03/12/2013

Planning For Singapore’s Future

DRAFT MASTER PLAN 2013

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The Draft Master Plan 2013 is driven by the vision of an inclusive, highly liveable, economically vibrant and green home for all Singaporeans. As a small city-state, we have to ensure that sufficient land is available to accommodate a whole range of land uses, including greenery and other critical needs such as housing, schools and employment centres.

We strive to plan for a quality living environment with amenities for all ages within reach, bringing jobs closer to homes, as well as creating green, healthy and connected towns with strong communities united in diversity.

The planning strategies to achieve the vision for Draft Master Plan 2013 are presented through these six key focuses.


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URA Draft Master Plan 2013: Exciting plans, but execution could be difficult, say experts

An artist's impression of the Kampong Bugis precinct. Property consultants warn that while the plans offer "exciting" new proposals for some areas, the difficulty would be in the execution of these plan. -- PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

The latest blueprint for Singapore's development offers "exciting" new proposals for some areas, while fleshing out details of ambitious plans that been hinted at previously, property consultants said on Wednesday morning.

But they warned that the difficulty would be in the execution of these plans, many of which aim to make Singapore a greener city.

Their comments came after the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) released the Draft Master Plan 2013 at 3am on Wednesday

URA Draft Master Plan 2013:



URA has bold ideas to balance development, conservation: PM Lee


The Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) new blueprint for the country has "bold ideas" to balance development with conservation and green space, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post yesterday. -- ST FILE PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

The Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) new blueprint for the country has "bold ideas" to balance development with conservation and green space, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post yesterday.

"How to allow new development, while protecting space for green living and conservation on our little island, is a constant challenge," he wrote.

 "Urban Redevelopment Authority's team has come up with bold ideas to strike a good balance, and improve our quality of life.".

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Spore plans waterfront city, sets land for 500k homes under Draft Master Plan An overview of the URA's draft master plan for Singapore. (Screengrab from URA website; click here for the interactive map)
Yahoo Newsroom - An overview of the URA's draft master plan for Singapore. (Screengrab from URA website; click here for the interactive map)

Singapore’s government on Wednesday revealed plans to build new housing areas and establish a waterfront city under a draft master plan

“The key focus of the Draft Master Plan 2013 is to build townships for all ages that are green, healthy, connected, strong in community interaction and spirit, and to bring quality jobs closer to home,” the Urban Redevelopment Authority said


The agency announced that new housing areas will be developed at Bidadari, Tampines North and Punggol Matilda.

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8m population by 2030?

Earlier this year, Singaporeans balked at the idea of having 6.9 million people on our tiny island. But some experts, including Dr Parag Khanna, Senior Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, has said that Singapore can fit 8 million or more by 2030.

That is, if urban planning plays its part in spreading out the load.

"There is a much more physically devolved Singapore in which the towns play a much stronger role, in which there's much more local economic activity and vibrancy, in which everyone is not cramping down into Orchard or CBD every single day. And that Singapore can most certainly accommodate a couple million more people."

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Singapore is already a global city
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BY SEVERAL counts, Singapore is a global city and does not need to advertise itself as one, academic Parag Khanna has argued. At The Straits Times Global Outlook Forum last Friday, he said Singapore fulfilled many of the characteristics of a global city, which to him is one that is stable, wealthy, diverse, connected, creative and a role model for others.

The rise of global cities was a topic that Dr Khanna, director of the Hybrid Reality Institute and senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, spoke about at a lunchtime talk at the forum.

He also touched on megatrends such as the devolution of power and the rise of regionalism, and how these impacted on Singapore.

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Young eyes on the URA Master Plan 2013
Jurong development
(Image of areas in Jurong to be developed, taken from URA website)

On Nov 20, the Urban Redevelopment Authority rolled out a series of plans for the (re)development of the Singapore landscape – getting pages of free advertising in the process. Lots of plans in the works, for housing, transport, recreation, the economy, public space, and even our identity. There are plans for every region, and brochures for each, for convenient reading. Our undergraduates write about what they think of the promises made in this masterplan.

Up, up and away - What’s the big deal about a masterplan for land use? Isn’t it just some crystal ball gazing that comes every five years or so? After all, the same themes of decentralisation, cycling, green spaces, development of Marina South and conserving heritage are at play again. My neighbourhood, Jurong East, was hyped up five years back, when a previous edition of the URA Master Plan was released in 2008.

