news What will home focus in 2030 look like? Thursday, 7 february 2013
With possibly 6.5 million or more people on this island in 20 years’ time, do we have the space to comfortably accommodate a larger population — while still fulfilling Singaporeans’ aspirations for an ever higher quality of living? The Government has set out its vision in its Land Use Plan 2013. What do experts and ordinary Singaporeans want or hope to see? And what are the challenges and dilemmas in transforming our heartland homes and estates?
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YOUR HDB FLAT: THE GREAT REDESIGN FUTURE OF NEW TOWNS: Heartland dreaming mature estates: NEW LEASE OF LIFE FOR OLDER TOWNS GREEN SPACES: RECREATING GREEN HAVENS THE NEW COMMERCIAL HUBS: MOVING JOBS CLOSER TO HOME MAXIMISING LAND USE: SHORT OF SPACE? NO SUCH THING Q&A WITH HDB’S CEO: PLANNING FOR LIVEABILITY MAP OF LAND USE BEYOND 2030
The Editorial Team: Editor: Yvonne Lim Reports: Neo Chai Chin, Teo Xuanwei, Tan Weizhen. Additional reporting: Heng Wei Xiang, Desiree Tay, Then Ai Ping Design: Tan Jun-Lei, LEe Yen Yok Photos and Videos: Ooi Boon Keong, Ernest Chua, DON WONG, Sion Touhig, Gayathiri Chandramohan
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TODAY • THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2013
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YOUR HDB FLAT
TODAY • THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2013
It is assumed that the average family eats out, but that’s not true ... A larger kitchen would encourage more families to cook and eat together — otherwise everyone will just eat on their own and family time is lost.
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The great HDB flat redesign
Mrs Yang Sok Leng A RESIDENT IN HER 50S AT THE PEAK@TOA PAYOH
More public housing flats are offering owners flexibility and a private-housing vibe; still, space and affordability remain key issues 2 As soon as IT consultant Mr Oh Hian Leong and his family stepped into their 32nd-floor unit at The Peak@ Toa Payoh, his children, aged nine and 11, were taken with the balcony view that the flat came with. The five-room Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) flat has afforded them a kind of lifestyle that public flats of older design did not. “This is much better, we can enjoy the outdoors in our own home. We have breakfast and snacks, even eat durian, at the balcony. We also read there,” said the 48-year-old dad. Their previous HBD flat had only a tiny corridor outside for the kids to play in, he said. Balconies may still not be a standard feature for the majority of public housing flats, but the option is now being offered at selected Build-to-Order (BTO) projects — generally where the flats enjoy good views, says the Housing Board — as a greater range of options are made available to today’s home-buyers. Over the next 20 years, housing supply is being ramped up — to the tune of 700,000 more homes by 2030, if need be — to ensure sufficient quantity to meet demand from a growing population. At the same time, affordability remains a fundamental priority of public housing. But there is also the simultaneous challenge of fulfilling Singaporeans’ yen for better-quality HDB homes that match their rising aspirations. Can all three challenges be met without significantly trading off on one or the other? QUALITY OF NEW FLATS
The Ohs were glad their new flat came ready with fittings such as kitchen and toilet cabinets, as well as floor tiles — unlike the flats of old which came as-is, in bare concrete. “It was a pain the last time when we had to do a lot of major works,” recalled Mr Oh, who was stressed out liaising with contractors. “This is definitely more convenient. I even had a choice of timber over the white floor tiles for our master bedroom.” At the Pinnacle@Duxton — the HDB’s flagship project to “redefine the typology of public housing” —
PHOTO: XCLUSIV INTERIOR
QUALITY LIVING WISHLIST Views Privacy Choice of furnishings Flexible space More room Affordability
PHOTO: OOI BOON KEONG
residents like Mr Sebastian Lee, 47, delight in the “private-housing-like” vibe of the modern units. The optician, who lives in a threebedroom flat there, said: “The top-tofloor windows made it look stylish, and the whole living room became brighter. Generally, the whole look is much classier than the typical older HDB flat, which I’m very happy about.” Mr Lee, who previously had a flat in Tampines, also noted how his new flat came with premium finishings such as parquet flooring, wooden bedroom doors and sliding toilet doors.
THOSE 700,000 NEW HOMES How was the figure derived? What MND says: The 700,000 housing units (public and private) are needed to meet demand from the projected population growth of 1.6 million persons and smaller household sizes in the future. Household sizes are expected to decline in the future due to our increasing single and elderly population. Non-residents such as Employment Pass holders living in Singapore also tend to have smaller households. Of the 700,000 needed, 200,000 homes are already in the pipeline, to be completed by 2016. To realise the remaining 500,000 more homes, we will need to develop new housing towns/estates, pockets of land in existing towns as well as redevelop/ intensify older housing areas.
