is singapore really a global city

class - i was so excited to see this article - the question we just did yesterday i think

about singapore's stregths
What the infrastructure-rich, efficient city state excels in is giving a great first impression, with the tree-lined expressway from Changi Airport to the city centre as 'one of the most beautiful drives to and from any airport, anywhere in the world'.

Singapore is also moving towards increasing cultural vibrancy and openness, but here, there is room for improvement.

what we are lacking in
'If Singapore wants to push itself from a creativity perspective and wants to build a greater design community, you don't have to read Richard Florida's book on the creative class to know that cities need to be much more tolerant of other lifestyles, be they gay or otherwise.'

cities that have the right balance of strong government and ground-up creativity include Zurich, Copenhagen, Munich and Tokyo - this year's top four liveable cities according to Monocle.


so what makes a global city
MONOCLE'S editor-in-chief offers five suggestions for Singapore's urban planners:

A shopping street to challenge Orchard Road
A second hub would keep the retail scene 'interesting and dynamic'. Singapore could take its cue from central Tokyo, which is about three times larger and has many shopping districts, including the upmarket Omotesando avenue, the integrated live-work-shop Roppongi Hills development, bustling Shinjuku and youth fashion mecca Shibuya.


Get life onto the streets round-the-clock
Mr Tyler Brule's vision of a perfect high street is that it has something 'for young and old, early risers and night owls - a metabolism that runs seven days a week'. He thinks Singapore could take a leaf here from Taipei, known for its teeming night markets selling street food, as well as 24-hour bookshops, snack bars, businesses and convenience stores.


Add a little light industry into the mix
He bemoans the fact that in many of the world's major cities, 'you've got these design industries but they can't make anything' because the carpentry or tailoring has been outsourced elsewhere. A good neighbourhood should also 'make things and not just generate ideas'.


Develop your own architectural vernacular
Create distinctive indoor and outdoor spaces suited to the weather and lifestyle here. One good design idea for a tropical climate is Bal Harbor in Florida, a shopping mall in a tropical garden setting with coconut palms and ceiling fans.


Leave some things to chance
Singapore's brand of efficient planning is both its strength and weakness. 'Great cities work because they are full of surprises. You can't plan everything to the nth degree, you have to leave some space at the margins.'



Monocle's criteria:


Good flight connections and airport

Low crime rate

Strong public services such as education and health care

Ample sunshine and bearable average annual temperature

Excellent communications and connectivity

Tolerance of different races and lifestyles

Attractive architecture

Quality, affordable public transport and taxis

Strong local media and availability of international media

Access to nature and green areas

Innovative environmental initiatives

Cultural vibrancy

Ease of opening a small business

Ease of getting a drink after 1am.
Which city scores

2008 rankings

1. Copenhagen 2. Munich 3. Tokyo 4. Zurich 5. Helsinki 6. Vienna 7. Stockholm

8. Vancouver 9. Melbourne 10. Paris 11. Sydney 12. Honolulu 13. Madrid 14. Berlin

15. Barcelona 16. Montreal 17. Fukuoka 18. Amsterdam 19. Minneapolis 20. Kyoto

21. Hamburg 22. Singapore* 23. Geneva 24. Lisbon 25. Portland