Building a more liveable Singapore

Claire Huang, 938LIVE Channel NewsAsia 8 Sep 09;

SINGAPORE: For the first time, four government agencies are working together with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to build a greener and more liveable Singapore.

Seven million dollars will be used to fund seven research projects such as designing buildings and common areas to maximise space usage.

New landscapes such as the Marina Bay and the Jurong Lake district, as well as both mature and new housing estates like Punggol, will be examined in detail.

Six of the projects will be carried out concurrently over three years.

One of the agencies involved is the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

Its CEO, Mrs Cheong Koon Hean, said: "These projects will be very interesting because we're really exploring more into how to make Singapore an even more liveable city, particularly one that's in the tropics and one that's high density.

"So, for example, if we study more into urban greenery, we can understand how greenery can help to cool the city, where it's located - whether it's in the ground or the sky or where we can have sky-rise greenery."

Mrs Cheong cited another example. "When we look at climatic studies, we're actually trying to understand how the wind blows in the city, and I think by locating the buildings in the right position, or by having open spaces, we hope to be able to channel some of these breezes throughout the city and again, it can help to cool the city.

"If we can understand more about some of these issues and incorporate them into city planning, we will get to enjoy the benefits."

The research, however, is not without its challenges. Dr Malone Lee, director of the Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities at NUS, explained: "I think we're looking at a built-up environment and with a built-up environment where you've existing population and economic activities, it's not always easy to introduce new and innovative solutions with regards to environment sustainability.

"So the real challenge is in these environments where it's more of a retrofitting existing built-up situation - with housing, with employment, with industries - and the way spaces are really configured."

The other agencies involved are the Housing and Development Board (HDB), Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the National Parks Board (NParks).

The research studies will pave the way for sustainable development in other cities with similar living conditions.

The studies are part of Singapore's Blueprint for Sustainability and is funded by the Ministry of National Development Research Fund. The fund was established in January 2007 to raise the quality of physical and living environment in Singapore.

- 938LIVE/ir

NUS in joint study of sustainable development
Joyce Hooi, Business Times 9 Sep 09;

IN a bid to tame the concrete jungle, a collaborative study amongst four government bodies with the National University of Singapore (NUS) officially got underway yesterday.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Housing Development Board (HDB), Land Transport Authority (LTA), and National Parks Board (NParks) signed agreements with NUS, kick-starting a series of seven research projects on sustainable urban development.

Alongside the contributions of expertise and resources of each agency involved, the Ministry of National Development will contribute $7 million in grants to the three-year study.

'The challenge ahead of us now is how we can continue to ensure that future development balances economic growth with environmental stewardship and social progress,' said Cheong Koon Hean, the chief executive officer of URA at the signing ceremony yesterday.

The series will involve six research projects - climatic mapping, urban greenery, urban space, urban transport modelling, sustainable housing typologies and urban metabolism.

The seventh project, which is focused on benchmarks and best practices, will analyse international best practices and develop benchmarks for Singapore. Cities like Chicago and Portland will be studied for their progress in green and sustainable urban development.

The projects will deal with a range of issues that commonly plague urban areas, like the management of waste, efficient use of scarce resources and the sustainability of transportation.

While the study lasts three years, application of the findings will take place before the timeframe is up.

'There will be interim results that will come out at various stages, which will be used for urban planning as the study progresses,' said Malone-Lee Lai Choo, director of the Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities (CSAC) at NUS' school of design and environment, who will be in charge of coordinating the research projects at NUS.

The climatic mapping study for example, will include a detailed study of Marina Bay. 'The Marina Bay area is one that is actively planning for development and the study can influence its urban design and buildings,' said Richard Hoo, the group director of strategic planning at URA.

Other areas that will be looked at intensively and be moulded by ongoing research are the Jurong Lake District and Queenstown.

'The challenge is also how to handle the mature and existing built-up areas and determining what kind of interventions can be introduced,' said Dr Malone- Lee.

City planners get NUS on board green drive
Straits Times 9 Sep 09;

IMAGINE walking into a concrete jungle that harnesses breezes, for instance, to create a cooler park-like environment.

Or living in an HDB project offering a heightened quality of life, perhaps featuring European-style courtyards as part of a sustainable development drive.

Such innovations may become reality once research collaboration between government agencies and the National University of Singapore (NUS) bears fruit.

Yesterday, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) - in collaboration with the HDB, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the National Parks Board - inked agreements with NUS for seven research projects to study sustainable urban development.

The collaboration, which started yesterday with the help of a $7 million grant from the National Development Ministry Research Fund, is one proposal in Singapore's $1 billion sustainability blueprint.

The research will last three years, but with 'interim results' to emerge at various stages, to be applied immediately in development projects or planning processes and policies, said Dr Malone-Lee Lai Choo, director of the Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities at NUS' School of Design and Environment.