VIEWS, PRIVACY AND FITTINGS
Who says all the rooms must have walls? The designs of new flats should keep up with the changing lifestyles of young couples. Many of them are choosing an open concept. Mr Jeffrey Ho MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SURBANA URBAN PLANNING GROUP
It is not only premium flats that show a marked improvement from flats of yesteryear, and this is a sign of changes that yet may be. HDB flat windows today are larger, providing “more natural light and ventilation”, while quality has improved with better construction material and processes, for instance. The evolution of HDB flat design over the years also has gone from simple rectangular corridor-facing units, to layouts that give residents “better views and greater privacy”, noted the HDB. Buyers also get more choice. BTO flats come with the Optional Component Scheme, which lets flat-buyers choose components such as the internal doors, floor finishes and sanitary fittings. With more such features, the purchase price of the flat goes up. But the advantage, pointed out Madam Shimah Ar, who lives in new BTO development Yishun Spring, is that the extra cost can be paid out of their
From now until 2016, coming onstream:
110,000 90,000 PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS
PRIVATE HOUSING UNITS
From now until 2030, land has been set aside for:
700,000 ADDITIONAL HOMES
ART: YEN YOK
Central Provident Fund accounts. “Which is good because a lot of young couples here are not cash-rich,” said the teacher, who opted for timber doors and flooring in the entire flat, an add-on that cost some S$2,000. In other words, the measure helps ease the cash outlay for families, especially low-income ones, on renovations. THE DILEMMA OF SPACE
Space, however — both the amount and the use of it — is an issue on which it has proved harder to please everyone. For instance, while residents like
the Ohs appreciate extras like balconies, others wish these could be made smaller or done away with so that interior living areas can be bigger. Many of the residents TODAY spoke to wished for bigger living rooms and bedrooms, as well as larger kitchens so that bigger families can cook — a much cheaper option than eating out. “It is assumed that the average family eats out, but that’s not true. I think many families still cook and have dinner together at home,” said Mrs Yang Sok Leng, a resident in her 50s at The Peak. “A larger kitchen would encourage more families to cook and eat
together — otherwise everyone will just eat on their own and family time is lost.” Why not, then, give residents more flexibility in determining how they want to use the space within their homes? This is an idea already being tested. BREAKING DOWN WALLS
At the Pinnacle, for instance, columnfree units and removable lightweight internal concrete walls give residents the leeway to change the layout of their homes to suit their lifestyle changes over time. And at Teck Ghee Parkview, a BTO exercise offered in September, the HDB piloted an “open kitchen” concept giving buyers a choice of whether to have a partition wall between the living/dining area and the kitchen. It will monitor response to see whether to extend this concept to future BTO projects. (The authority clarified that the reason kitchens of the past seemed larger is they were combined with the dining area — and the current design is in response to many residents who want the areas sectioned off. But as the HDB avoids placing structural columns at the kitchen area, the kitchen walls can be broken down.) In fact, housing visionaries think that in time to come, walls within HDB flats could be a thing of the past. Mr Jeffrey Ho, Managing Director of Surbana Urban Planning Group, said a vacant layout could be a possibility seeing as how many young couples now hack down walls and then pick and choose where to erect new partitions in the form of steel sheets or cabinets. “Who says all the rooms must have walls? The designs of new flats should
STYLISH LIVING: 1: Mr Oh Hian Leong and his family enjoy various activities on the balcony of their 32nd-floor unit at The Peak@ Toa Payoh. 2: Larger windows offer better views and provide ‘more natural light and ventilation’ in this flat at the Pinnacle@Duxton. 3: BTO flats such as this unit at Yishun Dew Spring allow flat buyers to choose components such as floor finishes and internal doors.
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keep up with the changing lifestyles of young couples. Many of them are blurring the lines of convention by choosing an open concept for their homes,” he said. MORE ROOM?
On average, HDB flat owners need to use only about a quarter of their monthly income to service their mortgage. Most of this is paid using their CPF; the majority do not have to come up with any monthly cash outlay.
Besides playing around with layout, industry experts suggest other ways modern design and technology could maximise the use of space. One example is the “miniaturisation of devices” such as wall LCD panels, said Professor Lye Kin Mun, Deputy Executive Director (Research) of the Institute for Infocomm Research. Professor Carlo Ratti of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) looks even further afield in resolving this space conundrum. Do away with the need for looking at technological solutions, such as a collapsing bed, he said. Instead, look beyond the home to serve all our needs. “I believe that a great potential comes from that fact that technology makes us more flexible in doing what we need to do: We can appropriate a Starbucks as an office for a few hours or do emails on the kitchen table. Over a whole city this allows a better, more dynamic use of space — overall with less per capita real estate,”he said. But at the of the day, what if some families simply want a bigger flat,
especially if the family expands? Mr Hamza, 63, a technician living at Treelodge@Punggol, said: “To have more children, Singaporeans need more space.” At the same time, some wonder if flat sizes will shrink in future with the need to accommodate more housing for a bigger population. The HDB notes that four-room flats currently form the bulk of new flat supply. The prevalent size of such public housing flats — 90 sq m — “has remained constant” since 1997. “Currently, there are no plans to adjust the prevalent sizes of each flat type,” said the HDB, adding that Singaporeans could look to how Punggol, which was planned with the future in mind, is “dense but highly liveable with proper sized flats, green spaces and a waterway”. “In any future review, HDB will take into consideration changes in demographic trends and lifestyle habits, as well as the need to optimise limited land available for housing.” WITHIN EVERYONE’S REACH, STILL
The bottomline message and reassurance from the HDB: It will regularly review its offerings to meet Singaporeans’ rising aspirations and changing needs. This will “take into consideration changes in economic conditions,
demographic trends and lifestyle habits”, it said. The striving for quality living has won the public housing board numerous international awards. “In fact, many people feel the look and feel of new HDB flats is very similar to private developments, and international visitors are often unable to distinguish between public and private housing,” it noted. Some, however, wonder: Will all this come at a cost in the long run — affordability? No, says the HDB. “With improved infrastructure, flat design and quality, it is only natural that our flats’ values will increase to reflect these multi-dimensional improvements,” said the Housing Board. “However, the HDB remains committed to provide affordable public housing to Singaporean households now and in the future. When new features are introduced, the HDB will ensure that these features are cost effective and add value to the flat buyers.” Last year, new BTO four-room flats were priced from S$208,000 inclusive of grants. The HDB reiterated its continued efforts to ensure flats remain affordable: By ensuring an adequate supply; offering a wide range of new flats and flat types, in different locations; pricing new flats substantially below market prices of comparable resale flats; offering various housing grants, and encouraging prudence through financial counselling, for example. “New generations of Singaporean families can remain assured that there will be a HDB flat priced within their reach, of good quality, and housed within a vibrant community,” said the HDB.
BEYOND 2030: SMART HOMES? As public housing evolves, urban visionaries imagine that eventually, flats might even come with intelligent features now found only in some cutting-edge private developments. Professor Lye Kin Mun, Deputy Executive Director (Research) of the Institute for Infocomm Research, said some current trends include appliances that can be controlled or activated using smartphones and tablets. Smart homes could also be outfitted with medical applications to assist the elderly, such as facilitating remote tele-consultations with doctors. Prof Carlo Ratti, Director of the SENSEable City Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said appliances tomorrow could “tell us if the kids are asleep in their bedroom or whether the chicken in the oven is done, so that we can comfortably monitor the home remotely”. Cost is now a big obstacle to installing such features — especially in public housing where affordability is imperative. But Prof Lye is hopeful: “It’s only a matter of time before mass deployment will drive prices down.”
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What makes for a well-planned town that’s sustainable and community-centred?
