SINGAPORE: Singaporeans can expect some 15,000 new homes in central Singapore, more commercial hubs outside the city centre, and a new waterfront area in the future.
These are some of the plans laid out in the Draft Master Plan 2013.
The plan guides Singapore's development in the medium term and is reviewed every five years.
It was launched on Wednesday by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
New developments are expected at Marina South - an area which is currently largely occupied by construction.
These include an 800 metre-long pedestrian street with an underground shopping mall connecting two MRT stations - Marina South and Gardens by the Bay, a high-rise walkway from Gardens by the Bay right to the seafront, as well as 9,000 new homes.
Development of the area is expected to begin after 2017.
Over at Holland Village, a new extension has been planned to create more walkways and meeting spaces.
Some 1,500 residential units and a community park have also been proposed.
The first batch of developments is expected to be up and running in the next one to two years.
And for Kampong Bugis, the third residential development outlined in the Master Plan, it is set to be an eco-friendly and car-reduced precinct.
There will likely be fewer car parks in the area and water taxis could be offered as an alternative commuting mode to the city.
Some 4,000 housing units have been planned for the area as well.
Kampong Bugis has also been identified as a pilot site to serve as a model for sustainable water management practices internationally.
And like in earlier plans, the draft adopts the decentralisation strategy which means having people working closer to where they are living.
Other than creating sustained growth of the City Centre, more commercial hubs will be developed in areas like the Jurong Lake District and Woodlands.
A mixed-use integrated township in the west is one such project. Named 2 West, the URA says it will create a work, live, play and learn ecosystem integrated within a manufacturing environment.
2 West will comprise of the 50 ha CleanTech Park, Nanyang Technology University, Wenya Industrial park and part of the future Tengah Town.
The relocation of Pasir Panjang, Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Brani terminals will free up 1,000 hectare of land by 2027. Some ideas have been planned for this vast area which will be called the Greater Southern Waterfront.
These ideas include building of a new reservoir between Tanjong Pagar and Pulau Brani, and creating an eco-corridor by joining up green spaces in the area such as Labrador Park, Southern Ridges and the Rail Corridor.
Other initiatives include dedicated cycling paths in the Central area, and new identity nodes at Holland Village, Serangoon Garden and Jalan Kayu.
This means URA will explore ways to conserve and enhance the special character of these three places as part of their land use planning.
The Draft Master Plan is on display at The URA Centre and on URA's website.
The public can give their feedback on the proposed plans, from Wednesday until December 19.
- CNA/fa
Community spirit, green living at heart of URA plan for Singapore
Three new residential districts unveiled: Marina South, Kampong Bugis and extension adjacent to Holland Village
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 20 Nov 13;
SINGAPORE — Three new residential districts — two of which are piloting new urban-living concepts — along with a raft of proposals guiding the islandwide developments in the medium term have been unveiled today in the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) draft Master Plan 2013.
Offering some 14,500 homes, Marina South, Kampong Bugis — which is near the Kallang River — and a new extension adjacent to Holland Village have been earmarked for private housing developments.
In particular, Marina South and Kampong Bugis will pilot schemes to reduce car usage and encourage residents to use “more green forms of commuting”, such as public transport, walking and cycling. The two precincts will also test environment-friendly concepts, such as exploring sustainable water-management practices in a high-density precinct and harnessing wind energy to cool the entire district.
The URA said the development of the three districts will be spread over the “next 10 to 15 years”.
While the three areas will consist of mostly private housing, the authority said that, under the draft Master Plan — which was embargoed till 3am today — it has “safeguarded enough land for 500,000 housing units, of which a large proportion will be for public housing”.
Apart from new towns such as Bidadari, Tampines North and Punggol Matilda, new public housing units will also be built in established housing estates such as Sembawang, Yishun, Hougang and Choa Chu Kang, providing more options for those who wish to live near their parents or residents who wish to relocate within familiar neighbourhoods.
The URA has also proposed 70 more buildings for conservation, including the former Queenstown Library and five blocks at Kampong Silat, the island’s second-oldest surviving public housing estate.
The URA Master Plan is a statutory land use plan, which guides Singapore’s development in the medium term by showing the permissible land use and density for every parcel of land here. Reviewed every five years, the plan also sketches out the authority’s vision to develop scarce land and meet residential, industry, transport and recreational needs. The pace of these developments is “dependent on global circumstances and market demand”, said the URA.
Among the eye-catching proposals in the latest urban-planning blueprint are a new waterfront “creative cluster” and “learning corridor” in the Punggol area anchored by a planned tertiary institution.
Urban planners have also outlined plans to provide 30 per cent more office space in the next 15 years in the downtown area, equivalent to adding twice the office capacity currently available in Raffles Place.
Marina South is envisioned as a “fenceless” residential precinct, similar to Robertson Quay and One North Residences. It will offer 9,000 private housing units and a total land area of 21.5ha will be developed. The area will feature an 800m-long pedestrianised street and an underground mall that will connect commuters to two MRT stations — Marina South and Gardens by the Bay — on the Thomson line.
An elevated landscaped walkway will link the Bay South Gardens to the seafront. Cycling paths will also be built to connect to other parts of Marina Bay. The URA said it is exploring the idea of an underground network of car parks in the district. If feasible, this will allow motorists to drive underground from one building to another.
To be developed only after 2017 or 2018, Marina South will be 30 per cent more energy-efficient than other districts, with buildings incorporating environmentally-friendly features, such as rain gardens and porous pavements. It will also be a test-bed to harness wind as a natural cooling system for the entire district.
