Leveraging Shared Experience of Urban Heat and Bridging Spatial-Temporal Dissonance: Towards a Climate Resilient Citizenry in Singapore

PI: Dr Harvey Neo (LKYCIC, SUTD)
Co-PI: Dr Samuel Chng (LKYCIC, SUTD), Dr Zheng Kai (ASD, SUTD), Assoc Prof Jason Lee (NUS), Prof Angela Leung (SMU), Dr Joerin Jonas (ETH Zurich)
Team: Dr Jennifer Li, Dr Sarah Chan, Tay Yi Xuan (LKYCIC, SUTD). Dr Natalia Borzino (Singapore-ETH Centre), Ms Pearl Tan, Mr Gerald Tan (NUS)

This research adopts a transdisciplinary framework and multiple methodological approaches to investigate the discounting of the impact of climate change in Singapore, and how we can use the everyday shared experience of urban heat to activate climate action. Findings will be translated into interventions that will be tested and validated. The new data and insights generated will provide us with viable pathways for addressing the inertia towards climate action amongst Singapore’s population.

The multi-institutional project is led by the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), in partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore-ETH Centre and Singapore Management University (SMU).

This research is funded by the Social Science Research Thematic Grant, Ministry of Education and supported by the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment.

Publications

• Borzino, Natalia., Chng, Samuel. &  Schubert, Renate. (2025). Outdoor thermal comfort and cognition impact pro-environmental behaviours: Evidence from a field experiment in the tropics. Frontiers in Psychology,16, 1472852. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1472852 

Conference Presentations/Proceedings

• Li, Yunjing., & Neo, Harvey. (2025, Aug) From Eco to Smart Urbanism: Conceptual Tensions and Practical Trade-offs. Presented at Symposium on the Green & Smart Turn of China’s Urbanization by University of Hong Kong, China. (Keynote Speaker)
• Chan, Sarah Hian May., Chng, Samuel., Borzino, Natalia., Tay, Yi Xuan., Naing, Khant Min., Zheng, Kai., Neo, Harvey., Lee, Jason., Joerin, Jonas. (2025, June). Cool Homes, Hot Beds: Dilemmas Surrounding Heat Adaptation and Climate Action in the Urban Tropics. Oral presentation at the International Conference on Environmental Psychology, Vilnius, Lithuania, 15-18 June 2025
• Chan, Sarah Hian May., Chng, Samuel., Borzino, Natalia., Sim, Joshua., Li, Yunjing (Jennifer)., Du, Yuting., Tay, Yi Xuan., Naing, Khant Min., Tan, Gerald., Tan, Pearl., Zheng, Kai., Neo, Harvey., Lee, Jason., Joerin, Jonas. (2025, January). Living with Heat: Adaptation and Vulnerability in Urban Households. Poster presented at the Psychological Science and Well-being Conference 2025, James Cook University, Singapore,  14-15 Jan 2025
• Chan, Sarah Hian May., Borzino, Natalia., Tay, Yi Xuan., Naing, Khant Min., Chng, Samuel., Zheng, Kai., Neo, Harvey., Joerin, Jonas. (2025, January). The Paradox of Aircon Reliance in The Urban Tropics. Poster presented at the First Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) Southeast Asia Heat Health Forum, Singapore,  7-10 Jan 2025