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Director of Surbana Urban Planning Group. “The whole estate would look and feel different.” FROM FUNCTIONAL TO INSPIRED
FUTURE OF NEW TOWNS
Heartland dreaming Ambitious plans are taking shape in Punggol, for waterfront housing districts each with its own unique identity. PHOTO: HDB
Bukit Panjang resident Timothy Anan Weerasekera dreams of the day HDB estates would have their own air-conditioned multi-purpose room, just like in condominiums, for residents to throw parties or hold functions. Or when each cluster of blocks might have its own communal gym, instead of just the town’s gym in a sports complex. “I’ve found that proximity makes a big difference for me when it comes to using these facilities,” said the 25-year-old. Meanwhile Mrs Carmen Ho, a Toa Payoh housewife in her 40s, wishes the layout of blocks could be tweaked so that buildings are not so close. “We had to install blinds for the whole house. Especially for families with girls, privacy can be an issue,” she said, one of 100 heartlanders polled for their views on what their ideal town would have. Then there is veteran town planner Jeffrey Ho, who thinks the answer to greater density living in the HDB heartlands is, literally, in the air. There is clear “air space” above our roads currently — why not tier shops, walking paths and even homes on decks over the roads? “Some of our overhead bridges already have shops. You can have pedestrian walkways or cycling paths that are sheltered, safer. And you can have flats above all that,” said the Managing
Bringing back kampung spirit Even as he and his wife love the landscaping at Treelodge@Punggol, their new home, Mr Lum C H misses the roomy lift-landing areas and common corridors in his old Punggol Central flat, where the neighbours used to hold potluck sessions on festivals such as Chinese New Year and Christmas. “We would even do it during children’s birthdays, if everyone was around. It was possible back then with the much bigger lift landing and corridors — but now, the corridor is too small,” he said. It represents one of the trade-offs of residents’ competing needs in HDB living. It was residents’ increasing desire for privacy that, over time, led to the change in design from building flats with long corridors, to pointblock type flats, according to the Housing Board. But community-centred living — evoking the “kampung spirit” — still is, in a big way, a core tenet of HDB town planning. And this is expressed in the range of communal facilities, from community centres to rooftop gardens, as well as other new types of facilities. In Punggol and Bedok town centres, for instance, the HDB is introducing the Town Plaza, a new kind of gathering space. Newer precincts will
also have a “community living room” at void decks, new precinct pavilions and 3-Generation playgrounds — gathering spots for children and their adult minders, according to MND. Beyond the hardware, the HDB has also started organising welcome parties for new residents and promoting neighbourly “heartware” with the Good Neighbour Award. When the HDB launched its inaugural Community Week last May, then-Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin said: “Homes are really about the community. It is about family, it is about the cohesion, the friendship, the relationships that exist between neighbours ... And that is something that the HDB is interested in. It is not just about the brick and mortar.” Some suggest the “kampung spirit” could be revived by bringing back some layouts from older estates. A fair number of TODAY’s poll respondents wished for cosier town centres, as opposed to big town hubs with a mall. Auxiliary police officer Robin How recalls how, in his old Bedok South neighbourhood, picking up groceries was more than just shopping — it was also about catching up with the owners of the mom-and-pop shops. “Last time you could talk and make
Mr Robin How, 62 SAYS PICKING UP GROCERIES AT HIS OLD BEDOK SOUTH NEIGHBOURHOOD WAS MORE THAN JUST SHOPPING
Residents at the Punggol Spring playground. Community-centred living is still a core tenet of HDB planning, as seen in the range of facilities in new towns. PHOTO: MND
PRESCHOOLERS ON WHERE THEY LIVE AND WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT IT Scan the QR code using the reader app on your smartphone, or you can visit tdy.sg/tdyvideos for the video.
GETTING THE BASICS IN
Welcomed as these are, HDB dwellers TODAY polled said that, when it comes to planning new towns, putting in place the basic facilities early is equally important. Hawker centres, wet markets and provision shops topped their wish list. Mrs Doreen Teo recalls the days she was an early settler in Anchorvale about a decade ago. With no eateries in the new town then, Mrs Teo, 62, had to pack dinner for her husband and two girls near her workplace before her 45-minute commute home. “I couldn’t cook — we would have had to eat at 10pm. But by the time I got home, the food was cold,” she said. Residents in newer estates like Punggol cited the need for coffee shops and childcare centres in the immediate area. The Ministry of National Development (MND) said that the provision of some facilities is “largely dependent on the demand or catchment”. So major shopping malls and sports complexes, for instance, “would only be provided when the new town reaches a certain critical mass to ensure they can be sustained and are viable”, it added. However, local facilities such as primary schools, clusters of precinct shops and social communal facilities like childcare centres are built in
OUR IDEAL TOWN The top features residents want in a new town, according to a TODAY straw poll of 100 heartlanders: Hawker centre, wet market, provision shops and other amenities Greenery, more open spaces and environmentallyfriendly features Leisure facilities such as a stadium, fitness corners, playgrounds
NEW TOWNS COMING UP Bidadari A former cemetery, this 93ha site bounded by Bartley Road, Upper Serangoon Road, Sennett Estate and Mount Vernon Road is the next new estate, according to the MND’s plans. The first Build-to-Order launch could come as early as in two years’ time. Bidadari could yield about 11,000 private and public homes. The HDB’s brief for prospective planners of the area was to create a “distinctive and sustainable tranquil urban oasis”; the proposal for the area should take into consideration the existing undulating topography, with lush greenery and the integration of heritage. HDB also said Bidadari will be very pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly and have seamless connections between transport nodes — three MRT stations are in its vicinity (Bartley, Woodleigh, Potong Pasir) and it is also easily accessible from the Pan Island and Central expressways. Predictions are this could be the next Bishan — also a former cemetery. Tengah Over the next decade or so, this vast forested area — about as big as Choa Chu Kang and a current hotspot for durian pickers — will yield about 55,000 homes. Specific plans are scant, as the pace of developments will depend on the overall demand for housing here, National Development
tandem with the development of flats so that residents will have immediate access to basic amenities when they move into their flats, the MND said. Transport links were another top wish: Mrs Teo, for example, said she used to have to take three buses to work. Her husband, then working in Jurong, took nearly two hours for his commute.
Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in 2011. The area is currently bounded by Brickland Road, the Kranji Expressway, Pan Island Expressway and Bukit Batok Road. Punggol The next phase of Punggol’s development as a pedestrian-friendly eco-town, with 96,000 homes, will see seven signature waterfront hosing districts take shape over the next 15 years. In the Northshore district, for instance, the HDB will explore new building forms that integrate with gardens and forecourts. The high-rises will link to the LRT station via second-storey walkways. The new Punggol Downtown will have civic spaces like a Town Square and a hawker centre, a “learning corridor” designated to house future educational institutions, and a “creative cluster” of commercial activities. From the award-winning My Waterway@Punggol in the “Green Heart” will extend “Green Fingers” throughout the town, for cyclists and pedestrians. That includes the Old Punggol Road, which will be turned into a Heritage Trail. Close to the city New housing estates will also be added at the former Bukit Turf Club, Kallang Riverside, Keppel and Bukit Brown areas — so that more Singaporeans get to live close to workplaces in the central region.
