Wong Siew Ying Channel NewsAsia 3 Feb 15;
SINGAPORE: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is looking for more opportunities to develop underground space in land-scarce Singapore. In an exclusive interview with Channel NewsAsia, its chief planner and deputy chief executive officer Lim Eng Hwee said that building underground is a new frontier for Singapore and presents “almost unlimited potential”.
Some of the major underground projects that have been undertaken in Singapore include the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System, the Jurong Rock Caverns and an ammunition facility at Mandai.
Q: What are URA’s plans with regard to building underground?
A: Our approach of building a compact city is most logical in our context. We build high density, high rise especially where we are near MRT stations. It provides convenience, it makes sure our infrastructure is put to very good use, it makes a lot of financial sense, then we try to create space by reclaiming as much as we think it is necessary, but there is a limit.
So now we are starting to look at underground space. At some point when land becomes so dear, we would have no choice, which is the case of Japan, when you have no option. So underground is the default option, but as you do more of it, you find ways of managing the issues, a clever way of managing the cost and a clever way of making it a bit more optimal. The potential is huge but we have to find ways to overcome these challenges and we are trying to do it partly learning by doing.
The ammunition storage at Mandai is not just a creating a storage place and freeing up a piece of land. Storing ammunition above ground sterilises almost a huge area around the ammunition storage area. By doing that you free up a lot of land.
So going ahead, we are looking at what are the opportunities to likewise free up land and free up constraints as a result of some of these facilities above ground, by moving them underground. Take a highway for example. If you put a highway underground, straightaway, your noise problem would disappear, you don't see the traffic and your whole environment becomes better.
There are many of these opportunities. We are not the only one thinking along those lines. When we talk to our colleagues in other cities, they are also doing the same thing. Japan in particular - they are very short of land. So most of these utilitarian infrastructure, mostly are underground now. So we are also learning from them to see how we can do more of this.
Q: With limited resources in Singapore, how do you strike a balance between planning to allow for economic growth, and social and environmental considerations?
A: The approach that Singapore has taken all these years is a very pragmatic and disciplined approach, which is important. I think in most other cities, they call this a sustainable approach. In our context, it is actually out of no choice, we are just this island, so we have to make sure that whatever we do today does not compromise our potential in the future.
So we have taken the approach of thinking long-term, anticipating the needs of the future before we decide what to do now. I think that approach has served us quite well and I think going ahead, we will continue to embrace that very important principle. So to balance economic needs between growth and quality of life, these are the important considerations that are built into the long-term planning process.
We think holistically. In 50 years’ time - what do we need to continue to provide a decent housing option for our people, high density, waterfront or whatever? What is the land required to allow us to build towns in a way that will provide a good quality of living? What is the land that is needed for infrastructure supporting the community, which will change over time?
For example, we do monitor the need for land to support our education and school sites; that requirement changes over time. When you have a young and growing population, you need more schools, when you change from morning and afternoon sessions to single session, your requirement almost doubles overnight, so a lot of these policies will have land implications.
In anticipating long-term needs, we have to consider all these factors, looking at the population profile, the changing needs over time and try to anticipate what are the requirements.
Q: Singapore already offers a good quality of life to residents. Going forward, how can we continue to differentiate ourselves amid rising competition from global cities?
A: We will see Singapore becoming a little bit more urbanised, but I think some of the ingredients that we have successfully implemented over the years will remain. Even though we may be slightly more urbanised, I think we may even see more greenery in Singapore. We hope to ensure that we will have a very efficient transportation network, it's not just public transportation, roads and so on but really the whole mobility system in Singapore, we hope to bring it to the next level.
In terms of the mode of transport, the aim is to make public transport the default choice mode for most people. It would be so convenient and so comfortable that you would not think twice about using it. It becomes your default mode if you have to travel a certain distance.
So our colleagues at the Land Transport Authority are working very hard to try to double our rail network within the next 10 years or so. We are also starting to look at, on a micro, detailed level, how we can provide a more seamless connectivity for pedestrians, from a station walking to your final destination, connecting between buildings, linking where you live to your neighbourhood amenities, whether it is schools or shops or community facilities and so on.
So, essentially, you will find that in future, taking public transport and walking will be very pleasant and comfortable. We are also now trying to make cycling a possible alternative. Another very significant project is the rail corridor which is the former KTM rail line, an almost completely uninterrupted 25km stretch weaving through from the north to the heart of the city in the south.
This opens up another major opportunity for us to create something that is very significant and I personally believe most Singaporeans would be very proud of and identify with. Through projects like that, even as we continue to develop and grow, we can continue to ensure that we have a very good quality of living in terms of greenery, in terms of green coverage.
- CNA/ms
