English blog of personal response - Term 1

I have some English homework to do; put up on my blog an article then review and reflect on it from at least two different perspectives. With a 500 word limit! So here's my article, The Straits Times Insight pages S8 (S9 is related as well) on Saturday, Febuary 24th 2007. It talks about the effects of Singapore's population reaching 6.5 million people. Here is a scan of the paper (click to enlarge). My review and word count starts below that.

- Blog of Personal Response to Current Affairs -

Singapore has long been a player in the race to become a global city. In the age of globalization, to compete in the top league, global cities must not just aspire too become the epicentres of economic activity, but also flourish as cultural hubs. But one of the requirements (and effects) of a successful global city would be a large cosmopolitan population which can sustain a full menu of socio-cultural activities. Will this be something which Singapore can achieve? If so, what are the effects?

This article describes the effects on Singapore when the population reaches the projected 6.5 million. It states that the main source of growth will have to come from immigration, given the fact that Singapore's fertility rate of around 1.25 in recent years is far below replacement level. Such a major demographic shift may have significant political and economic consequences. As the share of the population that citizens account for vis-à-vis immigrants shrinks, tensions may run high between Singaporeans and foreigners over issues such as the fear of losing jobs to foreign talent, the changing ethnic balance, the lack of commitment to Singapore on the part of immigrants, and the overall disintegration of social cohesion. However, my sense is that we should remember our immigrant roots and reflect on this more carefully; Singapore has in the past thrived as an immigrant society with an open-door policy towards migrants since its founding. This should help us look at migration in more positive ways, and help us realize that it is the constant injection of migrants that make us a vibrant and cosmopolitan city.

Growing the population to almost 1.5 times its current size also presents a range of social and environmental concerns. One of these is the problem of over-crowding as personal space shrinks. Even now, we have to build vertically to maximize what little space we have on this island. However, we should look at the other side of the coin beyond anxieties over the lack of personal room and a compromised quality of life. Cities more “crowded” than Singapore – such as Hong Kong, with 6.9 million people, and described as a “concrete jungle with little elbow room” – seem to be able to transcend its physical limitations and maintain a quality of life that people consider more vibrant and exciting than Singapore’s. A larger, more diverse mix of people in Singapore will allow it to also develop the “buzz” that accompanies global cities. While green spaces must be conserved and the environment protected, accommodating more people on the island can be achieved without compromising the quality of life if we are creative in using technology to solve the problem of land scarcity. Perhaps we can build our city upwards by maximizing vertical planes and making use of “waste” spaces.

The “Singapore Dream” of becoming a truly global city can be achieved not only by expanding the population but also increasing the breadth of our vision for this island.

- 492 words -

Bibliography & References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city
http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070102/070214-3.htm