December 26, 2006
Singapore
I have heard great stories about Singapore and its lifestyle, but it definitely is an experience to be there. Singapore which is among the smallest countries in the world and is also one of the most densely populated country in the world, with 6,430 people per square kilometre.
In spite of it Singapore is one of the cleanest, beautiful city I have seen. Singapore has three major ethnic groups, Chinese, Malays and Tamil with Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English being the most widely spoken languages. It?s a multicultural, diverse city which lives in great harmony (unlike its neighbors ). Nothing is free in Singapore, everything from education to health care has to be paid for, but at the same time tax is very low and cost of living very less compared to other major cities in the world. Things that Toronto and other major cities in Canada can learn from Singapore are:
1) Managing cultural diversity and maximizing their skill set.
2) Public transportation- It has one of the best transit systems I have ever seen. The subway network goes through several thousand visitors daily, but still remains efficient and clean. Eating, drinking is banned inside coaches.
3) Keeping green and clean. Singapore has not let even a single square meter of space go waste. Its most lush green city that you can see. The city has done an excellent job of maximizing road space and planting trees to bring shade and make the city green. Littering is an offence in Singapore and its effects are very much visible. The streets of Singapore are clean and its very hard to see litter anywhere.
4) Crime. Even though Singapore has a very diverse population similar to Toronto, crime rate is very very low. Singapore enforces capital punishment for drug smuggling and has tougher measures for other crimes too. The streets are Singapore are relatively safer than another city in the developed world.
5) Management and revenue- Singapore enforces strict fines for breaking the law. Its an offence to spit in the public, not flushing the toilet, throwing litter, eating, drinking in public transit coaches, smoking in non designated areas etc andd have big fines for it. This system has curtailed public menace and also raised several millions in revenue to the city, that is reinvested to keep the city green and clean.
Singapore is a fine city, there is a fine for everything! Toronto should probably partner with Singapore on a bilateral level and learn from their experience, instead of complaining about lack of funds.
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