National_Geographic_Traveller_India-May_2018

THE SCIENCE OF SINGAPORE

WITH FLOURISHING GREEN SPACES, WELL-PRESERVED HISTORICAL LANDMARKS AND CUTTING-EDGE
TECHNOLOGY, THE ISLAND NATION HAS THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS

46 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | MAY 2018

S

ingapore, an island

nation about the

size of Mumbai, has

an outsize reputation as

a hotbed of innovation.

With autonomous

vehicles being tested on

the roads, environmental

policies to manage

water resources and

protect green spaces,

and social programs that

preserve heritage in this

multicultural society, the

Lion City is a showcase

for urban living. But

it doesn’t look only to

the future. “Singapore

is about being past-

forward, not just fast-

forward,” says Gene Tan,

a local creative director.

Founded 52 years ago,

this city-state of some

58 lakh people strives to

sustain both its natural

environment and its

distinct social fabric. The

November 2017 issue of

National Geographic

counts Singapore among

the world’s happiest

places (noting that

economic stability leads

to personal satisfaction).

Start your visit at the

Singapore City Gallery,

a museum dedicated to

the nation’s surprising

structural evolution.

—Jaclyn Snow

High above city streets,

flourishing foliage

clings to the facade of

Parkroyal on Pickering. Lucas Foglia