SINGAPORE: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Wednesday (Mar 18) launched a request for proposals from design professionals to develop a Concept Master Plan and concept proposals for Singapore's Rail Corridor.
Over the past three-and-a-half years, URA has been engaging different segments of the community to gather feedback on the 24-km long Rail Corridor spanning the north to south of Singapore. These have been distilled into a set of planning and design goals.
URA said in a news release that the proposals should have "nature and greenery, celebration of heritage, and connectivity as hallmarks of the Rail Corridor experience". The proposals should also be sensitive to local context, the authority said.
"Retaining and enriching the signature ‘green corridor’ experience is also one of the key requirements," URA added.
Mr Ng Lang, CEO of the URA, said:"Our intention is to continue to sensitively stage the development of this project with the community, and not rush into developing the whole stretch at one go.”
Participating teams have to propose designs for four key activity nodes and two special interest areas along the Rail Corridor:
Buona Vista near one-north: This should become a vibrant community space for the nearby business park and research community, as well as residents of Queenstown neighbourhood, said URA.
Bukit Timah Railway Station area: The green heart of the Rail Corridor should be complementary to its idyllic natural setting anchored by the conserved Bukit Timah Railway Station. This is where occasional community events can be held, URA said. At most other times, it can be a place of retreat and where one can enjoy the serene, green landscape.
Former Bukit Timah Fire Station: The former Bukit Timah Fire Station and quarters will become a new gateway into the Rail Corridor, URA said. Buildings within the fire station site should be retained and a new pedestrian link should be provided for visitors to explore parks fringing the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve such as Dairy Farm Nature Park and Bukit Batok Nature Park. There could also be linkage to nearby heritage sites such as the Old Ford Factory and site of the Battle of Bukit Timah, which are steeped in World War II history, URA said.
Kranji (opposite Kranji MRT station): This is envisioned this to become the northern gateway into the Rail Corridor, and could be a place for community events. Its design should complement and be sensitive to key landmarks in the area such as the Singapore Turf Club, Kranji War Memorial, and Mandai Mangroves, URA stated.
Adaptive reuse of the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station: This national monument should become the most prominent and important gateway into the Rail Corridor, said URA. Participating teams should consider how the railway station can be put to adaptive reuse as a community building for the next 20 years, pending the development of the Greater Southern Waterfront.
Urban-green-blue tapestry at Choa Chu Kang: The stretch of the Rail Corridor at Choa Chu Kang that is adjacent to the Sungei Pang Sua Canal provides an opportunity to weave a unique urban-green-blue tapestry in the precinct, said URA. Currently, that stretch has low plant biodiversity. Participating teams will need to come up with innovative design concepts to enhance and integrate that segment of the Rail Corridor with Sungei Pang Sua to create an ecologically richer and more vibrant natural environment, and merge it seamlessly with future housing design in the area.
URA said there will be a 2-stage tender selection process and successful teams of consultants will be announced in October. More information can be found at URA's website.
- CNA/eg
Accessibility key for Rail Corridor master plan
SIAU MING EN Today Online 19 Mar 15;
SINGAPORE — Straddling the width of Singapore, the 24km-long former railway track that spans Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands will be preserved as a continuous track featuring lush greenery and its rail heritage, while six sites have been identified to serve as gateways and community spaces for mass events.
And those interested in bidding to develop a master plan for the entire Rail Corridor — which traverses seven constituencies and could link one million residents — will have to ensure the corridor is accessible to the public, accommodating runners, walkers and cyclists alike in a safe way. Amenities such as lighting, water points, toilets, and food and beverage outlets could also be added along the stretch.
The greenery and biodiversity of the area should also be enhanced by planting more native or suitable plant species in a “judicious” way. Where vegetation has been removed, regenerative planting should be done and new habitats for wildlife created.
And bidders should draw up strategies to protect against “visual intrusion” from developments in the surrounding areas, and consideration be given to preserving the corridor’s “desirable vistas and views”.
