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Forest City is awakening, with new settlers of an unexpected kind

Against a backdrop of empty tower blocks, nature is reclaiming its place – a development worth encouraging.

epa11036925 A picture taken with a drone shows an aerial view of Chinese developer Country Garden’s Forest City development in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, 14 December 2023 (issued 19 December 2023). Forest City, an ambitious urban project in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, built on reclaimed land near Singapore, was initiated in 2015 with major backing from the now financially unstable Chinese real estate giant Country Garden. The development aimed largely at the Chinese market, was targeted to house 700,000 residents across four reclaimed islands. However, it currently stands partially completed with a sparse population. The city, envisioned as a tropical paradise, now appears as a ‘Ghost City’, empty with deserted streets, closed shops, and underused facilities like a water park and beach. The project's struggle is compounded by isolation, the COVID-19 pandemic, administrative challenges, and Country Garden's looming default, casting uncertainty over the future of Forest City and its inhabitants. EPA-EFE/HOW HWEE YOUNG

There is much more Forest City can do to enhance its value proposition in sustainability, says the writer.

PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Serina Rahman

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A group of school students sit near mangroves, noting the wildlife observed – birds, smooth-coated otters, crocodiles, monkeys, snakes, reptiles and insects.

The location? An island created from reclaimed land in Johor across from Singapore.

Forest City is awakening, with new settlers of an unexpected kind

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