Really, the big question to be asked is what sort of progress has been made with the old masterplan? Has the URA delivered?

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URA Draft Master Plan has attracted good response: Khaw
An artists impression of Holland Village. The response to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's new blueprint for the country has been "very encouraging", Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post on Tuesday. - PHOTO: URA

 The response to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's new blueprint for the country has been "very encouraging", Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post on Tuesday

The Draft Master Plan 2013 guides land use over the next 10 to 15 years with revisions every five years. URA is seeking feedback on proposals such as community-friendly, fenceless residential precincts with fewer cars, planning of cycling routes, shaping public spaces, and developing the Southern Waterfront area

 Mr Khaw wrote that the cycling community has been sharing ideas with URA and is excited about the plans to promote cycling as a green mode of transport. "There has also been positive feedback on our plans to enhance the Civic District into a pedestrian-friendly precinct."



More urged to give views, show support for URA Draft Master Plan 2013


Generic shot of HDB flats under construction at Punggol, taken from Punggol Road on Oct 14, 2013. After three years of ramped-up building, the Housing Board is tapering off its "massive construction programme" from next year, Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan said on Dec 2, 2013. -- ST FILE PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM

After three years of ramped-up building, the Housing Board is tapering off its "massive construction programme" from next year, Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan said on Monday

"We will do so in a measured way, to allow the market to gradually adjust, just like what we had done to cool the property market earlier," he added.

In a post on his blog, Housing Matters, Mr Khaw said that three years of higher supply had begun to restore balance in the housing market. One sign of this, he said, was lower cash-over-valuation figures in the resale market for Housing Board flats.

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URA unveils Draft Master Plan 2013 ready to house 6.9M

Overall, enough land has been earmarked for 500,000 new homes – mostly public housing. Census [Link] showed that the Singapore’s average household size dropped from 3.7 in 2000 to 3.5 in 2010. Assuming the same rate of decline, Singapore’s average household size could come to about 3.1 by 2030. This means the 500,000 new homes in 10 to 15 years’ time could be housing another 1.5 – 1.6 million residents in Singapore.

Given that the current population in Singapore is about 5.4 million [Link], it appears that the PAP government is really expecting to grow the population to about 6.9 – 7 million by 2030. The Draft Master Plan 2013 and key highlights are available for viewing at the following website: http://www.ura.gov.sg/MS/DMP2013.

URA is also seeking feedback and proposals from the public. It said that any objection to or representation concerning any of the proposals for amendment to the Draft Master Plan 2013 must be submitted in writing to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of National Development, 5 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069110 no later than 19 December 2013.



10 WAYS THE URA’S DRAFT MASTER PLAN 2013 WILL AFFECT YOUR LIFE
http://therealsingapore.com/content/10-ways-ura%E2%80%99s-draft-master-plan-2013-will-affect-your-life
MASTERPLAN 2013 - The Draft Master Plan is the statutory land use plan that guides Singapore’s development over the next 10 to 15 years.  The Draft Master Plan Written Statement provides a detailed explanation of the permissible land use, development intensity and other related information and is read in conjunction with the Draft Master Plan 2013

1. The Great South: An entirely new area called the Greater Southern Waterfront will be developed on 1,000 ha on the south coastline once the ports move from Pasir Panjang and Tanjong Pagar to Tuas by 2027. Look out for new skyline in Singapore.

2. More Marina action: A district called Marina South will take shape next to Marina Bay with eco-friendly features, including bike paths and a 800 metre-long car-free street.

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Govt considering underground masterplan: Khaw

AN UNDERGROUND city with shopping malls, research facilities and even cycling lanes

This is worth exploring to make Singapore "even more exciting and liveable", said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan on his blog on Tuesday, suggesting that the Government is considering an "underground" masterplan.

The current land use masterplan, last reviewed in 2008, sets out how much needs to be built to efficiently spread the population across the island.

"We are currently in the midst of updating our master- plan... In parallel, we are thinking about the possibility of developing an underground equivalent... to see how practical underground plans can complement the above-ground masterplan," revealed the minister.

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When the G should just buy ads

The URA took out gigantic ads today in the press, except that it didn’t pay for them. And it had professionals working on the copy, with headlines that screamed “news!”. It’s a PR person’s dream. Wait a minute, it IS news. It must be since it’s about the unveiling of, gasp!, a draft URA Masterplan. 

