Forging Sustainable Urban Futures for Asian Cities through Urban Waterfront Regeneration: Comparative Studies in Colombo, Bangkok and Singapore

Abstract

Urban waterways and waterfronts have always played an important role in the early development of Asian cities. However; over time, many of them have become polluted, abandoned and derelict. Nonetheless, thy remain relevant to the social, economic and in many instances, political and cultural life of cities. The challenge for planners is not only to revitalize these areas to reclaim their rightful roles and functions in the city, but also to harness their potential positive contribution to a more sustainable future for Asian cities. In this paper, we develop and apply a conceptual framework to analyse and define what constitutes successful and sustainable outcomes of urban waterfront renewal, primarily through the lenses of community participation. Three case studies have been selected for this analysis from the cities of Singapore, Bangkok and Colombo. In examining these cases we asked how economic imperatives can be balanced with social and cultural sensitivity, while addressing critical environmental and infrastructural challenges, as well as the role of the local community in all these aspects. The paper concludes that local community involvement is important to forge a sustainable urban vision while recognizing that this can take many forms.