Advocating community projects for a more sustainable community
"Let us work closely on community ownership and sustainability, and strive towards a gracious Singapore.” Ho Pin’s commitment towards community development has improved the lives of residents in the North West District.
Dr Teo Ho Pin
Mayor, North West CDC
Bachelor of Science in Building (Honours), 1985
A familiar name in community development and township management for over 35 years, Ho Pin’s work speaks volumes about his unwavering dedication towards serving his community and country.
As Mayor of the North West District in Singapore, Ho Pin advocates community projects that create a cleaner, greener and more sustainable community, improve living environments for residents, and foster stronger community ownership and bonding among residents.
As early as 1999, green initiatives were implemented, including installing LED lights and solar photovoltaic panels, setting up community gardens, sprucing up neighbourhoods with green landscaping, and providing recycling bins at every block. Ho Pin believes, “Green ownership should always start from the individual. Every individual only needs a small effort to create a big difference to the environment.” His tireless efforts paid off when the North West District won awards such as ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable City 2017 and the Singapore Environment Council-Lee Foundation Singapore Environmental Achievement Award (Public Sector) in 2017.
Besides green initiatives, Ho Pin also advocates a caring and healthy community. Programmes to assist the less privileged, elderly and disabled include a Home Fix Scheme, a student support fund and ground-up initiatives providing eye screening and personalised consultations on proper medicinal usage. At the same time, healthy living clubs in the district encourage residents to exercise regularly and adopt healthy eating habits, especially among children.
Ho Pin also encourages the spirit volunteerism and giving back, especially among the younger generation. He explains, “Youths are the future of tomorrow and we hope to empower the youths with the resources and support to benefit the community at large. We hope to develop students holistically, not just in classrooms, but also develop their creativities to engage the North West Community through these service learning opportunities.”
Beyond his role as mayor of the North West District, Ho Pin has been a teaching staff in the Department of Building since 1985. As a member of SDE’s School Advisory Committee, and President of Building and Estate Management Alumni (BEMA), he contributes valuable insights to the school and towards the industry, in the hope of nurturing leaders of tomorrow.
He shares his vision, “As a city state with limited land and natural resources, we have done much to overcome various and numerous challenges to be the Singapore today. Let us take time to reflect on our Past, while remaining connected with our Present, and continue to aspire for our Future.”