City Square Mall - Singapores First Eco-Mall

[februus]

While sat on the MRT, I noticed an advert for "City Square Mall - Singapores First Eco-Mall" advertising free parking if you spend over S$30 (T&C Naturally apply!). I couldn't help thinking that a place that touts itself as an eco-mall probably shouldn't be offering cheap parking, but a discount for people that come via public transport.

Does anyone know what its green credentials are? I see it won the "Green Mark Platinum Award by the Building and Construction Authority", but what is different about it?

[x9200]

http://www.citysquare.com.sg/greenbuildingfeatures.php

[carteki]

They've gone green in a very Singaporean way - spend lots of money on technology, but miss the basics - did you know that they have 5 bicycle parking bays out in the open and exposed to the elements in comparison to the 130 covered car bays! In Europe they would be laughed at!

[amiee40]

Well, they do have free shuttle bus services to Toa Payoh, Novena and Lavender MRT stations. Shuttle bus service waiting areas within the air cond mall itself.
I have taken it a few times myself when i wanted to go to Mustafa, as it was alot convenient, no need to change MRT lines to get to Farrer Park MRT

[aster]

I like this mall because it's not crowded at all. Works for me.

[Superglide]

http://www.citysquare.com.sg/greenbuildingfeatures.php

I'd say enough proof of being indeed quite green.

Good one!

[Strong Eagle]

They still have entrance doors that swing wide open, pouring vast quantities of cold, air conditioned air, into the great outdoors. I'd expect a 'green' mall to at least subscribe to double entrance doors found in many northern climes, designed to keep the heat in.

Highly wasteful... and Singapore citizens are the number one per capita consumers of oil because of power generation.

[februus]

That was my thinking behind the original question really.

I can see from the replies that there is a lot of technology gone into the design of the mall to reduce environmental impact, but it just seems some of the opportunities to make simple changes that might educate are missing.

The doors in the post above are a great example. I don't suppose many of us are really going to fit solar panels, reduced water systems etc in our houses, but thinking about the way we use aircon might actually make a difference, as might discouraging car use rather than encouraging it.

I know someone is going to say that car use actually contributes very little in terms of total emissions, but reduced use of vehicles is easily something car owners could try and do to help. Offering car parking reductions to entice people in defeats the object for me and doesn't encourage people to think about their contribution.

It feels to me like that the eco-mall tag is a more of a gimmick than a true ambition.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Highly wasteful... and Singapore citizens are the number one per capita consumers of oil because of power generation.

I daresay, everybody on this island including the expats are guilty of that (maybe moreso the expats). I know very few, other than myself, who do not use Air conditioners in their homes. This also goes for those who drive their cars to work with a single body in the vehicle and park it every day, not even using it for lunch, only to drive home in the evening. Again, it's not just the citizens guilty of this. How many own a car here and leave it home and use the public transport during the week. This is one where it's not limited to "locals".

[Saint]

How many own a car here and leave it home and use the public transport during the week. This is one where it's not limited to "locals".

I do

[x9200]

Highly wasteful... and Singapore citizens are the number one per capita consumers of oil because of power generation.

I daresay, everybody on this island including the expats are guilty of that (maybe moreso the expats). I know very few, other than myself, who do not use Air conditioners in their homes.

Actually I was very surprised reading number of times on this forum that people use AC on daily basis. I wonder how many of them tried to use fan. I do not like Singapore temperatures at all but typically the fan is for me more than enough. More-over, all my expat friends are also rather using fan than AC so it looks like we are talking about a social group or something...duno.

[BigSis]

How many own a car here and leave it home and use the public transport during the week. This is one where it's not limited to "locals".

I do

I don't own a car at all



But eco-mall - it's just because all the other names had been taken, it doesn't seem particularly eco-friendly to me at all. Bras Basah complex is probably more eco-friendly than City Square - no a/c in the main mall, the escalators are always broken so you have to use the stairs and the rainwater washes the walkways ............can we possibly get any more eco-friendly than Bras Basah?

[sundaymorningstaple]

I do

I don't own a car at all [/quote]

I don't either, sold it 18 years ago, around 6 months after the coe system started. Been using 'mass' public transport ever since.

[februus]

no aircon, no car and although i claim the moral highground, its really only because i am too tight!

[BigSis]

no aircon, no car and although i claim the moral highground, its really only because i am too tight!

The only time I miss having a car is when we want to go somewhere like Sungei Buloh or the zoo and it takes about 2 hours on the bus or a small fortune in a cab, but as we don't go to places like that very often, it's not much of a hardship.

Our kids use a/c at night in their rooms so we're not angels in the eco world, but I don't think we're too bad.