A Look Inside South East Asia's First Forest City

With all the recent advancements in digital technology and ‘smart thinking’, we often wonder what the world will look like in twenty years’ time. In the architecture world, Forest City will be the first multi-tiered urban living space featuring only plants, vertical tree skyscrapers and two underground layers for roads and parking. The project is set to be completed by 2040 across a span of four man-made islands between Malaysia and Singapore and is being envisioned as a ‘dream paradise for all mankind’—a prototype for utopian living environments of the future.

What is Forest City?

Forest City is an ambitious urban residential project by the Chinese development group Country Garden Pacific that will house 500,000 residents by 2050. It’ll also provide top international schools and hospitals, entertainment facilities, institutions for leading financial and tech industries and a high-speed railway to the neighbouring metropolises of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

The ‘forest-like’ environment will create a perfect ratio between nature and buildings with rooftop gardens, ample green spaces and vegetation growing on the exteriors of man-made structures to give the appearance of giant, sci-fi super trees. It will apply pioneering ideas in ecology and urban planning to enrich biodiversity and sustain Malaysia’s greenery as it develops.

Having won the United Nations Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Award twice, this ‘innovative and sustainable base’ will create an ecosystem that harmonises modern life and environmental awareness. The plants in this urban forest will form a ‘natural barrier’ to clean the air from carbon emissions which currently form at startlingly high levels across some parts of South East Asia and the entire city will be equipped with rainwater conservation systems.

Catering to the needs of the future

By 2050, it is estimated that over 66% of the world’s population will live in cities as countries continue to urbanise and workers are attracted to these economic hubs. At the same time, urbanisation poses a great threat to the environment with issues such as carbon emissions and (in developing nations like Malaysia) deforestation that threatens to destroy the country’s natural beauty. There is a demand to address how the world can continue to modernise without having destructive effects on the planet.

There are currently no other cities in the world with a blueprint like Forest City. It would be impossible to create this 3D structure in any existing city because all of the groundwork, such as piping, that would need to be removed and completely redesigned. A city similar to Forest City would need to be built on a fresh piece of land.

The showrooms for Forest City are filled with potential residents buying into the dream of a ‘smart and secure future’ at a price of £1 million (almost $1.4 million USD) for a four-bedroom house. Each property uses the latest technologies to provide a built-in security system with facial recognition and 24-hour surveillance. Such Smart Cities focus on how digital technology can be best applied to make cities more liveable, convenient, connected and environmentally conscious.

Forest City is meticulously planned on every level to provide the people of 2040 with the kind of harmonious life that we only see on Black Mirror episodes. With this kind of precedent for how the future should look, perhaps more places like Forest City will soon become a reality.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.