Engineering a World-Class Biodiverse City

The 2020 Penang South Islands (PSI) international design competition organised by the Penang State Government sought to create a sustainable global destination subsequently won by the multidisciplinary team of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Hijjas Architects and Planners and Ramboll. In a masterplan entitled BiodiverCity, the team made clear its focus not just on liveability, economy and quality of life but critically on creating environmentally-rich, biodiverse and regenerative developments that would be a first in the region.

PSI comprises three man-made islands off Penang’s southern tip; totalling 4,500 acres, the islands feature mixed-use districts, 4.6km-long public beaches, a 25km-long waterfront and 600 acres of parks for a 15,000- to 18,000-strong population. The objective was to manifest a collectively resilient urban realm where high-performance infrastructures create alternative modes of mobility and, simultaneously, valuable habitat where land and water meet.

Supporting the designers’ vision, Ramboll unveiled its expertise in blue-green infrastructure, smart mobility, energy infrastructure, ecology and habitat, ICT smart technology and marine land reclamation. It coupled ideas of autonomous vehicles, logistics drone corridors, e-mobility, a high-quality light rail – seamlessly integrated with last-mile connectivity – with extensive pedestrian and cycling facilities for an unparalleled street-level experience largely free of automobiles. Islands-wide sublevel networks addressed private vehicle use fully integrated into Ramboll’s smart, cost-effective and ecologically-sensitive land reclamation approach that obviates the harmful dredging of surrounding seabed.

PSI’s web of park and water corridors are designed to enhance the connectivity of ecosystems, ensuring that terrestrial fauna can navigate freely between the aquatic and terrestrial habitats and sanctuaries. The web is supported by a decentralised network of water management tools that detain and treat stormwater; waterways, canals, streams and drainage infrastructures coalesce to form a dynamic system ready to respond to extreme weather.

The high-level integration of cutting-edge design and engineering, smart mobility and blue-green infrastructures underpins BiodiverCity’s vision of a built environment that doubles as an Ecological Network of Life, providing habitat surface area while encouraging diverse native fauna species to flourish. By amplifying biodiversity and ecosystems growth, the masterplan becomes a sustainable catalyst and an ecological engine for southern Penang that ensures socio-economic and quality of life benefits for both present and future generations.