Highlights

Under the Lee Li Ming Programme for Ageing Urbanism, we have been researching the changing housing and recreational needs of the elderly in Singapore. Through this research, we identified the need to dive deeper into the recreational component of how people age and how this component affects their health, well-being, happiness and overall quality of life.

On December 12, LKYCIC Director Poon King Wang and myself were invited to the Smart Cities Dialogue Platform in Berlin. Singapore is seen to be a leader in implementing the smart city concept and its moves to be a smart Nation is being closely watched. I discussed our smart journey and pointed out why we succeeded and where the further challenges lie.

On 20 July 2016, the China Ministry of Transport published their 13th Five-Year Plan on developing urban mobility across Chinese cities. By 2020, China envisions to have developed a smart urban mobility infrastructure, which is efficient, fast, safe, comfortable, affordable, reliable, low-carbon, and public-transport-centric, with a projected annual ridership of 120 billion.

Many countries and cities have been working to understand the balance of how to embrace the ‘sharing economy,’ while also regulating them to ensure safe conditions, regulatory and tax compliance and fair competition with the existing players. Most recently, China has taken the lead to set requirements for app-based hailing services that are in line with