“A triple threat of coronavirus, climate change and conflict means an ambitious goal to end extreme poverty by 2030 looks increasingly unlikely,” said the World Bank in its Poverty and Shared Prosperity report. 7 October 2020 — Extreme poverty will rise for the first time this century as COVID-19 hammers the global economy, as stated […]
Read More… from COVID, climate and conflict conspire to push up poverty
25 September 2020 — I thank the Singapore Institute of Architects for continuing with Archifest this year, and adapting it to a digital setting. Technology has made it possible for us to continue meeting and networking virtually. Your efforts to stay in close touch with your community and support one another is very encouraging. The […]
COVID-19 shutdown measures have had economic impacts far beyond city boundaries as urban economies account for 80 per cent of global GDP. The response should tackle the inequalities and long-term development deficits that have been exposed and made marginalised groups more vulnerable. The UN SG’s Policy Brief on COVID-19 in an Urban World estimates that urban areas […]
Read More… from COVID-19: Cities in the frontline of response and recovery
How often do we say in the workplace that we could use a little vacation? And more often than not, what are the places we think of when we envision that place? Perhaps we think of a beach, a trail through the forest, the mountains or a quiet place in our very own backyards. When […]
Read More… from The biophilic office: Reconnecting nature to the workforce
During the first in a series of roundtable discussions on responding and recovering better from the global crisis, this one with women economists, Secretary-General António Guterres painted a grim picture of acute suffering, saying that extreme poverty and hunger are set to increase drastically. Many healthcare systems are already at breaking point; and a whole […]
Read More… from ‘Bold and creative’ solutions needed for a sustainable, post-pandemic economy
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), alongside several partners in the Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership (SIP), developed a set of ten principles for post-COVID-19 recovery focusing on investing in sustainable and resilient infrastructure. To avoid future crises, the Principles recommend that infrastructure ensure resilience through integrated, systems-level planning and built-in flexibility and redundancy. The Principles state that […]
Read More… from Principles for recovery: Sustainable and resilient infrastructure
Not only is there a twin health and economic crisis, but the long-standing international order has been weakened at the very time we need it to underpin our response to climate change and ease rising geo-political tensions. We need to reimagine how to strengthen cooperation between governments, businesses and our communities in Asia-Pacific, to build […]
While the Prime Minister’s Housing-For-All scheme successfully tilted the outlook of India’s private housing market towards affordable housing for the middle class, it did little to alleviate the deficiencies created by archaic governmental policies. It also failed to facilitate the economically and politically marginalised ‘rurban’ migrants—people who survive in cities on daily wages. Crisis within […]
Read More… from Creating robust urban ecosystems in post-COVID-19 India
COVID-19 has brought both challenges and opportunities, as innovation flourished and new technologies found their ways to advance further. In April 2020, LWK + PARTNERS completed the temporary quarantine facilities in Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre in collaboration with Paul Y. Construction and Paul Y. – iMax to assist the government’s response to COVID-19. It […]
Read More… from Part II: Modular Integrated Construction for sustainable future
Have we been coping WELL? In 2020, after a brief celebration of the dawn of a new decade, an unprecedented wave of uncertainty hit us—the coronavirus pandemic has gravely affected our lifestyles; how and where we live, work and play have been stripped down to the core and turned upside down almost overnight. Our homes […]
Read More… from COVID-19 & architecture: the importance of designing for occupant wellness
This year was supposed to be a ‘super year for nature1,’ with a number of global meetings — World Conservation Congress2, UN Ocean Conference3 and UN Nature Summit4 — all culminating in a global biodiversity conference5 that would agree on a decade-long Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework6. This was supposed to be the year that launched the Decade of Restoration7, and […]
Read More… from Applying the hard lessons of coronavirus to the biodiversity crisis
Responding timely with the right tools In 2020, the world is suddenly faced with an unprecedented global need for temporary emergency structures to accommodate the overwhelming cases of the COVID-19 pandemic and to address the urgent need for medical facilities. In Asia especially, we are no strangers to quick-built, modular, resilient structures in times of […]
Read More… from Part I: COVID-19: An urgent need for emergency architecture