The MND gave its assurance that upcoming new towns and estates will be well-served by the train network, expressways and major roads. Bidadari, for example, is close to three MRT stations — Potong Pasir, Woodleigh and Bartley — and will also be easily accessible from the Pan Island and Central expressways.
Eco living is the future
Last time you could talk and make friends with the bosses. There were relationships.
VIDEO KIDS’EYE VIEW
As more new towns spring up over the next 20 years and beyond, the challenge for planners will be to demonstrate that close-quarters, high-density living can grant Singaporeans the “good life” they seek — expectations of which are ever-evolving. It will come down to innovative, and sometimes inspired, town planning. While some ideas, like Mr Ho’s, may be a futuristic option, other features are in the evolution. New HDB precincts, for instance, now have a “community living room” space (if not quite Mr Weerasekera’s vision yet) at void decks for residents’ use. Some new precincts have introduced underground car parks, only found in private condominiums up to now — for example, Park Central in Ang Mo Kio. Said civil servant Loh C W: “It is very useful in rainy weather as the lifts link the basement car park directly to our blocks.” Skyparks like that at Pinnacle@ Duxton, and soon the new developments in Dawson estate, could become one day part and parcel of the new HDB landscape. And then there are the ambitious plans taking shape in Punggol, for waterfront housing districts each with its own unique identity. These are some examples of how the HDB is transforming the notion of “well-designed towns” from merely functional and convenient
neighbourhoods, to pleasant living environments that “meet the evolving needs and housing aspirations” of residents, according to its Chief Executive, Dr Cheong Koon Hean.
TODAY • THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2013
friends with the bosses. There were relationships,” said the 62-year-old who moved to Anchorvale, with its modern but staid convenience stores, 11 years ago. Bedok resident Suhaimi Yusof pointed to how, in the older estates, playgrounds were built paces away from eateries. “Kids can play and the housewives or grandparents can drink coffee or eat with their friends and neighbours at the coffee shop nearby. It’s more
cosy,” said the 39-year-old technician. But veteran town planner Jeffrey Ho believes there are other community-bonding avenues that can be created. “Because of the way people live now, many people stay at home. We need to create more opportunities to bring people out again to interact and feel that community spirit,” he said. “Maybe set up Intranet for a block or cluster of blocks, since people prefer to go online at home than to come out?”
With rooftops decked with plants, and greenery flowing down the columns of Treelodge@Punggol flats, Mr Jackson Yeo, 32, said: “We don’t feel like it is a concrete structure that is dead and cold. Taxi drivers always say it looks like a condo.” The first-of-its-kind eco-precinct provides a peek into the possible future — a more sustainable, energyefficient one — for public housing in Singapore. The flats at the BTO development are designed with a north-south orientation and rooftop greenery, to reduce heat gain, while blocks are spaced and designed to optimise wind flow. Solar panels tap clean energy to power the common areas; the kinetic energy of moving lifts is used to generate electricity; and all the homes have water-saving fittings. Each block also has an extra rubbish chute dedicated for recyclables. On a bigger scale, similar environmentally-friendly ideas are being testbedded across the Punggol Eco-town “living laboratory”, with a view to implementing some of these islandwide eventually under the HDB’s Greenprint programme. New developments in Dawson
Above: Solar panels in Punggol help generate power for common areas. Right: Treelodge@Punggol has many features that promote eco-living.
estate, for instance, will sport many of these features. While new Punggol’s greatest attention-grabber has been its picturesque and award-winning man-made waterway, it is less-visible experiments — like a rainwater harvesting system for the washing of common areas and solar power — that have import for all future HDB dwellers. Recently, the HDB awarded a tender to lease solar photovoltaic systems for another 80 blocks in Punggol, which will generate power for lifts, staircase lightings and water pumps. (Already, this second batch of installations cost some S$2 million less than the first batch the HDB leased for the area in 2011.) The hope is for a mitigating effect on service and conservancy charges.
“Eventually, through the implementation of these green technologies, the HDB hopes to keep energy costs low for residents,” said the Ministry of National Development. Meanwhile, an islandwide climatic mapping study is ongoing that looks into how the form of urban structures affect air flow and temperature. It will help in the better design of buildings to reduce heat spots, capture cool breezes, improve natural ventilation and exploit inter-block shading — all to make homes cooler and more comfortable, and reduce residents’ urge to power up the air-conditioning. The HDB is also test-bedding a pneumatic refuse collection system that would mean less plying of refuse trucks — and better air quality in estates with the removal of bin centres.
PHOTOS: HDB, OOI BOON KEONG
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MATURE ESTATES
CLEMENTI’S MEGA MAKEOVER
New lease on life for older towns
Clementi Towers, the crowning achievement of the rejuvenation of Clementi Town, is an integrated mixed development that is the first in Singapore to have public housing, commercial and retail spaces, and a bus interchange all linked up. In the making for six years, what once was the site of a simple bus interchange, now features two 40-storey residential blocks and a shopping mall on the lower levels, which are connected to the bus interchange and nearby MRT station. There are also a playground and rooftop garden on the eighth floor, while town residents finally get a library to call their own. But it is not all about the new — vignettes of the old remain in the form of old-style coffee
As rejuvenation of HDB towns draws an influx of younger folk, residents hope familiar estates can be retained There were movie dates with her late husband in the early 1980s at Queenstown cinema before they got married. Home after they tied the knot in 1984 was a three-room flat in Margaret Drive — until 2010, when the Strathmore Green precinct was completed, and Mdm Goh Keng Lan’s family moved to their new four-room flat, just a few hundred metres away. What she likes about it? “The place is new,” said the 63-year-old housewife. Her old flat was beginning to age, with leaks in the kitchen and a spalling bathroom ceiling. There are also new estate amenities, like the exercise area. “We didn’t have jogging paths previously, only the stadium nearby,” she said. By contrast, Mr Chiu Weixiong, 30, and his wife Mabel Ong, 29, only moved into Queenstown recently — drawn by the locale, they bought their Strathmore Green flat through a Sale of Balance Flats exercise. “We wanted someplace convenient — a new development in a mature estate,” said Mr Chiu, a manager. A stone’s throw away, new HDB projects Skyville@Dawson and Skyterrace@Dawson will be completed by 2015, and he anticipates it will bring vibrance to the area with new cafes, restaurants and more. This infusion of young blood that lifts the estate’s ageing demographics, along with the physical rejuvenation of the environment, is the goal of plans to renew mature neighbourhoods such as Queenstown — Singapore’s first satellite town. In the years to come, even relatively younger towns like Tampines and Choa Chu Kang too will get an overhaul of facilities or new housing pockets. WHY REJUVENATE
More housing will be built in towns such as Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah, Choa Chu Kang, Hougang, Sembawang, Tampines, Woodlands and Yishun, if demand grows, the Government has said. These “will give Singaporeans the choice of living in familiar surroundings, close to their parents, and enable more people to benefit from amenities in established towns”, it said. Take the case of retiree Aw S K, 80, who moved to a bigger flat at Forfar Heights after Margaret Drive estate was redeveloped. “My sons and I chose flats that were side by side when we moved,” he said. One of his sons lives next door with his family, and in the day Mr Aw helps to mind the kids while their parents are at work.
