Singapore is widely recognized as one of the greenest cities in the world. Once a colonial backwater, it has become a green metropolis in just one generation. The greening of Singapore is the outcome of dedicated government initiatives, sound planning and technological innovation. CGTN's Miro Lu takes you through Singapore's stunning transformation in both urban greening and its highly successful system of public housing.

Singapore – One of the most densely populated cities in the world, known for its world-class infrastructure and skyscrapers. And yet, it is also one of the greenest!

Singapore's remarkable journey started with the vision of its first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who planted a Mempat tree signifying the start of an extensive tree planting campaign, which went to become the 'Garden City' initiative that Singapore is famous for.

Today, the city-state boasts its 350 Parks and gardens, and a 313-kilometer green belt that connects them. The idea is that residents can work and live in a 'City in a Garden'.

These master plans are overseen by the National Parks Board. NParks Director Yeo Meng Tong says Singapore is now moving towards becoming a biophilic city – a community in harmony with nature.

YEO MENG TONG DIRECTOR, NATIONAL PARKS BOARD "We introduced the concept of linear parks or linear green belt to connect all the small and big parks together and become a web, become a network."

With land shortage being one of the biggest challenges, Singapore has gone from planting trees on the ground to in the sky. Having already crossed 100 hectares of vertical gardens and sky-rise greening, the government aims to double that by 2030 – and Yeo believes that the citizens have a significant role to play to achieve that target.

VEERA SEKARANFOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR, GREENOLOGY "The private sector has a big part of play because most of the developments that you see in the private sector are also by developers and I think now government legislations about greening of building of new development as well."

MIRO LU SINGAPORE "Greening in Singapore went hand-in-hand with urban development and its unique and highly successful brand of public housing - run by the Housing Development Board of Singapore or HDB. In the 1960s Singapore was full of unhygienic slums. Today it has 1 million self-sufficient, sustainable and affordable homes - which house more than 80% of its population."

Using innovation and technology, HDB has been working on improving the structure of the buildings to ensure increased wind flow.

Naysayers have often criticized Singapore's public housing as a means of control by the government. But Singapore's rise from an underdeveloped land with no natural resources to one of the most liveable cities in the world is truly a case to be studied for city planners in other parts of the world. Miro Lu, CGTN, Singapore.