Building the Cities of Tomorrow
An annual lecture series supported by Mapletree makes its mark at NTU for the second year running.
As a real estate developer committed to sustainability, Mapletree believes in urban development that creates long-term value through responsible practices.
An annual lecture series supported by Mapletree makes its mark at NTU for the second year running.
As a real estate developer committed to sustainability, Mapletree believes in urban development that creates long-term value through responsible practices.
Mr Edmund Cheng,
Chairman of Mapletree
Prof Seto’s work sheds light on the environmental impacts of urbanisation — a central theme of the second Mapletree Annual Sustainability Lecture where she was the keynote speaker. Held on 21 November 2025 at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), the event gathered Mapletree employees, the NTU community, as well as representatives from the public and private sectors. Real estate companies have a vital role to play in building the clean, green and liveable cities of tomorrow. In fact, long-term climate-conscious development will depend on both industry and policy, said speakers from the panel discussion on building sustainable urban futures.
The lively session featured Ms Sharon Baptist, Mapletree’s Vice President of Development Capabilities and Initiatives, Group Development Management, and was moderated by Prof Adam Switzer from NTU’s Asian School of the Environment (ASE). Prof Switzer is the Director of CIFAL (International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders) Singapore, which organised the event.
The Mapletree Annual Sustainability Lecture is part of the Mapletree Sustainability Programme, which was established in 2023 following a S$675,000 gift from Mapletree to NTU. The donation, which includes the setting up of an endowment, supports not just the lecture series, but also the Mapletree Sustainability Scholarships which are awarded to NTU undergraduates who have demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability initiatives.
Photo Caption 1: A token of appreciation featuring three Mapletree Punch Buddies is presented to Professor Karen Seto (centre) by Mapletree’s Mr Tarun Kataria (left).
Photo Caption 2: Attendees of the lecture included (from left) Ms Sharon Baptist, Vice President, Development Capabilities and Initiatives, Group Development Management, Mapletree; Professor Adam Switzer, Director, CIFAL Singapore; Mr Tarun Kataria, Chairman and Independent Member of Investment Committee, MUSEL Private Trust, Mapletree; Professor Karen Seto, Yale School of the Environment; Professor Emma Hill, Chair, ASE; Mr Wan Kwong Weng, Group Chief Corporate Officer, Mapletree; and Associate Professor Janice Lee, ASE.
Hard Work, Heart Work
A volunteer-run edible garden shows how teamwork can sow seeds that nurture communities.
Nestled in Alexandra Precinct is a lush oasis of green, where herbs scent the air.
A volunteer-run edible garden shows how teamwork can sow seeds that nurture communities.
Nestled in Alexandra Precinct is a lush oasis of green, where herbs scent the air.
This is the Mapletree Edible Garden, a volunteer-run urban farm that opened in September 2025. Located on the third floor of Alexandra Retail Centre, the garden churned out an impressive 58 kilogrammes (kg) of green produce as at 5 March 2026. The harvest included nine vegetable varieties, such as aubergine, lettuce, kangkong and laksa leaf.
The soil is tilled by a team of 30 active volunteers from Mapletree and tenants from Mapletree Business City. These volunteers received hands-on training in basic gardening skills from Corridor Farmers, a local urban farming start-up.
As part of Mapletree’s commitment to give back, 20.4 kg of produce was shared with nearby communities such as NTUC Health Active Ageing Centre (Telok Blangah) and St Andrew’s Nursing Home (Queenstown). Vegetables such as nai bai (milk cabbage), lettuce, kale and lady’s fingers were delivered to the home’s kitchen, prepared and served fresh to residents.
Photo Caption: The official launch of the Mapletree Edible Garden on 8 December 2025 was attended by (back row, from left to right) Mr Wan Kwong Weng, Group Chief Corporate Officer, Mapletree; Mr Alvin Tay, Mapletree CSR Board Committee Member and Lead Independent Non-Executive Director of MPACT Management Ltd; Ms Ooi Chee Kar, Mapletree CSR Board Committee Member and Independent Member of the Investor Committee of Mapletree US Logistics Private Trust; Mr Hiew Yoon Khong, Group Chief Executive Officer, Mapletree; and Mr Edmund Cheng, Chairman, Mapletree, along with Mapletree staff volunteers and representatives from Corridor Farmers.
Capturing History through the Eyes of Artists
Mapletree brought together artists — young and old — to sketch its iconic properties in their own style.