shops where the residents still hang out, at the fringe of the new town centre; while an art-deco feature harkens back to the town centre’s iconic old cascading water feature.
Clementi Town Centre in the 1970s PHOTOS: MND
TOA PAYOH Once a squatter district, Toa Payoh was developed in 1968 as Singapore’s second satellite town. In 2002, the completion of the HDB Hub, integrated with one of the first air-conditioned bus interchanges and the Toa Payoh MRT station, further transformed the mature estate. In 2004, the demolition of an old 10-storey block at Toa Payoh Central paved the way for five 40-storey blocks to be built on the same spot. PHOTOS: MND
Redevelopment of old precincts in mature towns can help optimise land use, notes the Ministry of National Development (MND). For example, when Block 79 at Toa Payoh Central was demolished in 2004, the land yielded an additional 800 units — after the single 10-storey block was replaced with five 40-storey blocks. ENRICHING NEW IDEAS
But more than just numbers, rejuvenation efforts also present opportunities for new ideas to be tried, and estates to be enriched. Dawson estate, for instance, has been shaped around a “housing in a park” concept, with greenery brought
to the doorsteps of residents through mid-level sky gardens and rooftop gardens. Over at East Coast, a “play corridor” will link Bedok Reservoir and East Coast Park for cyclists and pedestrians, while an extensive cycling network in the area will let residents pedal between MRT stations, workplaces, schools and parks. Towns like Bedok and Ang Mo Kio are good candidates for renewal, said Mr Jeffrey Ho, Managing Director of Surbana Urban Planning Group. “The wide building spacing in these estates afford opportunities for architects and planners to come up with creative infill design to bridge some of the blocks — creating a new image
for these new towns,” he said. Residents in estates that have been rejuvenated say they appreciate the added facilities. In Clementi Town, the recently completed overhaul of the town centre saw the bus interchange transformed into a mega development with two 40-storey residential blocks and a mall. Ms Deborah Sia, who has lived in Clementi for 27 years, appreciates one new addition in particular. “There hadn’t been a library for the longest time,” she said. NOT OUT WITH THE OLD
However, she felt the nostalgic loss of familiar landmarks like the old stepped water fountain. “It used to
be a favourite meeting place for residents like me growing up here, and I feel sad that it has now been removed,” she said. (A new art-deco water feature is an echo of that legacy, and also a popular meeting point.) Residents of other mature estates hope that when the time comes for renewal, certain features are retained. Those hailing from Bedok would like to see, among other things, the small provision shops kept as they bring character to the estate. Ms Suhaili Salbah, 22, said: “Preserve the traditional provision shops under the blocks. Keep the old sandy playgrounds, too.” Mr Darius Tng would like the old coffee shops, “where all the old men hang out”, retained. “I want to keep some old parts of Bedok where you can feel the real community spirit.” Given limited land resources, the MND points to a need to “strike a balance between the conservation of heritage and development needs”. “Where possible, heartland heritage could be considered for integration with new developments,” it said. “Some factors to be considered include the historical importance, community attachment, sense of place, architectural merit and economic aspects such as costs of conserving the element and opportunity costs involved in retaining the element.” Examples of heritage that has been preserved include the old market structure along Commonwealth Avenue, in Dawson estate, that will be adapted for community use. And, under the Remaking Our Heartland plans, there are proposals for a “Down Memory Lane” trail about the rich history of the East Coast and Bedok area; and the transformation of Upper Serangoon Road into a heritage corridor. The MND assures that under programmes for neighbourhood renewal: “Where residents prefer to retain any neighbourhood landmark, such
NEXT TO BE INTEGRATED
RENEWAL At precinct level: The Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme offer residents the opportunity to move to new flats with modern facilities, but still within a familiar neighbourhood and community. At town level: The Remaking of Heartland programme improves the physical environment of HDB estates, tailored to the changing needs of the evolving community.
PHOTO: OOI BOON KEONG
We wanted someplace convenient — a new development in a mature estate. Mr Chiu Weixiong, 30 ON WHY HE CHOSE A UNIT IN STRATHMORE GREEN
as a uniquely designed playground, their feedback will be considered and incorporated in the design proposal, if feasible.” CONGESTION CONCERNS
Preserve the traditional provision shops under the blocks. Keep the old sandy playgrounds too. Ms Suhaili Salbah BEDOK RESIDENT
As new flats are added to mature towns, residents are concerned about possible side-effects. Toa Payoh residents, for instance, cited the alreadyoccurring traffic jams on roads leading out of the town. Mr Low Hock Seng, 55, pointed to the “narrow roads” in the mature estate. “These old roads have not been able to really accommodate the number of newer residents from new developments in Toa Payoh. When more flats are built here, the congestion will get worse,”he said. The HDB said it works closely with other agencies like the Land Transport Authority to ensure towns “continue to be well served by roads and public transport” even as it adds new
public housing. “The development of new roads and improvements to existing roads to serve the future developments will be implemented in phases in tandem with the HDB developments,” it said. The HDB also conducts assessments to identify local roads within towns with potential traffic congestion. MITIGATING NOISE
Renewal works inevitably mean construction noise and dust, and authorities assure that HDB works with contractors to minimise both inconveniences with “all possible measures”. For instance, pre-cast components are produced off-site to reduce noisy activities at the site. High hoarding with nets to contain dust and noise are also used. Contractors must observe noise limits and mitigate disamenities such as mosquito breeding, and the HDB evaluates their compliance, with poor performers possibly
Going forward, said the MND, with the need to further optimise land use, more integrated developments are likely. “More town centres are likely to follow the integrated development model of transport interchange, commercial, services and housing that enhances the convenience for residents,” it said. One old town to undergo such a transformation is Bedok Town Centre, which by 2016 will have a shopping mall, air-conditioned bus interchange and private residential units all integrated under one roof. There also will be a new food centre and a town plaza. Yishun town, too, will get a new integrated transport hub with a town plaza. Indeed, MND notes, the announcement of new MRT lines coming up by 2030 opens up more opportunities for such integrated developments. At Bukit Panjang, the upcoming Downtown Line MRT station, LRT station and bus interchange will be integrated with shops and residential developments — meaning a shorter walk for residents. Other integrated hubs planned are in Hougang, Joo Koon, Jurong East and Marina South.