According to ST, the sweeping plan was “unveiled today”. I don’t know about you, but I did a double-take since print media is usually a day late and will say that it was unveiled “yesterday”. Then TODAY made things clearer when it said the information was embargoed till 3am

Woah! That’s a new one! I’ve heard of embargoes calculated to give the evening broadcast news first bite, or embargoes imposed because the information was market-sensitive… but a 3am embargo? Maybe it was meant for foreign media who work at 3am for a different part of the world, but it can’t be since foreign media don’t get invited to press briefings. Maybe it was to give online news a heads-up, but really who’s up to reading breaking news at that time? And the G has never thought much of online media, it’s MSM they are most concerned about. So clearly, the objective is simply to keep the plan under wraps until the URA thinks it’s time to make it public, like 3am



THE 2013 MASTER PLAN IS NONSENSE!

I was filled with shock and disgust when I realised that the 2013 master plan was disguised as propaganda, claiming to benefit Singaporeans when the reality is that it is destroying our heritage and sanity to benefit Singaporeans. I will explain more in further detail.

Who will it be likely to benefit? The biggest change that this master plan intends to bring about is the introduction of homes in the central area. At present, the current properties that are in the central region are not particularly accessible to average Singaporean families. These are either too expensive ($2 million for a loft) or too cramped ($900,000 for a 2-bedroom shoebox). As per other developments, it looks like such homes will benefit a few local yuppies but mainly will go to being occupied by highly paid expats.

At what expense does such development come with? Looking at the past news, we have already seen heritage sites such as Bukit Brown being irrevocable destroyed in the name of development. Upon closer inspection, it seems that Kampung Glam is part of a plan to have 4,000 new homes that will fall under the definition of “central region”. But the issue here is that a walk to Kampung Glam will reveal much heritage where we can no longer make up for once it is made for redevelopment!


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New Master Plan for 500,000 new homes

This new Master Plan is called a draft Master Plan. Well, it is the new Master Plan for the next 10 to 15 years, or between 2023 to 2028. Would it make any difference if it is a draft or not a draft plan? At 4 persons per new homes, this plan can comfortably accommodate another 2 million residents.

The PWP of 6.9m is for year 2030 and for an increase in population from 5.3m, or an increase of 1.6m in 17 years time. So the two plans seem to be complementary to each other. Some may want to quibble why 7.4m (5.4m +2m) in 2028 and not 6.9m in 2030? Let’s not split hair (or split cables) over such a small discrepancy.

Many Sinkies must be salivating at this prospect, looking forward to such great places to live and play. And being public housing, they will definitely be sold at a discount from market prices, or with a generous dose of subsidies. The future is surely looking so rosy. Boon Wan is planning well ahead.

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Want to live near the CBD? Public housing may not be your top choice
For a Pinnacle@Duxton project is not always available for Singaporeans with aspiring HDB dreams

If you are thinking of living near the central business district  (CBD) for a quicker commute to work, you can forget about waiting out for a good Build-To-Order (BTO) launch, or even an Executive Condominium (EC) launch for that matter.

The Housing & Development Board (HDB) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) release plots of land for residential development from time to time.

Looking at land sites released over the past year, you would notice that most of the sites within 15 – 16km to the CBD (or 30 – 45 minutes on public transport*) have been released for private property development.

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URA Draft Master Plan 2013: Ideas wanted for 1,000-hectare Great Southern Waterfront

An artist's impression of the Greater Southern Waterfront, a vast slice of coastal land that will be freed up once the ports move from Pasir Panjang and Tanjong Pagar to Tuas by 2027. -- PHOTO: URA

A vast slice of coastal land will be freed up once the ports move from Pasir Panjang and Tanjong Pagar to Tuas by 2027.

Some ideas have already emerged from government planners for the 1,000-hectare area that will be known as the Greater Southern Waterfront.

These range from erecting a barrage around Pulau Brani to form another reservoir and network of streetside canals, to creating a single continuous waterfront promenade that snakes around the coast.

related:
More housing in Holland Village, Kampong Bugis and new Marina South district


Marina Bay and Greater Southern Waterfront Sustainability Study

AECOM was commissioned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) for a sustainable development framework, planning and design for Marina Bay as well as the adjacent Greater Southern Waterfront (GSW).