These details were revealed in the Request for Proposal (RFP) brief launched by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) yesterday after three-and-a-half years of public engagement, outlining requirements and key considerations for interested parties.
Apart from considering the nature, heritage and connectivity elements in their design plans, teams have to propose concept designs for the six activity sites — four “key activity nodes”, and two special interest areas.
The four key activity nodes — Buona Vista, the Bukit Timah Railway Station area, the former Bukit Timah Fire Station and the Kranji area — were chosen because they are next to major transport nodes and are slightly larger, said URA senior director (physical planning) Tan See Nin on a site visit ahead of the RFP launch.
Formerly the site of Tanglin Halt station, the Buona Vista node for instance, should not only be a gathering point for the nearby business-park community, but should also capture the area’s railway heritage. Being next to Buona Vista MRT interchange station also makes it suitable for events.
The two special-interest areas are the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and a site in Choa Chu Kang that may be developed as part of a housing precinct. Beyond these six sites, smaller sites can be added along the way. “Backyard” spaces should be set aside for communities living near the corridor for recreation and leisure.
To ensure seamless connectivity and the safety of users, the Government will ensure any future road crossings affecting the corridor will be built as overpasses or underpasses. Improvements to the former railway truss bridges to facilitate crossings may also be considered.
While the Rail Corridor is being used by some nature lovers, Mr Tan noted that, by and large, the public does not visit the area. “Partly, I think the problem is they have no sense of how to get to this place and (whether) it is safe. There (are) no facilities in this area, no proper pathways.” The URA noted that many stretches of the corridor are almost not walkable during wet seasons.
Before the master plan is implemented, Mr Tan said the URA would work with the Singapore Land Authority to put in place proper signage to encourage people to enter the Rail Corridor in the interim. The guidelines have been drawn up based on feedback from stakeholders and the public since the land was abandoned in 2011. In the RFP documents, the URA said the corridor “cannot be all things to all men”, but the length of the space would probably allow for most of desirable features that the public wants to be incorporated.
Nature Society (Singapore) vice-president Leong Kwok Peng said the society had been concerned about the impact of developments on the Clementi forest near Bukit Timah Railway Station. He said he is satisfied that the RFP documents require the node to retain its green expanse. The society’s president Shawn Lum also sits on the 11-member evaluation panel to assess the submissions. Other members include URA, NParks and HDB.
No timeline was given on when the plans would be realised. The submission deadline for Stage 1 of the RFP is April 23. Submissions will be shortlisted in May and the public will be able to view them and give feedback through a public exhibition from October to December. Up to three teams can be shortlisted to handle different aspects of the project, namely the overall Concept Master Plan, development of former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and development of the Choa Chu Kang site. Between March and May next year, one selected team will come up with a preliminary design for a 4km “signature stretch” that has yet to be announced by the URA.
Shorter tenure for Rail Corridor developments at former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station
SIAU MING EN Today Online 18 Mar 15;
SINGAPORE — While parts of the former Tanjong Pagar Railway station could be developed for community activities, design teams will have to bear in mind the area’s shorter tenure of 20 years, pending the redevelopment of the Greater Southern Waterfront.
Set to be the most prominent and important gateway into the Rail Corridor due to its close proximity to the city, teams will have to propose suitable interim uses for the former station, which may be supported by “appropriate and sensitive additions and alterations” to the building, noted the Request for Proposal brief released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) today (March 18). However, the proposals should take into account that the tenure of the new uses could be as short as 20 years.
The public should have unfettered access to parts of the three-storey building — a National Monument — so that they can better appreciate the station’s heritage. The main arrival hall should be capable of being adapted into a multi-purpose space or event hall and the main building and platforms should not be gated for easier accessibility.
In addition, the URA said teams must be mindful that new uses and activities within the site do not create nuisances and disturbances to the surrounding neighbourhood.
Meanwhile, a segment of the Rail Corridor at Choa Chu Kang — a bare stretch with one of the lowest levels of flora biodiversity along the green corridor — which cuts into a parcel of land set aside for housing development, could be integrated with the adjacent Pang Sua Canal to create an ecologically richer and more vibrant natural environment. This could become part of the entire residential precinct.
