Sustainable development for Jurong Lake District

Reply from URA, Straits Times Forum 19 Apr 08;

I REFER to Mr Poh Wei Leong's letter, 'Jurong 'Lake District' should be eco-friendly' (April 8) and the editorial, 'Jurong the desirable' (April 12), on the draft plans for Jurong Lake District.

Jurong Lake District is one of three regional centres identified under Concept Plan 1991 as part of a decentralisation strategy to sustain Singapore's growth, provide more choices of business locations, and bring jobs closer to homes. This is part of our long-term planning approach in which we anticipate Singapore's future land needs in advance and put in place development strategies which will ensure we have sufficient land to meet future needs while providing a good quality living environment for residents.

The plans recently released at the URA Corporate Plan Seminar cover only Jurong Lake District. Jurong Lake District is planned to be the commercial and recreational core for the entire western region of Singapore. This region is made up of well-established towns comprising Clementi, Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Panjang, Jurong East and Jurong West, which have public and private housing, supporting amenities like schools, parks and other community facilities.

The plans for Jurong Lake District detail the proposed developments to be added into the commercial centre, including 1,000 units of condominium housing. This does not preclude other public and private housing in the pipeline elsewhere in the vicinity and region. Supporting amenities like schools and a hospital will be added to complement these other developments to serve the entire region. Land for development will be released in tandem with market demand.

We agree with Mr Poh that sustainable development is important and assure him Jurong Lake District is planned to be a sustainable area from the start. Some environmentally friendly features planned to be incorporated include a comprehensive network of pedestrian walkways connected to MRT stations, the bus interchange and developments within Jurong Gateway and Lakeside, to make public transport and walking convenient and attractive. Mixed and complementary uses are also planned to minimise the need to travel. Developers will also be encouraged to incorporate eco-friendly designs and features into their projects in the area.

The plan for Jurong Lake District is still being finalised and we welcome any feedback and suggestions for consideration.

Lim Eng Hwee
Director (Physical Planning)
Urban Redevelopment Authority