The 360 hectares Marina Bay will be Singapore’s key focus of development for the next decade and was designed to seamlessly extend the downtown district and further support the city-state’s continuing growth as a major business and financial hub in Asia. Spanning 120 hectares, the GSW was included in the consultancy to synergize with Marina Bay’s new developments.

A long—term conceptual master plan, the study will see the city benefiting from six key areas: a series of unique waterfront districts; extending downtown Singapore seamlessly to the water’s edge; extending Marina Bay’s Central Linear Park to promote a network of walkable public space; establishing a new reservoir for rainwater harvesting along with a human-scale canal area; creating a continuous 30-km waterfront pathway for walking and cycling; and connecting green space to form a contiguous ecological corridor benefitting people and wildlife.


Developments of the Greater Southern Waterfront
Future Greater Southern Waterfront (credits: URA)

By 2027, the City Terminals (at Tanjang Pagar, Keppel and Pulau Brani) and Pasir Panjang terminal will all be relocated and consolidated at Tuas, leaving behind a thousand hectares of land. This humongous piece of land which is about 3 times the size of Marina Bay will be used for development of the future Greater Southern Waterfront.

Presently, the Bayfront and Marina Central area are still under development. But as we can already see, for the past few years, with new attractions such as the Flyer, The Helix pedestrian bridge and not to forget the iconic Marina Bay Sands coming up, the entire area has evolved to a waterfront promenade bustling with activities. Likewise, the Greater Southern Waterfront which will be built after the relocation of all the terminals will be the next waterfront city in Singapore.

Creating a premier, live-work-play environment, extending the City and transforming our home to a continuous waterfront. Below are some of the possibilities that could be happening to our future Southern Waterfront City

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URA unveils concept for Greater Southern Waterfront
The land that will be freed up by the relocation of the container terminals such as the Pasir Panjang Terminal may allow for an expansion of public spaces. PHOTO: REUTERS

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.

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MASTERPLAN 2013

The Draft Master Plan is the statutory land use plan that guides Singapore’s development over the next 10 to 15 years.  The Draft Master Plan Written Statement provides a detailed explanation of the permissible land use, development intensity and other related information and is read in conjunction with the Draft Master Plan 2013.


  1. The Great South: An entirely new area called the Greater Southern Waterfront will be developed on 1,000 ha on the south coastline once the ports move from Pasir Panjang and Tanjong Pagar to Tuas by 2027. Look out for new skyline in Singapore. 
  2. More Marina action: A district called Marina South will take shape next to Marina Bay with eco-friendly features, including bike paths and a 800 metre-long car-free street.
  3. Keeping that neighbourhood charm: Holland Village, Jalan Kayu and Serangoon Garden have been added to Singapore’s list of “identity nodes” in recognition of their unique, historical charm. Over 70 buildings will be conserved including Alexandra Hospital, Commonwealth Avenue wet market and former military buildings in Seletar.

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Everything you need to know about Singapore’s draft Master Plan 2013 in 60 seconds


  1. Marina South: New developments include 1) an 800 metre-long pedestrian street with an underground shopping mall connecting two MRT stations (Marina South and Gardens by the Bay); 2) A high-rise walkway from Gardens by the Bay right to the seafront; and 3) 9,000 new private housing units.
  2. Holland Village: 1,500 new homes have been proposed, with new public spaces (a community park and a urban plaza). Holland Village’s streets will be made pedestrian-friendly, with a proposed road to divert traffic from the area.
  3. Kampong Bugis (a 10-min walk from Kallang Road): Set to be an eco-friendly and car-reduced precinct. There will be fewer car parks and water taxis could be offered as an alternative transport to the city. It will serve as a new international model for water management in high-density precincts. There will be 700 new housing units and  3,000 hotel rooms.


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Our Future, Our Home

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced the opening of the Draft Master Plan 2013 exhibition today. The key focus of the Draft Master Plan 2013 is to build townships for all ages that are green, healthy, connected, strong in community interaction and spirit, and to bring quality jobs closer to home.

The Draft Master Plan 2013 aims to make Singapore a better home for our people through: 

  • Providing a quality living environment with a variety of housing options 
  • Bringing quality jobs closer to home and growing the financial and business hub in the city 
  • Expanding green and recreational spaces for all 
  • Building an endearing home 
  • Enhancing our transport connectivity and accessibility 
  • Enlivening our public spaces

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