After traveling through Singapore in 2022, journalist Alexis Riopel and photographer Valérian Mazataud are publishing a compilation of their reports taken in this urban planning laboratory. However, they are careful not to praise this city-state, which seems to leave little room for public debate.
The book Singapore. Laboratory of the future, which appears on Tuesday, brings together the articles published in The duty by these two colleagues who, for a dozen days, traveled this territory of Southeast Asia as large as the islands of Montreal and Laval combined.
In interview, MM. Mazataud and Riopel note that the government of this densely populated country of around six million inhabitants allows itself to test sometimes radical public policies.
The People’s Action Party, which has ruled Singapore since its independence in 1965, thus gives itself the power to push certain experiments relating to housing or transport “to the extreme”, believes Alexis Riopel. For example, the State has limited the purchase of cars by imposing very high taxes and registration fees since the 1970s. It is therefore necessary to spend the equivalent of approximately 150,000 Canadian dollars to acquire one. small sedan.
In return, public transport is “dynamic and omnipresent” in this territory, underlines Valérian Mazataud. “The variety and speed of execution of projects in this area are inspiring,” adds the man who has used the Singaporean metro extensively.
Although it is “the polar opposite” of Quebec in many respects, this island state faces similar challenges when it comes to climate change, notes Mr. Riopel. Nothing prevents the province from taking a look at the solutions established by this Asian company, he says.
Without necessarily imitating Singapore, Montreal has a particular interest in looking at what is being done there with regard to local food or access to housing, according to Mr. Mazataud. “During our reporting, we really wanted to know how we could improve the environmental approach and the problems we will face in the future at the scale of an urban community. »
Behind the scenes
Throughout the book, Valérian Mazataud’s photos allow us to grasp the scale of the “forest of concrete towers” that is Singapore. Very modern and focused on globalization, the country “does not hesitate to transform itself to achieve its objectives,” summarizes Alexis Riopel. Would the latter be ready to live there for a while? No, he answers straight away. “It’s a culture that is really square. There are very few concerts or other forms of artistic expression. And work punctuates all of life there — even more than in North America, I have the impression. »
Valérian Mazataud agrees, while emphasizing that he will only stay there for a short time. “I don’t think there’s a lot of room or understanding for differing opinions,” he says.
The holding of demonstrations is only authorized in one place in the country, namely the Speakers’ Corner from Hong Lim Park. However, you must apply for a permit to do so. “And if you are against the government, you won’t get any,” emphasized an old man encountered by the two colleagues while reporting.
However, the political face of the island could well change within twenty years, believes Alexis Riopel. Young Singaporeans he met there told him of a desire to enjoy more freedoms. “But it is difficult to say if it is absolutely representative of the entire population,” he adds.
Living in community… and at height
During their stay, both the journalist and the photographer were amazed at the community dedication of the people of this country. “Of course, people pursue individual goals and want to ‘perform’ as individuals, but they see it as a way of contributing to society,” notes Mr. Riopel.
He also writes in his book that 78% of Singaporeans live in social housing, which however differs from that found in Canada. Most households who live there have a 99-year lease for their apartment, but it is a state company “which is responsible for planning, construction of buildings, allocation of housing and their renovation », he explains. Valérian Mazataud has immortalized the emblems of this city which sometimes rise over fifty floors.
Both colleagues admit that it was not easy to visit these buildings. “We searched for ten days, knocking on every door and trying lots of solutions. We finally managed to get back into an apartment with real difficulty and misery,” relates Mr. Mazataud, who specifies that he was very well received once inside.
Access to government water treatment or waste incineration facilities was also difficult, says Alexis Riopel. “We had very little positive feedback. They were very polite and answered us, but ultimately it didn’t work. So, we saw that they perhaps did not have the same culture of valuing the press, as is the case in Quebec. »
Mr. Riopel clarifies that his book does not claim to explain what Singapore is all about. “It’s more the result of a kind of naive look at this country,” he says.