DALLAS, Oct. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dr.
Cheong Koon Hean, a widely acclaimed
architect and urban planner credited with shaping much of
Singapore's urban landscape, has
been named the 2016 recipient of the Urban Land Institute (ULI)
J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development. Dr.
Cheong, the 17th Nichols laureate and the first from Asia, is being honored this evening at a
celebratory event during the institute's 2016 Fall Meeting in
Dallas.
The ULI J.C. Nichols Prize recognizes a person or a person
representing an institution whose work demonstrates a commitment to
the creation of communities that reflect the highest standards of
design and development. The prize honors the legacy of Kansas City, Missouri, developer J.C. Nichols, a founding ULI member considered
to be one of America's most creative entrepreneurs in land use
during the first half of the 20th century.
Dr. Cheong, whose extraordinary career in city building spans 35
years, is Chief Executive Officer of Singapore's Housing &
Development Board (HDB), which builds and manages public housing
for more than 80 percent of the city-state's population. With over
9 in 10 of them owning the homes they live in, it has one of the
highest homeownership rates in the world. Since holding this
position in 2010, she has overseen one of Singapore's largest residential building
programs to help address the high housing demand. She has also
introduced HDB's 'Roadmap to Better Living in HDB Towns', which
guides HDB's development of well-designed, sustainable and
community-centric towns.
In 2004, Dr. Cheong became the first woman to be named CEO of
Singapore's Urban Redevelopment
Authority (URA), where she had worked as an urban planner since
1990. In that capacity, Dr. Cheong played a key role in several
transformative developments, including Marina Bay, a new vibrant
live-work-play destination that created a signature skyline for
Singapore. She championed the
concept of creative placemaking to inject greater vibrancy not only
at Marina Bay, but also in downtown areas such as the historic
Singapore River and the civic and museum district at Bras
Basah-Bugis. She was instrumental in the development of new growth
areas at Kallang Riverside and Paya
Lebar, as well as Jurong Lake District, transforming an
industrial area into a new regional center with a vibrant community
by introducing new housing, retail, and commercial uses.
Under Dr. Cheong's leadership, the URA developed a conservation
program that has been recognized by ULI as one of the most
comprehensive conservation programs in Southeast Asia, balancing economic
considerations with the need to safeguard Singapore's heritage. She championed policies
and urban plans to beautify Singapore with "sky rise" greenery, ample
public spaces and urban art.
"What Dr. Cheong has accomplished in Singapore exemplifies what the Nichols Prize
is about -- being an urban visionary, taking chances, weathering
the risks and producing ever better results," says 2016 Nichols
Prize Jury Chairman Marilyn J.
Taylor, dean of the University of
Pennsylvania School of Design in Philadelphia and a former ULI Chairman.
"Cities face enormous challenges, and visionaries by definition
bring a longer-term view – far beyond a single political term or a
single process or project – as a way to achieve transformation.
Highlighting long-term thinking in a time when societies tend to
think in short-term increments is an important activity for ULI."
Dr. Cheong's approach to successful city building consists of
being visionary and creative, and being willing to introduce new
ideas and persevere with missionary zeal to see them through.
"Singapore's story is about how a
land- and resource-poor city-state has managed to develop a highly
livable, high-density city," she says. "Long-term, comprehensive
planning, thoughtful urban design, and responsible governance has
helped us become more sustainable, livable and economically
vibrant, bringing jobs and a better quality of life for our
people."
"Doing this has not come easy. It requires collective effort,
innovative policies and plans, and dedicated and capable people,
all supported by strong leadership. It is heartening that the Urban
Land Institute recognizes the role of urban planners, many of whom
work behind the scenes, to shape cities for a better future," Dr.
Cheong says.
Nichols Prize Jury Member Mark Johnson pointed to Dr. Cheong's
successful efforts to improve the quality of affordable housing --
not just increase the quantity -- for Singapore's residents, with a special emphasis
on keeping extended families closer together. In raising standards
for housing design, she guided the transformation of Singapore's public housing into award-winning
projects, including The Pinnacle@Duxton, Waterway Terraces at
Punggol, as well as SkyTerrace and SkyVille @ Dawson. "She has been
very effective at finding new ways to make housing for families
attainable, and at accommodating the many different cultures and
ethnicities in Singapore in
socially harmonious communities," says Johnson, president of
Civitas in Denver.
"The closeness of Singapore
makes it imperative that housing is built as a community. Applying
this to extended families opens up intergenerational and
inter-ethnic opportunities – opportunities for people of all walks
of life to be together, Johnson added. "The solutions to urban
issues that Dr. Cheong has led in Singapore are showing the way for the rest of
world. We are all headed toward living closer together, in more
diverse communities, and she is demonstrating how to address
this."
In addition to Taylor and Johnson, other 2016 Nichols Prize jury
members are: Dana Crawford,
chairman, Urban Neighborhoods Inc., Denver; Ellen Dunham
Jones, professor, School of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta; and Sir Stuart Lipton, a former Nichols Prize laureate
and founder of Lipton Rogers Developments LLP in London.
Dr. Cheong frequently shares her expertise as a participant on
planning and urban design panels around the globe. She helped to
formulate the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco City Master Plan, and
conceptualized the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, a biennial
international award that recognizes cities and the leaders
responsible for urban initiatives that display foresight and
thoughtful governance. She is currently on the boards of the
National University of Singapore, the
Civil Service College, and the International Federation for Housing
and Planning. Dr. Cheong has been awarded several national honors,
including the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding public
service. She was recently conferred the Council for Tall Buildings
and Urban Habitat's 2016 Lynn S. Beedle
Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also appointed the Tan Swan
Beng Endowed Professor by the Nanyang
Technological University in 2015. In 2014, she was inducted
into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame, and in 2011, she received
the Women Who Make a Difference award from the International
Women's Forum. In 2010, she was named Woman of the Year in
Singapore by Her World
magazine.
About the ULI J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban
Development
The ULI J.C. Nichols Prize for
Visionaries in Urban Development is funded by an endowment
from the family of J.C. Nichols to
the ULI Foundation. A management committee including ULI
representatives and members of the Nichols family directs the prize
program.
About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban
Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute
supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in
the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving
communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has
nearly 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land
use and development disciplines. For more information, please
visit uli.org or follow us on
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