A park to suit every interest,in 15 years’ time

Today Online 25 Jul 08;

TRAILS and treks, cycling and tranquil nature — in 15 years’ time, these may not be the only things you would associate with parks in Singapore.

Try dining outlets, spas, adventure and sports activity centres, for example. These are some of the wide range of amenities being planned for the island’s parks.

Improving the quality of green spaces will be a key part of the next phase of Singapore’s greening, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said yesterday.

The plans to enhance the island’s greenery in a big way include increasing the amount of land set aside for parks by another 25 per cent in the next 15 years.

This means nearly 60 per cent of the island would be covered by greenery, compared to 47 per cent last year.

Mr Mah promised: “To meet the diverse recreational needs of an increasingly sophisticated population, NParks has set for itself the aim that whatever your interests, you will be able to find a favourite green spot to spend your leisure time within our parks.”

Besides developing new parks and rejuvenating existing ones, NParks will think vertically by undertaking research to identify plants and planting methods suitable for skyrise greenery. NParks will work with the industry to help guide developers to implement sky gardens and green roofs.

Enhancing urban biodiversity and environmental sustainability will be another area of focus, Mr Mah said at the awards gala of the Singapore Garden Festival.