At the 18ha Kampong Bugis, residents will be encouraged to commute using the MRT, bus and future water taxi services. It will also be a test-bed for sustainable water-management practices, with developments incorporating effective stormwater management systems and features such as bio-retention basins. To be developed after 2016, Kampong Bugis will offer about 4,000 private residential units.
The 6ha new extension at Holland Village, which will be completed within the next two years, will add another 1,500 private residential units within mixed developments.
Previously, some HDB blocks and a car park near Holland Village had been selected for the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme as part of plans to redevelop the area.
New buildings in the area — which the URA noted was a popular haunt for Singaporeans and visitors — will be low- and medium-rise, as a way to ensure it retains its “eclectic” character, the authority said. On the cards are “pedestrian-oriented streets”, an underground parking station and a new access road.
The URA is holding an exhibition on the draft Master Plan at The URA Centre till Dec 19. The final plan will be released in the first quarter of next year.
Brochures for the various residential areas earmarked for new developments are also available at http://www.ura.gov.sg/MS/DMP2013
URA unveils concept for Greater Southern Waterfront
Preliminary plans include 30km stretch of waterfront promenade and a reservoir
Sumita D/O Sreedharan Today Online 20 Nov 13;
SINGAPORE — More than a year after plans were first announced to free up prime land for development by consolidating all container port activities in Tuas, Singaporeans have been given a glimpse of the vast transformation that could take place along the Republic’s southern front.
Preliminary conceptual plans unveiled by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) under its draft Master Plan include an uninterrupted 30km stretch of waterfront promenade that extends from Labrador Park to Marina South and encompasses Pulau Brani, a new reservoir created between the offshore island and Tanjong Pagar, and new residential and commercial districts along the coastline.
The Greater Southern Waterfront — with a land area about three times the size of Marina Bay — is “envisioned to be a seamless extension of the city and will open up new live-work-play opportunities”, the URA said.
The area was identified in the Land Use Plan published at the start of the year as one of two new commercial nodes. During the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also alluded to it when he sketched out ambitious long-term development plans.
The URA said the plan for this “large-scale endeavour” will be worked out over the coming years and it welcomes ideas from the public for the new waterfront area.
The relocation of the City Terminals at Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Pulau Brani by 2027 and the Pasir Panjang Terminal thereafter will free up 1,000ha of land for development.
The proposed reservoir could retain rainwater from the Greater Southern Waterfront and store excess water from Marina Reservoir. Differentiated waterfront districts could be built in areas such as Labrador, Tanjong Pagar and Pulau Brani. A network of canals, lined with shops and cafes, running through the new neighbourhoods comprising low- and mid-rise developments is also on the cards.
The city centre could also be extended southwards and be integrated with housing and businesses at the waterfront.
The land that will be freed up by the relocation of the container terminals may also allow for an expansion of public spaces. The Central Linear Park linking Marina Boulevard to Straits Boulevard could extend into the Greater Southern Waterfront, creating a pedestrian link to the area. This new axis could be designated a car-free zone, the authority said.
A green corridor linking Labrador Park, Berlayer Creek and Mount Faber to Pulau Brani could also be created and be connected to the Gardens by the Bay and the islandwide green network.
The waterfront promenade — where people can jog, cycle or take a leisurely stroll — will link up all the places of interest along the Greater Southern Waterfront and provide a “unique and varied waterfront experience”, it added.
Serangoon Garden, Jalan Kayu, Holland Village to be preserved
URA designates the three areas as identity nodes in view of their distinctive character
Sumita D/O Sreedharan Today Online 20 Nov 13;
SINGAPORE — It is one of the oldest estates around and was once known as Ang Sar Lee (Red Roof in Hokkien) for the red zinc roofs in the neighbourhood. Now, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is drawing up plans to help preserve the identity of Serangoon Garden and the low-rise nature of the estate, and retain its iconic roundabout. Close to the famous Chomp Chomp Food Centre, Serangoon Garden Circus connects Serangoon Garden Way to Kensington Park Road and Chartwell Drive.
The estate, along with Jalan Kayu and Holland Village, is being added to the URA’s list of identity nodes that have been earmarked for preservation, in view of their strong and distinctive identities that resonate with Singaporeans. Their proposed inclusion was announced today by the URA at the unveiling of its draft Master Plan.
The layout of the Serangoon Garden estate, coupled with its popularity as a food haunt, has led to parking woes and worsening traffic bottlenecks. This prompted the authorities to institute a restaurant ban last year, so that shophouses could no longer be converted into eateries.
To further preserve the character of the estate, the URA aims to draw up guidelines for the urban design of the vicinity and ensure new developments will fit in with Serangoon Garden’s character and charm.
Jalan Kayu — another popular destination for foodies, especially roti prata lovers — has also been designated as an identity node. Some enhancements the URA has in mind for this laid-back estate include improvements to its pavements, lush planting and improved connectivity to its nearest LRT station, Thanggam, along the Sengkang LRT line.
The third identity node, Holland Village, will be extended to include new public spaces and mixed-use developments. Popular for its eateries and cafes, Holland Village will have a new extension that will retain its “urban village” feel and pedestrian links to connect the streets to the town centre.
The three areas join a list of 15 areas, including Thomson Village, Pulau Ubin and Tanjong Katong, which were designated as Singapore’s Identity Nodes in URA’s Identity Plan in 2002. About 70 buildings — including places of worship, warehouses and notable buildings, such as Alexandra Hospital, Queenstown Library and the former field assistant’s house at the Singapore Botanic Gardens — have also been gazetted for conservation under the latest Master Plan, which will be finalised next year. About 7,100 heritage buildings have been conserved by the URA over the past 23 years.