
Sean Chiao
President,
Asia Pacific, AECOM
Sean Chiao
President, Asia Pacific, AECOM
Sean Chiao is President, Asia Pacific, at AECOM. With over 30 years of experience in urban design and management, Sean is responsible for leading operational performance and strategic growth in the Asia Pacific region; this includes 15,000 employees across Australia & New Zealand, Greater China, India and Southeast Asia.
Throughout his career, Sean has played a pivotal role in the creation of award-winning master plans for high-density new towns and the revitalization of existing urban landscapes, including the Kuala Lumpur River of Life; Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor; Bonifacio Global City in Metro Manila, Philippines; and China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park. In 2016, Sean spearheaded the publication Jigsaw City which showcases AECOM’s work and philosophies around forming new urban environments and experiences in Asian cities.
An advocate for inspiring future generations of talent, Sean orchestrated AECOM’s collaboration with Harvard University Graduate School of Design’s Department of Urban Planning and Design. The partnership enables students to explore topical issues related to Asia’s rapid urbanization and empowers them to envision tangible, holistic solutions.
Sean is a Global Trustee of the Urban Land Institute and a member of Asia Society’s Executive Committee. He is also a member of Harvard University’s Master in Design Engineering (MDE) External Advisory Board and on the Board of Directors for the University of Southern California’s American Academy in China.
Peter Ho
Senior Advisor,
Centre for Strategic Futures
Peter Ho
Senior Advisor, Centre for Strategic Futures
Mr Peter Ho is the Senior Advisor to the Centre for Strategic Futures, and a Senior Fellow at the Civil Service College.
He is also Chairman of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore, Chairman of the Social Science Research Council, Chairman of the Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Chairman of the National Supercomputing Centre Steering Committee, and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the National University of Singapore, and a board member of the National Research Foundation, a member of the Board of Governors of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
When Mr Ho retired from the Singapore Administrative Service in 2010, he was Head, Civil Service, concurrent with his other appointments of Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs), Permanent Secretary (National Security & Intelligence Coordination), and Permanent Secretary (Special Duties) in the Prime Minister’s Office. Before that, he was Permanent Secretary (Defence).
Daniel Cerf
Chief Executive Officer,
Cache Logistics Trust
Daniel Cerf
Chief Executive Officer, Cache Logistics Trust
Mr Daniel Cerf has more than 30 years of experience in Asia involving real estate investment, development and related management consulting services.
Mr. Cerf joined ARA Asset Management Limited to assist in the listing and continued management of Cache Logistics Trust. Since listing in April 2010 with 6 properties valued at approx S$730 mil, Cache has grown to 26 properties in Singapore and Australia valued at over S$1.3 bil as at end-Dec 2019.
Prior to joining the ARA Group, Mr Cerf was Deputy CEO of what is presently known as Keppel REIT Management Limited, the manager of Keppel REIT. Earlier, Mr. Cerf was Director and General Manager of First Pacific Land (Hong Kong)’s Singapore and Malaysia subsidiaries. Mr Cerf continued to successfully run the businesses after a successful management buyout, along with his regional asset management consultancy partnership, until 2005.
Mr Cerf is a former practicing architect and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oklahoma, USA.
Cheng Hsing Yao
Group Managing Director,
GuocoLand Singapore
Cheng Hsing Yao
Group Managing Director, GuocoLand Singapore
Mr Cheng Hsing Yao is the Group Managing Director of GuocoLand Singapore whose projects include integrated mixed-use development like Tanjong Pagar Centre, and residential projects like Leedon Residence, Sims Urban Oasis and the new Martin Place residential site.
He joined the Group in 2012. His prior appointments were Managing Director of Group Project Office which oversaw all projects in Singapore, Malaysia, China and Vietnam, and COO of GuocoLand Singapore.
Prior to joining GuocoLand, he was with the Singapore public service. There, he held leadership positions at the Centre for Liveable Cities and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and was involved in projects like the Singapore Marina Bay and the Sino- Singapore Tianjin Eco-City.
He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze), Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (Gangsa) in 2006, a World Cities Summit Young Leader, a member of the Future City Committee set up by the Singapore government, as well as a member of the Urban Redevelopment Authority Design Advisory Committee.
He holds a Bachelor of Architecture (1st Class Honours) from Newcastle University, UK and a Master in Design Studies (Distinction) from Harvard University.
Dr John Endicott
Executive Director &
AECOM Fellow
Dr John Endicott
Executive Director & AECOM Fellow
Dr John Endicott is an Executive Director and AECOM Fellow in recognition of his expertise as a specialist in underground engineering for over 45 years. His passion for underground space has led to his work on a myriad of underground projects in Asia.
With extensive experience on major infrastructure projects, John has contributed to the design of more than 100 underground station structures and also established a geotechnical practice which grew to over 500 staff. He has been active in HKIE and was a founder of the Geotechnical Division and of the Geotechnical Discipline and was a Member of Council for several years.
He is an Adjunct Professor the University of Hong Kong and at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in supporting and leading MSc programs. He is in frequent demand as a keynote speaker and has authored or joint-authored some 60 technical papers on a wide range of geotechnical topics.