Teams are also given the option of shifting the segment away from its original railway alignment, but if they do so, “memories of the original alignment should be retained in some form in the overall layout and design of the Choa Chu Kang housing precinct,” the URA said.
Old rail track to become 'green line'
Janice Heng My Paper AsiaOne 19 Mar 15;
IDEAS WANTED: The Rail Corridor in Bukit Timah, as seen on Monday. Proposals for the corridor's development should ensure that it is continuous and seamlessly connected, reflect its heritage and preserve its green nature.
Six areas along the Rail Corridor are to be given special attention when it is finally developed, and the 24km path will be restored to become a continuous green stretch.
Under a request for proposal launched by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) yesterday, four areas have been earmarked as "activity nodes" and gateways to the former railway track.
These are the former Bukit Timah railway station, the old Bukit Timah fire station and two areas near Kranji and Buona Vista MRT stations.
There will also be two areas of special interest: the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and the stretch near Sungei Pang Sua canal in Choa Chu Kang.
The pre-qualification stage of the request for proposal began yesterday. Design teams have until April 23 to submit a statement of intent, bearing these planning goals in mind.
They were drawn up following more than three years of consultation over the future of the path, which runs between Tanjong Pagar and Woodlands.
No timeframe has been set for when the development of the corridor will take place.
When its development was announced in 2011, there were fears that its unique nature as an island-spanning green stretch would not be preserved.
However, the URA has based its planning and design goals on feedback received since then and, as a result, proposals should ensure that the Rail Corridor is continuous and seamlessly connected, reflect its heritage as a former track for Malaysia's Keretapi Tanah Melayu railway and preserve its green nature.
"The quality of the space is really defined by the greenery," said Tan See Nin, URA's senior director of physical planning. Teams should even have a "landscape strategy".
The URA noted that some stretches of the route are quite bare while others have trees with weak branches.
The URA also wants the Rail Corridor to be inclusive and accessible, for instance with the addition of shelters and toilets.
Design teams will also have to consider "appropriate lighting strategies...that are sensitive to the surrounding context and landscapes".
Retiree Tan Cheng Hui noted that some stretches are muddy and impassable after it rains. "These can be improved so that more people can enjoy the green corridor," said the 57-year-old.
Editor and heritage enthusiast Choo Lip Sin, 44, said that making the track more user-friendly could be done sensitively, like adding shelters that "reflect the heritage of what the Rail Corridor used to be".
In May, up to five design teams will be shortlisted to develop the concept masterplan and specific proposals. A public exhibition will be held from October to December to get feedback on the ideas of the successful team or teams.
From March to May next year they will then come up with a preliminary design for a 4km "signature stretch" of the Rail Corridor which has yet to be revealed.
URA chief executive Ng Lang said: "Our intention is to continue to sensitively stage the development of this project with the community, and not rush into developing the whole stretch at one go."
6 Rail Corridor sites earmarked for special attention under URA design plans
Victor Loh AsiaOne 18 Mar 15;
SINGAPORE - Six locations along the Rail Corridor have been earmarked by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) as community and activity nodes, according to its request for proposals issued today.
The URA called for design professionals to conceptualise four activity areas along the Rail Corridor: Buona Vista (near one-north), Bukit Timah Railway Station area, Former Bukit Timah Fire Station, and Kranji (opposite Kranji MRT Station).
In addition to the four areas, URA has designated two locations as special interest areas: The former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, and the stretch of the Rail Corridor at Choa Chu Kang that is adjacent to the Sungei Pang Sua Canal.
In its call for proposals, URA highlighted the 'green corridor' as the identity for the Rail Corridor, enhancing the planting and level of biodiversity along its route.
Besides retaining its rail heritage, history, and surrounding features, the Rail Corridor must also allow seamless connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists, URA added.
Shortlisted conceptualisations for the Rail Corridor will be showcased to the public from October to December 2015.