Extract of The Straits Times Insight article by Clarissa Oon:
Lover of cities seeks extra oomph in Singapore
As for Singapore, he has been here 30 times, usually on one-night layovers and for work. What the infrastructure-rich, efficient city state excels in is giving a great first impression, he says, citing the tree-lined expressway from Changi Airport to the city centre as 'one of the most beautiful drives to and from any airport, anywhere in the world'. Singapore is also moving towards increasing cultural vibrancy and openness, but here, he believes, there is room for improvement.
Speaking to some 200 architects, designers, civil servants and students at the Drama Centre last Monday, he said the lack of tolerance was a key reason why the city state fell in Monocle's rankings this year.
Asked to elaborate by Insight, he says: 'If Singapore wants to push itself from a creativity perspective and wants to build a greater design community, you don't have to read Richard Florida's book on the creative class to know that cities need to be much more tolerant of other lifestyles, be they gay or otherwise.'
Mr Brule is known to be gay. The Guardian reported last year that he has a long-term Swedish partner.
Another tension he alluded to in Singapore's urban development is the fine line between good management and over-planning. For him, cities that have the right balance of strong government and ground-up creativity include Zurich, Copenhagen, Munich and Tokyo - this year's top four liveable cities according to Monocle.
'It's hard, but I believe some things you can't engineer, and that just means being a bit more loose and open. I mean, how can you plan surprises?'
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Comments:
I think Brule really have a point when he said “how can you plan surprises”. Indeed there’s just a fine line between good management and over-planning, or what I prefer to call as over-control. It’s time the administration starts to loose up and let go of the rope it has been holding onto so tightly. Yes, we have definitely release bits of the string but, sadly, not enough to let the kite fly high yet. If we want our kite to soar above that of others, we need to release more of the string and only come in to give it a little pull once in a while.
In this cut-throat world, we need to transform ourselves continually or risk being left behind. Those who are able to change fast and quick, will be those who will see their worth being multiplied. Time for a rethink, i think! Hey, I'm not anti-establishment. I'm merely pro-Singapore.
