#30 - Tobias Baur: From tropical Singapore to Europe - the "ABC Waters" of sponge cities and climate adaptive design

The Grand Challengers Podcast

Tobias Baur, Professor in Landscape Architecture at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST), Rapperswil and former partner at Studio Ramboll-Dreiseitl, sheds some light on Singapore's Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Program, the country's journey in water management, and how sponge cities have evolved from stormwater to climate adaptation in recent years in Asia and Europe. We discuss the important role that interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral collaboration played in ensuring a successful renaturalisation of an urban stream in the flagship Bishan Ang Mo Kio Park project and the challenges going forward.
Podcast Intro/Outro Song: Starsky by Alex Keren (Check out more of his tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vZ3lENfDLjkln8scBJ8mW)
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Guest Intro and Reflections on Singapore
5:04 Early inspiration for water in landscape design
9:00 Singapore's early water management leadership
12:15 The ABC Waters Programme
15:46 The Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park Project
27:20 Tobias' other projects around Singapore
31:58 Back in Europe and comparisons with the tropics
36:14 Sponge Cities in Switzerland
40:06 The role of the landscape architect and designer
42:34 Q&A Start
42:54 What inspires you?
44:10 Key event, person, book
44:40 If you had a magic wand?
46:16 Biggest challenge in career to date
48:20 Time management
50:00 Advice for young researchers
51:05 Where can people reach you?
51:36 Final Message
52:02 Outro

Detailed shownotes over at: petermbach.com/podcast for more in-depth information about each episode.
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Hoofdstukken

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Guest Intro and Reflections on Singapore (00:01:59)

3. Early inspiration for water in landscape design (00:05:04)

4. Singapore's early water management leadership (00:09:00)

5. The ABC Waters Programme (00:12:15)

6. The Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park Project (00:15:46)

7. Tobias' other projects around Singapore (00:27:20)

8. Back in Europe and comparisons with the tropics (00:31:58)

9. Sponge Cities in Switzerland (00:36:14)

10. The role of the landscape architect and designer (00:40:06)

11. Q&A Start (00:42:34)

12. What inspires you? (00:42:54)

13. Key event, person, book (00:44:10)

14. If you had a magic wand? (00:44:40)

15. Biggest challenge in career to date (00:46:16)

16. Time management (00:48:20)

17. Advice for young researchers (00:50:00)

18. Where can people reach you? (00:51:05)

19. Final Message (00:51:36)

20. Outro (00:52:02)