restricted from future tenders. “At the same time, we are also mindful that the benefits of rejuvenation will be there for the long term,” the HDB added. But would higher-density living mean noisier and hotter living conditions, some wonder. Experts say that heat and noise can be mitigated even in close quarters, through the smart use of building materials and green technologies. Prof Heng Chye Kiang, Dean of the School of Design and Environment at the National University of Singapore, said that choosing the right building layouts would go a long way. “Certain configuration should be avoided — noise in buildings with courtyards, for instance, is amplified. Also, the right materials should be selected,” he said.
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Re-creating green havens The goal is to have 85 per cent of Singaporeans living within 400m of a park — the challenge is how to balance nature with human needs PHOTOS: OOI BOON KEONG
URBAN STRESS REDUCER
Green spaces are important features of an urban environment — besides helping to improve air quality, cool ambient temperature and prevent floods, they also reduce urban stress, improve social cohesion and speed up physical and psychological healing, urban greenery studies have found. In Singapore, they serve as “vital”
recreational and social spaces for residents to relax and interact — “critical to a high quality of living in an increasingly urban and dense living environment”, according to the MND. The newly spruced-up Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, for instance, was where 12-year-old Muhd Edri and his friends skated almost every day during the last school holidays. All live within walking distance of the park. “In school there’s stress, but when we are here, the air rushes against your body and face; it’s relaxing,” said Edri, who has lived in Ang Mo Kio since he was born. The park was also where retiree B C Ng, 66, and housewife Enie Chee, 48, got to know each other. Now running buddies who are part of a larger group of about 20 fitness enthusiasts, they can be found several times a week in the park getting a cardiovascular workout. Ms Chee said she enjoys the “better scenery and fresh air” that the green space provides. MORE TAKE TO GREEN
More people have been heading to parks and green spaces. Between 2006 and 2011, the percentage of the population aged 10 and above who visited a park at least once in the past 12 months went up from 63 per cent to 69 per cent. Frequent users of parks — at least once a week over the past 12 months — increased from 16 per cent in 2006 to 27 per cent in 2011. Queenstown resident Oon Say Tee, 64, and his wife, for instance, said they appreciate having a park connector
what will home in 2030 look like?
TODAY • THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2013
Leafy pay-off for an old office building
ties”, such as Facebook, Zurich Insurance and the Bank of India, said Alpha Investment Partners Managing Director Christina Tan. Occupancy, she shared, has shot up from about 4 per cent at the start of 2011, to 80 per cent currently. Mrs Tan said that 158 Cecil Street shows it is possible to align economic benefits with social responsibility. “What were originally bare concrete secondary roof terraces have been transformed into recreational spaces for occupiers to enjoy.” Building owners keen on skyrise greenery can receive help from the Government. The Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme offers cash incentives of up to half the cost of installation of green walls and green roofs on existing buildings. The LUSH programme of incentives, meanwhile, has supported the development of some 40ha — that’s 130 primary school fields’ worth — of highrise and urban greenery such as roof gardens. Under this scheme also, all new developments in Marina Bay, Kallang Riverside and Jurong Gateway must provide greenery over an area equal to the land plot.
In the concrete jungle of the Central Business District lies a green oasis at 158 Cecil Street — an old office building transformed with seven-storey green walls, green columns and hanging planters. Consisting of 13,000 pots and 14 species of plants, the walls take up an area of about half a football field and have attracted more than a few admirers in the form of birds, butterflies and — happily for its owners — multi-national company tenants. Managed by Alpha Investment Partners and transformed by architect Kelvin Kan, principal of AgFacadesign, the building was “stark and cold” before its addition and alteration makeover. Its steely mesh-wired facade had some mistaking it for an unfinished project, said Mr Kan. The architect said he could have painted it or added some cladding (the brief was simply to improve
GREEN SPACES
Twice a week on his days off from work, security guard Jason Seah seeks out a tranquil green haven near his home in Jurong East. He cycles to Jurong Lake Park to fish, spending four hours there each time. He enjoys feeling the breeze at a shady spot under a tree and the calm surroundings, saying they remind him of his kampung days as a teenager. “Gre en space s a re good for exercise and other activities,” said Mr Seah, 45. “It’s good to feel the earth under my feet.” Parks, gardens and accessible parts of nature reserves are among the 3,900 hectares — that’s over 5,500 football fields — of green spaces found in Singapore. And the Republic is set to become even greener by 2030, under the Ministry of National Development’s (MND) Land Use Plan. The target is to have at least 85 per cent of Singaporeans living within 400m of a park, and 20 new parks will be built within the next five years. And come 2020, the park connector network will span 360km, linking parks, coastal areas and residential estates around the island.
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spruced up so residents can get closer to nature. The 62ha Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, for instance, saw its concrete-walled canal transformed into a meandering river. The park’s features now include an artificial wetland with plants specially selected for their ability to filter pollutants and absorb nutrients, maintaining the water quality naturally. Birds like the spotted wood owl and collared kingfisher can be sighted. Parents and their children were seen barefoot in the river admiring plants and dragonflies on a recent visit. CALL OF THE WILD
In school there’s stress, but when we are here, the air rushes against your body and face; it’s relaxing. Muhd Edri, 12 (in white) LOVES SKATING WITH HIS FRIENDS AT THE NEWLY SPRUCED-UP BISHAN-ANG MO KIO PARK
near their Strathmore Green studio apartment. The retired couple walks there every morning and, once a week, Mr Oon also journeys on foot to places like the Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and even East Coast Park via the connector. Green spaces in housing estates have evolved over the years — from simple tree-planting in the 1960s to landscaping in the 1990s and, lately, the water-sensitive designs and the infusion of biodiversity into urban spaces, such as the new Rumah Tinggi Neighbourhood Park. Existing parks have also been
The re-imagining and rethinking of green spaces continues. The Rail Corridor sparked the imagination of nature lovers in the past year as thousands of joggers, bicyclists and shutterbugs flocked to the lush 26km stretch after the KTM train station at Tanjong Pagar relocated to Woodlands. A competition by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and civic groups between November 2011 and March 2012, to source ideas on what could be done with the former railway land, drew over 200 entries. A radical idea proposed by one of the winners, Australian landscape firm Oculus, even involves re-introducing tigers back into the strip, as it mirrors the areas inhabited by tigers back in pre-industrial Singapore of the 1800s. Oculus proposed that the tiger habitat — set in a rainforest ecosystem of flora and fauna — be sealed from the rest of the city via “highly
Architect Kelvin Kan was inspired by grand spaces like cathedrals in his design of the green oasis at 158 Cecil Street. PHOTO: ERNEST CHUA
VIDEO A GREEN MAKEOVER
FOR 158 CECIL ST Scan the QR code using the reader app on your smartphone, or you can visit tdy.sg/tdyvideos for the video.
