Past Programmes

Over the past decade, the CLC Ltd and Temasek Foundation (TF) embarked on a transformative journey through the Temasek Foundation Leaders in Urban Governance Programme (TFLUGP). Since 2012, this programme brought together 290 aspiring city leaders from 73 cities across 18 countries, fostering a collaborative learning environment to address pressing urban challenges.

Programme Highlights:

• Inclusive Learning: The 5-day programme welcomed diverse participants from Asia, creating a rich and collaborative learning atmosphere.

• Action-Oriented: City leaders and senior public officials formed teams to address their city’s key urban challenges, developing actionable plans by the end of each programme.

• Continued Engagement: A series of 18 follow-up in-city trips ensured sustained progress and real-world impact in selected cities.

Success Stories:

• Kuching North, Malaysia: Inspired by Singapore's ABC Waters master plan, the "Cantik, Bersih dan Selamat" (CBS) plan integrated smart initiatives for sustainable development and community engagement.

• Thimphu, Bhutan: The pedestrianisation of Norzin Lam, led by a TFLUGP alumnus,

• Trenggalek, Indonesia: Kota Tanpa Kumuh (KOTAKU) initiative successfully upgraded slum areas through inter-agency collaboration and community engagement.

Enduring Impact:
A compendium of successful implementation of urban development projects in Asia that arose from the learnings from the TFLUGP is available here in this CLC-Temasek Foundation publication ↗ (opens in new tab) that was launched in 2022 in commemoration of the 10th year anniversary of cooperation between both organisations. The 10-year partnership between CLC and TF stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, education, and shared vision for a resilient urban future.

The Smart Cities Professional Exchanges (PE) was developed under the US-ASEAN Smart Cities Partnership (USASCP), with programmes running from 2022 to 2024. Under the PE’s broad domain, Singapore and the US jointly organised professional exchanges on specific themes such as circular economy and waste management, water management, sustainability and cybersecurity. These efforts will facilitate closer collaboration and knowledge sharing between Singapore, the US and ASEAN countries through the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN).

Under the Circular Economy and Waste Management focus area, the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) curated a programme titled “Circular Waste Management in the Urban Context” to impart more in-depth knowledge to cities to empower them to lower carbon emissions and be more sustainable in their long-term developments, be it through more robust urban governance and upscaling green digital solutions as well as leveraging conventional wisdom. In doing so, their learnings included principled approaches and practitioner-based know-how on waste management, urban governance, national legislature related to these domain areas and community efforts in the context of resource circularity. Held from 3-7 October 2022 in Singapore and 10-14 October 2022 in the United States, the course was delivered to 14 mid-to-senior-level ASEAN officials through a mix of online self-paced learning and live session.

Highlights of the Programme:

• Curriculum: Urban Governance, Waste Management, Resource Circularity, Legislation Framework, Innovation & Technology, and Sustainable Infrastructure Financing.

• Learning Methods: Included independent study of materials such as the Singapore Liveability Framework and Singapore Green Plan 2030, along with interactive lectures and Q&A sessions. Site visits were organized to provide hands-on experience and a coffee-table discussion (informal moderated panel session) was included to feature candid discussions with industry experts, consultants, and NGOs.

The programme enriched cities in their knowledge to reduce carbon emissions and advance sustainable development through knowledge sharing and robust urban planning.