Singapore's approach to active living provides lessons for NZ
With some six million people packed into an area less than half the size of Stewart Island, you might expect places to exercise—or even simply enjoy the outdoors—to be hard to find. In reality, green spaces and exercise areas are woven throughout the city and within easy reach of most residents, writes Sports Hawke’s Bay chief executive Ryan Hambleton. Ryan recently travelled to Singapore to build connections and learn from sports leaders about what has—and hasn’t—worked in keeping the population active. His research was supported by a grant from the Foundation’s Sports Leaders Fund.
Ryan: "...decades of careful planning have shaped a city designed to make it easy for people to get outdoors and stay active."
Singapore is often described as one of the most active cities in the world. From parks and playgrounds to rooftop gyms, movement is everywhere.
During my recent visit, I wanted to understand what makes this island nation so active and what lessons we might take home to encourage more young people to move.
One of Singapore’s biggest advantages is its tropical climate. The environment has shaped a culture where being outdoors is simply part of life. Early morning joggers fill the footpaths, tai chi groups gather in neighbourhood courtyards, and families spend weekends at local green spaces or parks.
Movement here isn’t an event or task; it feels as though it is a way of life through daily living.
However, Singapore’s culture of activity isn’t just a product of its warm climate—decades of careful planning have shaped a city designed to make it easy for people to get outdoors and stay active.
Singapore’s design as a “city in a garden” plays a major role. The abundance of greenery, shaded walkways, and scenic parks gives people beautiful, welcoming spaces to move.
The city’s green buildings go further, turning rooftops into running tracks, open-air gyms, and sky gardens. It’s a powerful reminder that design can invite people to be active without them even realising it.
Interestingly, this approach has made the city up to two or three degrees cooler than other large cities with similar climates, showing that sustainability and activity can work hand in hand.
Ryan visited sports groups, facilities and agencies around Singapore to learn from their experiences
At the centre of Singapore’s movement culture is Sport Singapore and its national initiative, ActiveSG. Their philosophy is simple: sport and movement shouldn’t be just for athletes, it is for everyone, every day.
ActiveSG provides affordable access to gyms, pools, and programmes nationwide, with most centres costing just $1.50 for residents and several aquatic facilities free or low cost. Nearly every Singaporean now lives within a ten-minute walk of a sport or recreation facility.
The impact goes beyond facilities. ActiveSG creates a sense of community through outdoor classes, park workouts, and pop-up health events in shopping malls. It’s not just about fitness; it’s about connection and belonging.
Their SportCares programmes reach thousands, including 2,000 at-risk youth, 3,000 seniors, and 1,000 disabled youth, offering free opportunities to be active and engaged through sport. It’s sport as a social connector, not just a physical outlet.
All of this aligns with Vision 2030: Live Better Through Sport, Singapore’s national plan to build a healthier, more resilient society.
Ryan connected with ex-pat New Zealander and Singapore Cricket Club captain Matt Head to discuss community sport in Singapore
In Singapore (and around the world) students often face long hours of study, tuition, and exam preparation, which can make it challenging to find time or energy for sport. Despite this, Singapore works to ensure that activity is part of daily life, aiming to build habits early so that youth can experience the physical, social, and mental benefits of movement alongside their education.
Accessibility and inclusion are also built into the city’s design. Barrier-free walkways, ramps, lifts, and well-maintained parks ensure seniors and people with disabilities can stay active and connected.
Safety and cleanliness are priorities: well-lit paths, clean public toilets, and secure spaces make being outdoors feel comfortable and safe.
For me, the visit reinforced that an active city doesn’t happen by chance. It’s designed, supported, and sustained by community belief.
Ryan Hambleton
Of course, no system is perfect. Like anywhere else, technology is one of the biggest blocks to active living, especially for young people. Smartphones, gaming, and streaming can easily replace movement.
The fast-paced work culture also limits time for sport, while smoking and urban stress can chip away at health and motivation. Even the tropical climate, while an advantage, brings challenges: heat and humidity can make exercise uncomfortable and potentially unsafe without proper hydration or shade. And not all the measures are pointing in the right direction. The most recent National Population Health Survey revealed 12.7 percent of Singaporeans are classified as obese, up from 10.5 percent in 2020.
So Singapore continues to adapt. New Active Health Hubs, digital fitness tools, and the expanding park connector network are helping people move more easily and safely. The city keeps finding new ways to make movement part of modern life, not as an obligation, but as a shared value.
Youth participation is a major focus in Singapore, with schools promoting daily physical activity and ActiveSG Academies giving children opportunities to learn new sports.
Ryan: "Singapore works to ensure that activity is part of daily life..."
Everyone I had the pleasure of meeting in Singapore was so welcoming and open to sharing what was working and what wasn’t.
I met with Matt Lee, general manager for the Singapore Canoe Federation, who spoke to some of the challenges the organisation has as they deal with juggling financial pressure, creating a ‘hook’ for young people to get involved in the sport, and the balance of supporting community participation and high-performance athletes – challenges sports face back in New Zealand.
Another valuable meeting was with Yiwen Ng, the data analytics and insights team lead for the High Performance Sport Institute and Sport Singapore.
Yiwen and I spoke about the barriers to participation, the need for balance, and what the data is telling us in our respective countries. We were able to share notes on our sport ecosystems and how we are supporting NSOs and the community to get more people participating in sport.
Yiwen and Matt have been in regular contact since my return to Hawke’s Bay as we continue to share insights, resources and information from the sector.
Spaces for children to be active are dotted around the city
For me, the visit reinforced that an active city doesn’t happen by chance. It’s designed, supported, and sustained by community belief. Singapore shows that when you make activity accessible, affordable, and inclusive, people respond. It’s a model that offers plenty of inspiration, and challenge, for how we might shape more active, connected communities here in Hawke’s Bay.
The Foundation's Sports Programme provides New Zealand sportspeople and administrators opportunities to grow more knowledgeable, connected and confident with Asia.
The Foundation's Sports Leaders Fund enables New Zealand sports leaders to travel to Asia to deepen their understanding of the region’s sporting landscape, enhance cultural awareness and establish meaningful connections.