With its red brick facade and towering chimneys, St James Power Station offers a glimpse of a bygone era in Singapore’s modern skyline.
Mapletree brought together artists — young and old — to sketch its iconic properties in their own style.
With its red brick facade and towering chimneys, St James Power Station offers a glimpse of a bygone era in Singapore’s modern skyline. The historic building became the subject of over 90 artists’ works during Mapletree Community Month 2025, when they were invited to the landmark for their monthly sketchwalk.
Forty of these sketches were later displayed at Mapletree’s second urban sketching exhibition, in collaboration with local art community Urban Sketchers Singapore.
“Art & Artists Among Us: Across Generations”, held from 17 to 25 November 2025 at Alexandra Retail Centre, showcased the power station’s unique history and architecture through a variety of styles and interpretations.
The exhibition also featured art pieces by participants of the inaugural Mapletree Kids Urban Sketching Camp, held in celebration of SG60 and designed to nurture creative young minds.
“Recognising the arts as one of the four pillars of Mapletree’s Corporate Social Responsibility Framework, we are committed to enriching our communities through these initiatives,” said Mr Edmund Cheng, Chairman, Mapletree.
Photo Caption: Five artists pose with their sketches, which were put on display during an urban sketching exhibition organised by Mapletree and local art community Urban Sketchers Singapore.
Spreading Care Beyond Borders
Through a new partnership with the Singapore International Foundation, Mapletree supports skilled volunteers in strengthening the region’s healthcare capabilities.
Dr Ramaswamy Akhileswaran remembers meeting a teenage boy in Jakarta whose leg was amputated due to a bone tumour. The year was 2009, and the Senior Palliative Medicine Consultant at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital’s Department of Geriatrics was there as a Singapore International Foundation (SIF) volunteer.
Through a new partnership with the Singapore International Foundation, Mapletree supports skilled volunteers in strengthening the region’s healthcare capabilities.
Dr Ramaswamy Akhileswaran remembers meeting a teenage boy in Jakarta whose leg was amputated due to a bone tumour. The year was 2009, and the Senior Palliative Medicine Consultant at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital’s Department of Geriatrics was there as a Singapore International Foundation (SIF) volunteer.
When the teenager lamented that none of his friends had visited him, Dr Akhileswaran, together with the nurses, rallied them to do so. This small yet significant gesture of care allowed him to spend his final days in the company of loved ones.
Dr Akhileswaran has volunteered with the SIF for over 16 years, and now leads a team of seven other Singapore International Volunteers (SIV) on the Palliative Care Accessibility Care Training (PACT) project in India, which is supported by the Mapletree Community Impact Programme. Launched by Mapletree and SIF on 14 November 2025, the initiative enables Singapore’s specialist healthcare volunteers to contribute their expertise to communities in India and Vietnam, strengthening regional knowledge exchange and healthcare capabilities. This was made possible by a S$250,000 donation from Mapletree to SIF.
“Collaborating with peers on the ground — and learning from their experiences — has deepened our collective understanding of how to deliver compassionate, culturally sensitive care,” said Dr Akhileswaran. “The support from the Mapletree Community Impact Programme enables us to take this work further by piloting locally relevant solutions that not only improve palliative care in India but also offer insights that can benefit our own practices in Singapore.”
In Vietnam, SIF’s Training Healthcare Professionals to Advance Nephrology Care (THAN) project, driven by a team of six SIVs, will train 10 Master Trainers to share their best practices with more than 250 healthcare professionals across the country. THAN is led by Dr Yeo See Cheng, Head and Senior Consultant at Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Department of Renal Medicine. Meanwhile, PACT will equip 31 Master Trainers across 14 Indian states with the skills to mentor and share their knowledge with over 1,000 other healthcare practitioners. More than 47,000 patients, healthcare professionals and medical students are expected to benefit from the ongoing PACT and THAN projects supported by the Mapletree Community Impact Programme.
Photo Caption 1: The donation of S$250,000, presented by Mr Edmund Cheng (left), Chairman of Mapletree, to Mr Janadas Devan, Chairman of the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), will help SIF support the Singapore International Volunteers (SIV) in uplifting communities in India and Vietnam through healthcare projects.
Photo Caption 2: Held on 14 November 2025 at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the Mapletree Community Impact Programme Appreciation Ceremony was attended by representatives from SIF, Mapletree Investments and SIV.