the building’s facade and innards) but these methods would not have “softened” its hard edges. Not only do the plants provide psychological relief to stressed-out workers, they also serve as a thermal barrier, he said. The leaves’ irregular surfaces help to absorb noise from traffic outside. Day growth lights provide the plants with light to
photosynthesise, and automatic irrigation drip tubes feed water to them. The project, completed in February 2011, has won numerous awards including the World Best Vertical Garden Design and Construction Quality gold awards by the World Green Roof Congress 2012. What’s more, it has attracted “high-calibre tenants seeking well-located and sustainable proper-
designed glass walls and edges”, with humans traipsing through a tree-top walk and arboreal villages. Another entry, one of two top prize winners in the Youth category, envisioned a “minimum time, maximum experience” cluster of picnic grounds, community bloom projects, natural health spas in wooden huts and an interactive science museum. Even while parts of the rail corridor may eventually be slated for development, the URA says what is set aside for nature will provide choices for cyclists and joggers, as well as greater accessibility to recreational and World War II heritage sites. BALANCING NEEDS
Experts are quick to point out that not all parks have the same biodiversity value. Yet each type of green space has its purpose and value, said wildlife consultant and nature guide Subaraj Rajathurai. Housing estates, for instance, do not have the biodiversity of nature reserves, but multi-use parks in the heartlands provide venues for recreation and exercise. By giving estate residents easy access to a green space, this helps prevent overcrowding in nature reserves on weekends — while maintaining some biodiversity in housing estates, especially when green corridors are created, he said. Indeed, the National Parks Board notes that studies have found at least 87 species of birds, as well as butterflies small mammals and lizards in the park connectors. Biological sciences doctoral student Chong Kwek Yan, whose thesis is on the effects of urban greenery on biodiversity, suggested that more be done to determine where the balance between development and nature can be struck.
WHAT’S IN THIS ECO-HAVEN?
LEGEND
GREEN ARTERIES
Park provision by 2030 Park connector provision by 2030 Round island route Rail corridor
“Although it is true a city like ours has constraints and there are tradeoffs between population growth or specific developmental directions versus the need for green spaces, the phrase ‘trade-offs’ has been bandied about vaguely without any specifics,” he said. Mr Chong suggested investing in ecological and social science research to quantify any trade-offs, and engaging the public to find out what sacrifices Singaporeans are willing or not willing to make. “Only after we know where our choice of a balance is, can we talk about how to achieve it,” he said. OTTERS ARE A SIGN
Why redevelop some wild pockets of green into parks, instead of just preserving them? The MND said NParks’ challenge is to conserve and integrate green
In the old days ... only if you’re very lucky will you see an otter. I think it’s great, it shows we’re going in the right direction. Mr Subaraj Rajathurai WILDLIFE CONSULTANT AND NATURE GUIDE
spaces while making them relevant to the diverse lifestyle needs of the population. Space is needed to provide recreational facilities to meet these needs, and to provide a barrier-free environment for ageing Singaporeans, a spokesperson said. The parks board tries to retain as much of the original native vegetation as possible when developing parks, but “some, if not most of the naturally generated vegetation” — such as species prone to snapping like Albizia trees — needs to be removed to ensure public safety, the spokesperson said. Tampines Eco Green and Bukit Batok Nature Park, however, are good examples of parks where vegetation has been largely retained to create a space for nature-based recreation, he said. Mr Subaraj said the dead trees in Tampines Eco Green that are out of the way of human traffic are valuable
Red-breasted parrots, yellow vented bulbuls, migratory species and other creatures share Tampines Eco Green park with early-morning joggers. Opened in 2011, the 36.5ha park — bounded by an expressway, a major road and a housing estate across Sungei Tampines — consists of natural habitats like open grasslands and freshwater wetlands. It shows how the development of green spaces in Singapore has improved in the past 20 years. Trying to blend the needs of people and nature is not an easy task, says wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai: “Nature parks with an eco theme can do both.” Watch along as Mr Subaraj introduces you to some of the denizens of this eco-haven in the heartlands.
VIDEO TAMPINES ECO GREEN
NATURE’S HAVEN IN AN URBAN HEARTLAND
Scan the QR code using the reader app on your smartphone, or you can visit tdy.sg/tdyvideos for the video.
to the birds as roosting and breeding sites, as well as for feeding. Parks in Singapore that have successfully accommodated nature are those that have largely protected the original vegetation of the area, he said. And in Pasir Ris Park, where areas of natural rivers and mangrove have been preserved, otters are now using the space alongside humans. “People going for exercise are getting to see something as exciting as an otter. In the old days, you search and search, and only if you’re very lucky will you see an otter. I think it’s great, it shows we’re going in the right direction,” he said.
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which now houses 2,000 of its staff, with the remaining working from Marina Bay Financial Centre. Previously, the bank had eight different offices. Said StanChart Chief Executive Ray Ferguson: “In addition to our objective of securing additional space to support the growth of our business in Singapore, these moves were part of our plan to consolidate our offices in Singapore into two main locations. “The bank has since consolidated its property portfolio into more efficient premises and to provide a longterm occupancy solution for our operations in Singapore.” Companies working out of these hubs also enjoy the advantage of proximity to clients because similar sectors are often gathered in these commercial centres — one-north is the clearest example of pharmaceutical and biomedical firms being grouped in the same compound. IBM serves many banks, many of whom have backroom operations housed within Changi Business Park, and its move to the area from Anson Road allows them the benefit of “having some of our clients a stone’s throw away”, said IBM Director of Human Resources Linda Lee. In addition, the MND notes, such hubs allow businesses to tap “a ready pool of employees from the surrounding residential catchments”.
