A gravel pathway snakes through a tiny forest. Along the way are freshly planted tongkat ali trees, their roots used for centuries as a male fertility tonic; young cherry blossom-like hidden flower trees; and spiky clusters of shrubs. A koel whoops from the canopy above and a lime butterfly settles on a sign promoting shopping vouchers.

Unveiled at a July ceremony graced by the foot and shovel of Tharman Shanmugaratnam, president, this is a “microforest”—a sliver of wilderness in a city with a predilection for order—that looms awkwardly over the forecourt of City Square Mall in Farrer Park, flanked by a construction site. 

Temples of consumerism, shopping malls are unlikely places to seed Singapore’s latest experiment in urban greening. But the real estate giant behind the project, City Developments Limited (CDL), might argue that City Square Mall—which it claims is Singapore’s first “eco mall”—is the perfect location for the microforest, which is about the size of a tennis court. The company’s chief sustainability officer, Esther An, picked up the idea after speaking to Adrian Loo, formerly head of conservation at the National Parks Board (NParks), during last year’s COP climate talks in Baku. Four months later, she had 400 native flora species planted in a patch of soil carved out in front of the mall.