This document discusses water management in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park in Singapore and its benefits. It notes that urbanization is reducing green and blue spaces, which has negative consequences like increased heat islands and flooding. Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park restored the Kallang River to capture stormwater, reducing flooding risks. The park provides biophilic benefits like reduced stress and increased social interaction. Research found the park generates economic and public health values through increased physical activity and exercise. Integrating blue-green infrastructure can enhance urban resilience, livability, and public health.

1. WATER MANAGEMENT IN SINGAPORE’S
BISHAN ANG-MO KIO PARK
RESILIENCE AND LIVEABILITY THROUGH BLUE-GREEN
AND SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Prof. Herbert Dreiseitl Bettina Wanschura
Liveable Cities Lab Ramboll Liveable Cities Lab Ramboll
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Lalouschek
Interdisciplinary Health Centre for Stressmanagement and Burnout Vienna

2. Very soon 2/3 of us will live in cities
Worldwide urbanisation creates high density.
Green and Water is getting diminished.
How to bring Blue/Green and Social Infrastructures back in Liveable Cities?
Data Source: United Nations, esa.un.org
CHALLENGES CITIES ARE FACING

3. URBANISATION IS A MEGATREND BUT …
Blue/Green/Landscape is in danger to be eliminated

4. Max. 119 mm
The heat island effect promotes
heavy local downpours in cities!
Climate Change
in the first place affects mostly the water regime

5. The Copenhagen Example
2. July 2011 >150mm rain in 2 hours; damages > 1 Billion Euros
DISASTER AND RISK

6. Nature
65-80 %
5-30%
0-5%
Agriculture
50%
35%
5-
25%
Urban Area
0-30%
0 – 15%
55 - 100%
REPAIRING THE URBAN WATERBALANCE
The natural Water Regime is significantly influenced by Human activity like Agriculture and Urbanization
To Balance - a long-term goal and action is needed for Renovation and Development

7. DISASTERS AND RISKS
FOR FLORA, FAUNA AND HUMANS
FALLING OUT OF BALANCE IS CREATING
TOO MUCH TOO LITTLE

8. END OF PIPE SOLUTION
ELIMINATION OF WATER
INTEGRATIVE SOLUTION
WATER AS A TREASURE
STATUS GOAL
(Grafik: Dreiseitl) (Grafik: Dreiseitl)
What is needed ?
INTEGRATION OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENTEXAMPLE of HAMBURG, GERMANY | RISA Program
© Grafik: Dreiseitl© Grafik: Dreiseitl

9. CASE: SINGAPORE
before 1970

10. Kallang River, Singapore, before 2010
CASE: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, SINGAPORE

11. Kallang River, Singapore, after restoration, 2013
2010

12. Singapore ABC Waters Design Guidelines Content organization Atelier Dreiseitl
© Grafik: Dreiseitl

13. 5,6,7 8

15. THE RESILIENT CITY
RainEvent 4th May 2011: Stormwater is captured in Kallang River within the
restored Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park

16. THE RESILIENT CITY
Next Days: A place for People to meet Nature within the City

17. COMEBACK OF NATURE
Kallang River at Bishan–Ang Mo Kio Park
Fishotters spotted in the parc

18. • Biophilic aspects of water and green
are one of the main attractions
supporting mental health and may
reduce stress.
• It offers expanded and enhanced
social capital
(Beatley, T. 2010)
• Attraction to nature draws individuals
outdoors where increased interaction
leads to deeper community bonds
(Kishnani, N., Cossu, G., 2015)
BIOPHILIA

19. BURNOUT – DAYS OF ILLNESS

20. Some countries, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, have
reported that up to 50% of long-term sick leave is due to
mental disorders, mostly depression.
By the year 2020, the WHO projects that depression will be the
second highest contributor to the global burden of disease for
all ages and both sexes.
WHO; http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/mental-
health/news/news/2012/10/depression-in-europe
WHO, Disorders Management - Mental Health, accessed July 2011,
http://www.who.int/mental_health/management/depression/definition/en
DEPRESSION

21. • In the EU, the cost of stress at work and the related mental health problems was
estimated to be between 3% and 4% of gross national product (€ 265 billion annually)
• The National Institute of Mental Health in the US conservatively estimates the total costs
associated with serious mental illness and job stress to be in excess of
$300 billion per year (absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover and
direct medical, legal and insurance fees)
• The cumulative global impact of mental disorders in terms of lost economic
output will amount to $16.3 billion between 2011 and 2030
WHAT DOES STRESS COST?

22. • Feeling of being needed and doing something meaningful
increases happiness hormones
• People who enjoy good social networks and trustworthy
environment are less sick and have a stronger immune system
• BUT: The feeling of being helpless creates stress and illness
WHAT NEUROPSYCHOLOGY IS TELLING US

23. BLUE-GREEN ENHANCES
SOCIAL LIFE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

24. RESEARCH
Enhancing Blue-Green and
Social Performance in High
Density Urban Environments
(Ramboll Foundation, 2015)
Special focus on the benefits and
added values of blue-green to
public health

25. VALUE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN
BISHAN-ANG MO KIO PARK
Calculated: 6-16
SGD/person/hour spent on
physical activity
45 % of the 6 million people using
the park every year for exercise
for an average of 67 minutes
Socio Economic Value:
SGD 16-43 Mio
(≈ 10-20 Million EUR per Year)

26. Image: Dreiseitl
ENVIRONMENT A MAJOR DETERMINANT OF HEALTH

27. • Restorative environments have four components: being away,
extent, compatibility, and fascination
• The last of these is essential for cognitive recovery; a setting
having fascinating qualities attracts involuntary attention,
which demands less mental effort.
• Nature attracts one’s attention because of its “soft fascination,”
providing the opportunity for recovery from mental fatigue.
Kaplan, S. 1995. The Restorative Benefits of Nature: Toward An Integrative Framework. Journal of
Environmental Psychology 15, 3:169-182.
ATTENTION RESTORATION THEORY (ART)

28. • Explains emotional and physiological reactions to natural
spaces.
• Being in an unthreatening natural environment (such as
vegetation or water) activates a positive affective response, an
inclination to approach such natural elements, and sustained,
wakefully relaxed attention.
• Individuals can experience a decrease in stress, which involves
reduced levels of negatively toned feelings and reductions in
elevated physiological conditions (such as heart rate and blood
pressure).
Ulrich, R.S., R.F. Simons, B.D. Losito, E. Fiorito, M.A. Miles, and M. Zelson. 1991. Stress Recovery During
Exposure to Natural and Urban Environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology 11, 3:201-230.
STRESS REDUCTION THEORY (SRT)

29. STRESS RECOVERY
RATES

30. Long tradition in Japanese culture
Physiological and psychological benefits:
• For diabetic patients, walking in a
forest was more effective at
decreasing blood glucose levels
than other forms of exercise, such as
walking on a treadmill.
• Higher activity levels in the
immune system cells that act to
reject tumors
• Reduced levels of stress indicators
SHINRIN-YOKU OR FOREST BATHING

31. 2.1 billion people are
overweight or obese
Just 33 years earlier they
were 857 million
50% of Children in the
world, more and more in
developing countries.

32. DAILY EXERCISE IN A GREEN ENVIRONMENT
• Adults are recommended at
least 150 minutes of moderate
physical activity or minimum
75 minutes of intensive
physical activity per week.
• This corresponds to only 20
minutes of fast walking or
biking per day.
• More restorative outdoor
settings may boost exercise
frequency

33. Cities can be strong in smart and sustainable technologies, but
missing to integrate the human scale, is failing to create
Liveable Cities!
GAME CHANGER
© Grafik: Ramboll LCL, Dreiseitl

34. THE ART OF INTEGRATION
Overcoming traditional silos
Cooperation with teams about social,
physical and cultural targets
© Grafik: Ramboll LCL, Dreiseitl

35. ALL RESULTS SHOW THAT WE NEED TO THINK
ABOUT PROPER OPEN SPACES HELPING TO
REDUCE THE LEVEL OF MENTAL, PHYSICAL
AND SOCIAL STRESS.

36. THANK YOU!
PROF. HERBERT DREISEITL
Rambøll, Liveable Cities Lab, Überlingen/Germany
HEBD@RAMBOLL.COM
www.ramboll.com/LCL