Intergenerational Equity Live in Singapore

In Singapore for two days of governance work and ventured out for a quick 4K run through the Botanic Gardens, the newest UN World Heritage Site (as of July 2015). After entering into the gardens from adjacent Grange Road, I was immediately struck by the intense contrast between the dense city outside and the lush tropical foliage (not to mention 9 m long fauna) inside the gardens. The Botanic Gardens, like urban parks in Kuala Lumpur, New York and London, is an essential element in creating a livable environment. Founded in 1859, 97 years before I was born, generations of Gardens leaders and governors have worked to ensure they would be here in 2015 when an American consultant to international schools went for a late afternoon run.That's what happens when institutional leaders practice intergenerational equity, and it is a good benchmark for all of us in the field.