The term ‘urban jungle’ carries much weight when considered in Singapore, where the city is defined by its position in a garden setting while more natural forms of jungle are held (by many) at arm’s length. 

Dense Singapore is a world leader in fusing architecture with landscape, and this issue we look at how relationships between buildings, gardens and people play out here and elsewhere in various ways.

A big question that needs asking is whether Singapore is destined to become hotter as its urban density increases. The urban heat island effect is a significant concern in our tropical context, yet gaps exist in our understanding of its causes. Our ‘In Conversation’ feature explores observations and potential mitigation strategies.

We also visit the experimental urban farm on the rooftop of WOHA’s studio and chat with Richard Hassell and Wong Mun Summ about their radical prototypes for landscaped and interconnected buildings.

We discover how MVRDV and landscape architect Ben Kuipers have brought a garden experience into the heart of Seoul with the transformation of a disused highway into a potent urban regenerator that influences the social and economic ecosystems around it.

And at the scale of the single house, we investigate several strategies for addressing suburban density and the discomforts it can create.

What directions might dense-green planning take in the years ahead? Also in this issue, we look at urban-scale proposals for dense and green development in Singapore and Hong Kong.

The challenges we all face in the future, from population growth to climate change and urban expansion, demand new responses in terms of city planning and architecture. We hope that this issue opens up some avenues for thinking about the possibilities. 

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