One aim is to make Singapore more conducive to living and working. The main test areas are the new growth areas of Marina Bay and Jurong Lake District and the mature estate of Queenstown, said URA's group director (strategic planning) Richard Hoo.

URA will do a detailed study at Marina Bay on the built environment and how its elements affect micro-climatic conditions such as air flow. A micro-climatic map can point out the hot and cool spots in the area to allow for the planning of more greenery in 'hot spots' or where to best site public spaces, for instance.

These, said URA, will provide useful inputs when planners draw up urban design guidelines, configure land parcels as well as review land use plans.

Urban transport modelling will look at the connectivity between buildings and transport nodes, in order to create a pedestrian- friendly city that encourages greater use of public transport.

The researchers will consider factors such as how far people are willing to walk, what would get them to walk more and so on.

LTA, one of the lead organisations on this project, said it will include a real-life scale study based on Jurong Lake District.

The study on sustainable housing may offer urban forms that are new to the public housing scene. For instance, it will consider projects that look into European-style courtyards, to see if that approach works here, said Mr Hoo.

Apart from physical aspects such as shading and wind movements, the researchers will also consider the sociological issues like privacy, said Dr Malone-Lee.

There will also be a $2 million umbrella study that will provide the benchmarks, best practices and frameworks for sustainable urban development.

At a signing ceremony for the research studies yesterday, URA's chief executive, Mrs Cheong Koon Hean, said the challenge is 'how we can raise the quality of our physical and living environment to make Singapore not just a distinctive global city but an endearing home as well'.

JOYCE TEO

It's time for a cooler Singapore
Three-year, $7-million search for a greener and more liveable environment
Ong Dai Lin, Today Online 9 Sep 09;

WELL-VENTILATED homes without the need for air conditioning. City living amid lush and sky-rise greenery. And public spaces with cafes and more facilities.

This could be the future of Singapore as the Government embarks on research studies into sustainable development with the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The three-year, $7-million study aims to develop solutions to build a sustainable living environment in Singapore and will fund seven research projects, which include the study of urban greenery, public spaces and different housing types to maximise land use.

And with this being the first time public agencies are teaming up with academic researchers in the Republic's urban planning programme, the hope is the projects will break new ground.

One project, for example, will look at climatic studies to cool down the city by changing the design of the city landscape. By identifying the hot spots and cooler areas, urban planners can better plan for greenery and improved ventilation.

Mrs Cheong Koon Hean, chief executive officer of the Urban Redevelopment Authority, said: "When we look at climatic studies, we're actually trying to understand how the wind blows in the city.

"And I think by locating the buildings in the right position, or by having open spaces, we hope to be able to channel some of these breezes throughout the city ... It can help to cool the city."

The findings will also be used to plan the upcoming projects in Marina Bay.

With URA as the lead government agency, the other organisations involved are the Housing and Development Board, Land Transport Authority and National Parks Board. And the research studies will be coordinated by the Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities (CSAC) at the NUS School of Design and Environment.

By tapping on academia, there should be a more in-depth look at the urban planning topics. CSAC director Dr Malone-Lee Lai Choo said: "We're able to use research methodologies like satellite mapping, computer simulation and collecting data on people's perception of the environment ... we can also draw on our knowledge of research work done in other countries."

Overseas academics, including from Yale University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, are also collaborating on the studies.

A Step In The Right Direction

The research initiative, which comes under the Singapore Blueprint for Sustainable Development launched in April, is a step in the right direction, said some architects. But they also told Today there are more areas that could do with more innovative thinking - including the private sector.

Mr Randy Chan from Zarch Collaborates suggested that when looking at urban planning, the Government should look at the practice of property developers who construct showrooms to sell properties.

These can cost up to $1 million, he said. "The showrooms are so wasteful and when the property is sold, they are torn down ... Maybe they can build up the second or third storey and use that as a showroom."

He believes as well that a key incentive for property developers to build green features is missing: Homebuyers are not willing to pay more for these.

Said Mr Chan: "We need to address if the drive to build green housing should be led by the Government, or by the private sector. So far, the private sector has been slow in this (regard)."

Another architect, Mr Dean Chew, suggested urban farming be incorporated in land usage. "We can start small, like maybe planting on a plot of land that is 2m by 2m. The main thing is to get people thinking about all the issues of sustainability."

The research studies are funded by the Ministry of National Development (MND) Research Fund for the Built Environment.

The $50-million fund - of which some $39 million is now allocated - was given to MND in 2007 to be used over five years to support research that can help to improve the quality of life in Singapore. Some projects so far include a zero-energy building.
URL http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC090909-0000099/Its-time-for-a-cooler-Singapore