Commentary Archives

Designing for Non-humans as an Act of Service

HUMANS’ RESPONSIBILITY AS STEWARDS The relationship between humans and animals is complex and multifaceted. When it comes to designing shelters for animals, our minds often conjure images of professional architects and engineers devising innovative and functional structures for zoos, wildlife parks or conservation centres. Animals are generally only cared for if they are of any […]

Birdhouses

The act of providing shelter to birds is one such instance where religion and tradition play a role in developing human-animal relationships. Such initiatives have been ingrained in various societies for centuries, showcasing the enduring relationship between humans and birds. Communities worldwide, particularly in South Asia and the Middle East, have embraced the idea of […]

Writer’s Note: Creating Spaces for Animals

My own childhood, growing up in Hardoi, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, has exposed me to Nature and its brilliant beings. We played in mango orchards full of monkeys and among the chirping of birds. Every evening, cows, dogs and cats visited our door and my mother gave them wheat chapatis. The most vivid […]

Proposal for An Urban Wildlife ‘Edu-sanctuary’

Singapore, especially post-independence, has transformed its landscape of sprawling farmlands into an urban cityscape. About 80 per cent of the population lives in public housing, where each unit can only legally own one dog of an approved breed. This suggests that the ratio of animal to human interaction or familiarity amongst the majority of the […]

Design for Aging is Design for All

Human lifespans are increasing around the world. According to WorldData.info, the average life expectancy worldwide rose from around 50.7 years for men and 54.6 for women in 1960 to 68.9 for men and 73.9 for women in 2021.1 Currently, this trend of aging populations is observed most significantly in developed regions—with Hong Kong, Japan and […]

A toolkit for persons with dementia and caregivers: Hack Care

Among the acute health risks associated with old age is dementia, an umbrella term for diseases that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform daily activities. One in 10 people over the age of 60 in Singapore live with dementia and the number is expected to increase with the aging population. Ong Ker-Shing, […]

Climate Feature: Cultivating the Right Tree in the Right Place

Did you know that many of the oldest living organisms on Earth are trees? In fact, the Methuselah Tree, a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, was thought to be the oldest living tree in the world. What does an ancient living species have to do with today’s city landscapes? For one, Earth’s biosphere and ecology will […]

Making collective urban housing more liveable

There is a paradox of housing provision, where many properties stand empty within inaccessible areas while at the same time people are facing a global housing crisis. In urban areas, the urgent need for housing is often met by constructing collective homes—but in the attempt to build faster, many factors such as community and liveability […]

The necessity of safeguarding ocean ecosystems: World Oceans Day 2023

The ocean covers 70 per cent of our planet and represents over 95 per cent of the biosphere. It also produces at least half of the planet’s oxygen while absorbing around 30 per cent of carbon dioxide, making it a key ‘carbon sink’ in buffering the impacts of climate change. Despite humanity’s utter reliance on […]

World Environment Day 2023: Solutions to Plastic Pollution

Initially patented as an alternative to tree-based materials, and with the intent to reduce deforestation, plastic bags and other types of single-use plastic has grown to cause problems for the environment due to their widespread use and lack of recycling management in many places. The production of plastic is among the world’s most energy-intensive manufacturing […]

Can Pune be a Case Study for Indian Cities to Improve Pedestrian Infrastructure?

Pune used to be a quaint town known for its pleasant weather, shaded streets with overarching trees, and the heritage old city quarters till the 1990s. Unlike the closely situated Mumbai, which is a post-industrial city established by the British during the colonial era, Pune was established in the 8th century, according to archaeological sources. […]

Cable Cars as Feasible Urban Transport Option?

With the inauguration of its new 10.6-kilometre cable car route in August 2021, the government of Mexico City hoped to lift the spirits of residents in the large peripheral municipality of Iztapalapa by cutting commute times and exposing them to murals custom-made to be only visible from the sky. The electric-powered cable cars, also known […]