He has a PhD in modelling slope deformation from Cambridge University and is a Fellow Commoner at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and Adjunct Professor at University of Hong Kong and at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Professor Zhao Zhiye
Director, Nanyang Centre for
Underground Space,
Nanyang Technological
Professor Zhao Zhiye
Director, Nanyang Centre for
Underground Space, Nanyang Technological
Dr Zhao Zhiye is an Associate Professor from the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and is currently the director of the Nanyang Centre for Underground Space, NTU. His research focus is in the area of rock mechanics and rock engineering, and has involved the following projects recently: Hydrogeological analysis of Jurong Rock Caverns funded by JTC, Pilot cavern study for water storage funded by MND, joint SINTEF/I3C/NCUS project on Grouting modelling and simulations, joint Hyundai/NCUS project on Preliminary design system for rock caverns, and Underground LNG storage funded by SJ/NTU Corp Lab.
Dr Zhao Zhiye is a member of the editorial board of the Int. Journal of Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology and the Int. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. He has served as the President of the Society for Rock Mechanics & Engineering Geology Singapore since March 2013.
Scott Dunn
Vice President,
Southeast Asia, AECOM
Scott Dunn
Vice President, Southeast Asia, AECOM
Scott Dunn is Vice President for Southeast Asia at AECOM and drives the strategic growth to advance the regional growth agenda of AECOM’s APAC Executive Leadership Team through identification, development and support of strategic initiatives. He leads cross-functional teams in providing integrated services and sustainable solutions for large, complex and multidisciplinary projects across Asia, among them high-density masterplans for new towns and regeneration of existing urban landscapes that have drawn on sustainable and smart themes.
Scott is also part of the Urban Land Institute Singapore Council and was its past founding Chairman and current co-Chair.
He is an advocate of sustainable land development and high dense urban environmental design and believes that in order to create great places, one should be both sensitive to the environment and be responsible for the society. His books and papers on urban mobility, sustainability and livability issues are frequently published with the local and international media. As a highly regarded thought leader in the planning community, he actively speaks on land development at conferences and events throughout Asia and North America.
Richard Hassell
Founding Director,
WOHA
Richard Hassell
Founding Director, WOHA
Richard Hassell is an Australian-born architect and artist living in Singapore. With Wong Mun Summ, he co-founded the architectural practice WOHA in 1989 – a firm that has accrued a varied and prestigious portfolio of work. Richard combines his architectural practice with theoretical explorations into issues of climate, density, and the future of the city. He also maintains an ongoing practice as an artist, with past work in painting and in the compositional language of tessellation.
In 2016, at the Venice Biennale, WOHA has exhibited their work with a video installation entitled Fragments of an Urban Future and in New York at the Skyscraper Museum with Garden City | Mega City.
WOHA has also received 11 President’s Design Awards, Singapore’s highest design accolade. In 2018 WOHA received the prize for the World Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival for their mixed use project Kampung Admiralty.
Cindy Lim
Director, Group Corporate Development &
Managing Director, Keppel Urban Solutions
Cindy Lim
Director, Group Corporate Development &
Managing Director, Keppel Urban Solutions
Cindy Lim Director, Group Corporate Development & Managing Director, Keppel Urban Solutions Cindy Lim is the Director of Group Corporate Development (GCD) of Keppel Corporation Limited and concurrently the Managing Director of Keppel Urban Solutions (KUS), a business unit of the Keppel Group that aims to become an end-to-end integrated master developer of smart, sustainable precincts in the Asia-Pacific region.
As the Director of GCD, she focuses on operationalizing and actualizing the Group’s goals, working closely with the various Group functions in Keppel Corporation and Business Units to jointly identify, assess and pursue opportunities for synergies, maximize value creation and optimize cost efficiencies. Cindy is also the Country Lead for China, Vietnam and Myanmar where she partners respective chief and country representatives to harness the Group’s collective capabilities, drive collaboration, coordinate business activities and accelerate the pace of synergy so as to generate new and incremental streams in these key overseas markets as OneKeppel.
In her other role as the Managing Director of KUS, she leads the unit to capture business opportunities in integrated master development, tapping on the mega trends of rapid urbanisation and the increasing global focus on sustainability. KUS also operates an open platform allowing partnership with the best-in-class technology providers to create smart infrastructure ecosystem, thereby advancing Keppel Group’s goal of being a choice solutions provider for sustainable urbanization.
Lim Eng Hwee
Chief Executive Officer,
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Singapore
Lim Eng Hwee
Chief Executive Officer, Urban Redevelopment Authority Singapore
Mr Lim Eng Hwee is the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) with effect from 1st September 2017. URA is Singapore’s national planning agency responsible for the physical planning and urban development of Singapore.
Mr Lim was formerly the Chief Planner and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Redevelopment Authority from 2009 to 2017. He has extensive experience in urban planning, urban design, implementation of land use policies and development initiatives. He also served in the Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Trade and Industry.
He served as a member in the Boards of Land Transport Authority, Singapore Cooperation Enterprise and Singapore Science Centre. He currently sits on the Boards of Singapore Tourism Board and the International Federation for Housing and Planning.
Mr Lim graduated with a Bachelor of Planning from the University of Auckland. He also holds a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard University. He attended the Wharton Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr Derrick Pang
Chief Executive Officer,
Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings
Dr Derrick Pang
Chief Executive Officer,
Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings
Dr. Pang graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in the United States in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree and obtained a Master of Engineering degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States in 1998, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2007. He also obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2014.
He is a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the United Kingdom and the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, and a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of California, United States.
He has over 18 years of geotechnical design and construction experience in the United States and Hong Kong. He has been appointed as a non-official member of the Land and Development Advisory Committee of the Development Bureau of Hong Kong since July 2015 and has served as a non-official member of the Construction Industry Council of Hong Kong since February 2017.
He was also a non-official member of the Task Force and Land Supply, of which the committee members were appointed by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, from September 2017 to February 2019.