Ong Dai Lin, Today Online 24 Jan 09;
LIVING in an urban jungle of HDB flats, residents would find green open spaces a natural tonic. So, it may seem counter-intuitive to suggest that Singapore’s green planners take a leaf from their housing counterparts.
But Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who said on Friday that the evolution of green spaces here was “not bad”, believes the lessons learnt from building HDB flats could in a way be instructive for the Republic’s greening efforts.
In a word, variety. “We need some variations because in many of the open spaces now, you see the same pattern of vegetation. So we need to involve different shapes,sizes — give it some variety,” he said.
“Just like HDB houses — they used to be all uniform, but as we progressed, we got them to design it differently. So we’re learning all the time and improving.”
Mr Lee spoke of the need to keep improving parks and outdoor recreation following a tour of the Eastern Coastal Park Connector Network.
In fact, it would require nothing less than ingenious green spaces across the island if Singapore is to be a unique city, he told reporters.
The Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Programme and park connectors are some examples of “maximising our limited land space to give the most to everybody who wants to get out of the urban jungle”.
“Now we’re trying to give (Singapore) some flourish,” he said.
On Friday, the National Parks Board (NParks) announced that it will be accelerating the construction of its park connectors in light of the economic downturn.
It will build 42km of park connectors this year — double its target of 20km per year — more than 80 per cent of which will be for the western and northern loop of the island. With the acceleration, the western loop is targeted to be completed by the end of the year, and the northern loop in mid-2010.
NParks to cultivate more open spaces in Singapore
Plan for 300km network by 2015; MM Lee says improving Garden City will help make the Republic unique
Kor Kian Beng, Straits Times 24 Jan 09;
FEW cities in the world are able to cultivate and transform open spaces into green lungs - tranquil places where those from the urban jungle can relax in.
Having achieved this, Singapore will have to think of ingenious ways and means to keep this a green and clean city, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said yesterday after touring the Eastern Coastal Park Connector Network.
'It's (about) maximising our limited land space to give the most to everybody who wants to get out of the urban jungle. So you can come here and feel that your surroundings are completely different, the ambience is different,' he said after an hour-long tour.
'And we've got to do this in many parts of Singapore in ingenious ways.'
This will make Singapore a unique city, he added.
'There are very few cities that can set out to do this. We started out just by greening the place and keeping it clean. Then we've tried to beautify it. Now we're trying to give it some flourish,' said the architect of Singapore's Garden City concept.
He noted that as Singapore urbanised, there were less uncultivated open spaces here. So the authorities have now been building 'cultivated open spaces'.
An example of this is the islandwide Park Connector Network, which links up parks and nature sites to give people better access to recreation and nature.
The National Parks Board (NParks) aims to develop a 300km network by 2015.
About 105km of this has already been built. This includes the 42km Eastern Coastal stretch, completed in 2007, a portion of which MM Lee visited yesterday with Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan.
The stretch is one of the seven similar networks being planned islandwide.
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said in his Budget Statement on Thursday that $1.3 billion worth of government projects would be brought forward this year. These range from HDB lift upgrading to building of park connectors and upgrading of military facilities.
An NParks spokesman told reporters yesterday that it plans to build 42km of park connectors this year - about twice its original 20km target - in the light of the economic downturn. This will cost $40 million in all.
Mr Lee yesterday also commented on the issue of littering. Asked about the prevalence of the problem, he said it remains a constant battle which will have to be tackled by engaging the public and schools, and through the media. It is also something Singaporeans have to accept, given the presence of a large foreign worker population.
'You've got one million foreign workers who are not part of the community, who come in with different habits. You need them to do the jobs that Singaporeans either don't want to do or can't do. You can't say 'You're going to go through a training course before you start work'. So we have to put up with all these aberrations.'
NParks to spend S$40m to complete 42km of park connectors
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia 23 Jan 09;
SINGAPORE: Singapore's National Parks Board (NParks) is spending S$40 million this year to complete 42 kilometres of park connector development.
This was revealed when NParks updated Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Friday on its plans to develop an islandwide network of green corridors by 2015.
Mr Lee, who started the Keep Singapore Clean and Green campaign in the 1970s, said expanding the country's park connectors is one way to develop Singapore as a green and clean city.
"The ABC waterways, the greenery, the park connectors are maximising our limited land space to give the most to everybody who wants to get out of the urban jungle.
"So you can come here and you can feel the ambience. We got to do this in many parts of Singapore in ingenious ways, and then we will be a unique city," he said.
The minister mentor, however, acknowledged that littering is a constant battle which the public and the schools have to be engaged in.
"You've got one million foreign workers with different habits. You need them to do the jobs that Singaporeans don't want to do or can't do... We have to put up with all these aberrations. The infrastructure is what we must do. Maintain it and keep it up to standard," Mr Lee said.
The eastern coastal park connector network is the longest of the seven park connectors which have been planned for Singapore. Nearly 300 kilometres of park connectors will be completed by 2015.
On a separate note, Mr Lee emphasised that Budget 2009, which was announced on Thursday by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, is meant to save jobs as there is no better way to fight recession.
He added that lower income and jobless Singaporeans need to be helped to get through the rough patch.
"I think (the Budget is) not over-generous, but it is not ungenerous, and we don't know how long (the recession) will last and that's the big question. We are prepared for all eventualities. It can last one year, it can last two years, it may go on for three years – we don't know. We've got to be prepared for it," he said.
- CNA/so
