Problem overview:

     Awareness and visions: Singapores Prime Minister had the will and effort to transform Singapore from a city crowded with buildings and infrastructure, to a city that is greener, so that peoples mental and health conditions will improve and to convince outsiders of the countrys sustained development.

     Policies and measures: Policies and measures are the major tools in this example that has helped make the leaders vision become real. Here are some policy measures that have been established according to this vision.

Background in summary:

     Former Prime Minister Lee and his vision for Garden City in Singapore: The Garden City was the brainchild of the former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, now Senior Minister (SM). The verdant city of Singapore today is the result of a deliberate 30-year policy which, according to SM, required "political will and sustained effort".

     There were two main reasons for the SM's passion for gardens:

1. To woo investors: trees and gardens were a subtle way of convincing potential investors in the early crucial years that Singapore was an efficient and effective place.
   
   
2. To soften the harshness of life: a blighted urban landscape, a concrete jungle destroys the human spirit, we need the greenery of nature to lift up our spirits.
   
   

     Garden city was a concept of sustainable development: The 1968 'Garden City' approach was the vision of integrating environment with development. The epithets "green and clean" to describe the 'garden' were elements in the "Garden Approach' to sustainable development. Singapore was already well ahead in envisioning 'sustainable development' because at that time the term was not known and was only given political legitimacy in 1987, in the Brundtland Report.

     Policies and plans following the vision: Subsequently, strategies were developed under the Singapore Green Plan (1992) and six workgroups were established which developed strategies for the Plan. The six groups were in the areas of environmental education, environmental technology, resource conservation, clean technologies, environmental noise and nature conservation (see The Singapore Green Plan - Action Programmes, 1993).

     Heading towards being a Model Green City: Singapore is not content just to be just a Garden City - she wants to hold herself up as a "Model Green City" in the year 2000, so goes the title of the Green Plan - Towards a Model Green City - A Tropical City of Excellence.

Peer Review Committee Good practice rating: (1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)
Sustainability		Efficiency
2	Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other.	3	Cost efficient.
2	Sustainable over time (not one-off)	Process
Adaptability		-	Participation of the community
2	Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?)	-	Participation of resource owners/users
2	Socio-cultural adaptability.	2	Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private)
2	Level of development adaptability.	-	Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments.
2	Style of government adaptability.	1	Ability to attract political interest/support
3	Degree of decentralization adaptability.	-	Procedures for feedback and review.
Comments on this example:       Many factors contribute to the success of a garden city. Firstly, the leader, Mr. Lee Kuan yew, has really put serious effort into making the concept real. Secondly, the Singaporean government has always been known for its strict enforcement of regulations. Thirdly, the size of the country makes the task possible. Decorating a small garden is easier and cheaper than a big garden. Finally, since the country doesnt a burden or priority like other countries in the region to improve the socio-economic condition of the country, sufficient budget could be allocated to the project. The success of the Garden City concept works well with Singapore, but might not for other countries because the supporting circumstances are very country specific. Sustainability of the project:      Awareness and visions: The key message here is environment as an attraction for boosting development, which is unique. What is important is that the vision was transformed into action via policies, strategies and plans, which in most cases are lacking in the region. Adaptability of the project to other situations:      Style of Government adaptability: This example is very similar to another example in this virtual conference called Singapore, Importance of Leadership in terms of the style of leader. The success of this programme is very unique, basically owing to the will and determination of the leader - Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Quite common that development programmes tend to go well if it is thought of by the leader of the country as a priority programme.      Location and Development adaptability: Development of Garden City in other countries or other cities might not be as simple as in Singapore. Starting with first of all, Singapore is relatively small, therefore, coverage area is low. Also, the economy in Singapore was stable at the time, hence, the government could pay more attention to other aspects, which was, to green the city. See also Dalian, an ecological environment model city in China Process of decision making and implementation:      Policies and measures: Similar to what is mentioned in the comments section, Singapore was successful in turning the city green in a considerably short time, because Singapore was able to carry out the policies and measures effectively and efficiently. Cost efficiency: