From ‘Survive’ To ‘Thrive’: Cities Urged To Go Beyond Coping With Climate Impacts

Published on 13 August 2025
The making of a city
The making of a city

SINGAPORE – Cities must move beyond merely coping with the impacts of climate change and actively build resilience that protects lives, livelihoods and mental well-being, experts said at the Singapore Management University (SMU) City Dialogue held in Vienna.

The event also marked the formal launch of the Global Alliance on Sustainable Urban Societies, bringing together partners from Boston University Initiative on Cities, Melbourne Centre for Cities, the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, and the London School of Economics’ Department of Geography and Environment.

In a full-page feature in The Straits Times on Wednesday, journalist Shabana Begum, with infographics developed alongside Audrey Tan and the ST art team, highlighted three key strategies discussed at the Dialogue:

  1. Double duty – Land reclamation projects serving multiple purposes, including flood mitigation.
  2. Turning to tech – Leveraging artificial intelligence, digital twins and real-time data to anticipate climate threats.
  3. Stronger cities – Fostering resilience through community engagement.

Professor Winston Chow, Pillar Lead for Urban Infrastructure at SMU, said protecting urban populations requires integrating science, design and governance, with people at the heart of climate adaptation planning.

“It’s not about being a smart city. It’s about being a smart-enough city – smart enough relative to the context and the specific problem we are trying to solve,” added Professor Orlando Woods, Director of the SMU Urban Institute.

SMU Provost Professor Alan Chan noted that resilient cities encourage neighbourliness, inclusive mobility and intergenerational connection, and prioritise spaces of care.

The Dialogue concluded with calls for sustained collaboration between academia, city leaders and communities to ensure urban areas not only withstand climate pressures but thrive in the face of them.


ST Feature: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/from-survivable-to-liveable-the-making-of-a-green-city