Singapore, 21 June 2019 – Today at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, City Developments Limited (CDL) and the National Parks Board (NParks) launched an exhibition that explores the evolution of Singapore’s landscapes from 200 years ago till present day. Held in conjunction with the Singapore Bicentennial commemorations and as part of the Gardens’ 160th Anniversary celebrations, the “Singapore’s Greening Journey: 200 Years and Beyond” exhibition will run from 21 June till 10 November 2019 (9am to 6pm) at the CDL Green Gallery.

The exhibition was officially opened by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, and was also organised in partnership with the National Library Board and Singapore Green Building Council.

Divided into three zones and using a mix of interpretive panels and interactive displays, the exhibition takes visitors across three themes through three different timelines: 1. From Forested Island to Urban Jungle (1819 – 1964); 2. Garden City to Biophilic City in a Garden vision (1965 – 2019); and 3. Biophilic Garden City of Tomorrow (2019 and beyond) – where visitors can experience each timeframe through three interactive stations (please refer to Annex A).

Dr Nigel Taylor, Group Director of Singapore Botanic Gardens, said: “The “Singapore’s Greening Journey: 200 Years and Beyond” exhibition serves as a reminder that the greenery we may often take for granted actually took years of hard work and meticulous planning, and is something we could not have achieved without the support of our community. Thus, we hope the exhibition will encourage more people to step forward, contribute towards our greening journey and help us transform into a more biophilic City in a Garden.”

Mr Sherman Kwek, Group Chief Executive Officer of CDL, said: “For decades, the private sector has played a significant role in supporting the Government’s focus on imbuing our city with nature and CDL is glad to have contributed to this vision. We have established a great partnership with NParks over the years to promote the importance of greening Singapore through various collaborations including the CDL Green Gallery. We hope that the exhibition launched today will enable Singaporeans and foreign visitors to learn more about Singapore’s greening journey and aspirations to be a biophilic City in a Garden.”