CITYGREEN Issue 19

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in many changes in our lives. We now interact with our physical environment differently—our homes have become offices at some points of time, and parks have become go-to places for exercise and mental restoration.

In this issue of CITYGREEN, we present discussions on the benefits of being connected with nature. Case studies from Singapore discuss the effects of therapeutic horticulture for patients on rehabilitation and young adults with disabilities, as well as the role of Nature Playgardens in promoting children’s imagination and fantasy.

Also featured is the article by Professor Hwang Yun Hye and Syariffudin Evi that presents several ideas that reimagines Singapore’s coastal landscape for sea-level rise adaptation, and winning projects of the IFLA Asia-Pacific region Landscape Architecture Awards under the “Parks and Open Space”, “Communities” and “Skyrise Greenery” categories.

In the commentary section, Dr. Wagenfeld delves deeper into the topic on therapeutic horticulture, to deliberate how Sensory Responsive™ nature-based programming and spaces may promote a concerted community response to meet the developmental needs of Individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Jason Wright, in his article “Designing Cities as Human Habitats” explains the role of green spaces in defining our urban habitats to avoid a paradox of crowded isolation.