CHIC HUBS OF THE FUTURE
PHOTO: URA
JURONG LAKE DISTRICT
It is not only going to become Singapore’s largest commercial hub outside the Central Business District, the 360ha Jurong Lake District is also being fashioned into a chic mini-metropolis of the future, with offices, hotels and housing boasting lake-views, retail, leisure and other amenities. Comprising Jurong Gateway and Lakeside, the vast area, when developed over the coming decade or so, will feature several new malls — including Jem, Westgate and JCube — two hospitals and a hotel. The hotel site was recently awarded to Genting unit Tamerton. When substantially developed in the next 10 to
15 years, at least 1,000 new homes will also sprout in Jurong Gateway, making it a prime area in which to work, live and play. New housing is also on the cards in the vicinity of Jurong Lake District. These include 1,200 new flats by 2015, called Bukit Batok Skyline 1 and 2, as well as private developments such as the Caspian and Lakefront Residences. The authorities have worked with IBM, under its Smarter Cities Challenge, to explore possible ideas that could be test-bedded in the district. In all, 500,000 sq m of office space and 250,000 sq m of retail, F&B and entertainment space is expected to be available eventually.
MONEY SAVED, FOR WORKERS PHOTOS: ERNEST CHUA
THE NEW HUBS
Moving jobs closer to home PHOTO: URA
KALLANG RIVERSIDE In 10 to 15 years, this once-staid area will be transformed into the next waterfront lifestyle precinct, with an attractive residential enclave set beside a shiny commercial hub that sits on the edge of the city. On the east bank of the river, there will be 400,000 sq m of offices, shops and entertain-
PAYA LEBAR CENTRAL Although relatively small at 12ha, Paya Lebar Central holds its own, distinguishing itself with a traditional Malay flavour. The land, around Sims Avenue and Geylang Road, will yield some 0.5 million sq m of commercial space, with more than half earmarked for offices, and the rest going to shops and hotels. While there are no plans to add homes to this area, analysts have said this could be an attractive prospect for small-and-medium enterprises’ backroom operations, given that it is just 10 minutes from the CBD.
ment venues, as well as 3,000 hotel rooms, set amid lush greenery and a tropical beachfront setting. To the west will be 4,000 new waterfront private homes linked by a long park straddling the waterfront and Lavender MRT station. The river will also offer space for boating or canoeing.
NORTH COAST INNOVATION CORRIDOR The stretch spanning spanning Woodlands, Sembawang, Seletar and Punggol, will be abuzz with creative design and new technology industries, and other future economic activities. In the middle of it will sit the future Seletar Regional Centre — which could dwarf Tampines Regional Centre — and Seletar Aerospace Park. New business activities will spring up in Sembawang once shipyard activities there are phased out.
SOUTHERN WATERFRONT CITY Extending from Marina Bay to Keppel, Telok Blangah and Pasir Panjang Terminal, there will be new commercial and housing developments after the relocating of port terminals to Tuas frees up waterfront land.
Rise of decentralised hubs will (When you’re in the CBD), you have to hunt see more workplaces sited away for seats, spend a long from the city centre and west, time queuing, and then eat and closer to where people live everything quickly because people are staring at you or your lunch hour is almost up.
His commute to office now takes less than half the time it used to take. Gone are the unpleasantries of squishing into suffocating train carriages during rush-hour. And cab fares, if he is running late for work, are not inflated by hefty surcharges. These are the perks Credit Suisse analyst Jason Chuah has been enjoying since he started working in Changi Business Park — he used to be with another bank located at Raffles Place. “Traffic (to Changi Business Park), I would say, is quite smooth. There’s usually no jam,” said the 30-year-old of the 20-minute ride on the chartered shuttle service his employer provides. “The best thing, most obviously, is you beat the crowd.”
Ms Joyce Loh BANKER
By contrast, travelling to Raffles Place used to take Mr Chuah, an erstwhile Lakeside resident, between 45 minutes and one hour — and lots of squeezing onto trains. He moved in to his fiancee’s Marine Parade home when he landed his new job. Decentralising business and industrial hubs, like Changi Business Park, was a strategy the Government started over 20 years ago with the aim of alleviating traffic and infrastructure congestion in the Central Business District (CBD), providing more choices of business locations, and to sustain the Republic’s growth. And in the years ahead, more such
hubs will be developed across the island — bringing workplaces closer to where Singaporeans live. BUSTLING HUBS, CORRIDORS
The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) 1991 Concept Plan earmarked four regional centres that would serve at least 800,000 people — Tampines for the East, Woodlands for the North, Jurong East for the West and Seletar for the North-East. Tampines to date is the most established and vibrant. In 2008, Jurong Lake District, Kallang Riverside and Paya Lebar Central were identified as the upcoming commercial hubs, even as other nodes were developed over the years, including one-north, Novena and Harbourfront. In particular, the Jurong Lake District, a 360ha body of land and water, is set to become the largest commercial centre outside of the CBD, with at least 500,000 sq m of office space. And going ahead, a North Coast Innovation Corridor will be created, spanning from Woodlands to Punggol; as will a Southern Waterfront City, extending from Marina Bay to Pasir Panjang Terminal — offering future capacity for offices, business parks and R&D centres among others. The idea of developing such regional, sub-regional and fringe centres was also to “bring jobs closer
to homes and homes closer to jobs”, as former National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan put it. The time saved on the commute lets more people “spend more time with their family or for recreation”, notes the Ministry of National Development (MND). Mr Chuah attests to that vision. “You can see quite a number of people who cycle to work,” he says, referring to a daily sight at Changi Business Park. IT giant IBM, which is also based in Changi Business Park, even has several employees who live close enough to walk to work, while some have decided to move closer to the area in order to cut their commuting time. BUSINESS GAINS
Despite sceptics previously wondering about the viability of developing several decentralised hubs — given Singapore’s tiny size — these suburban or city-fringe commercial nodes have brought gains for companies, workers, residents, and nearby businesses alike. Not only are rents cheaper than that for stiffly contested office space in the city, these hubs, with their vast floor areas, allow firms to bring operations under one roof. Standard Chartered Bank (StanChart), for instance, invested S$206 million in the construction and lease of a six-storey purpose-built office building in Changi Business Park in 2008,
For employees — the shorter, breezier commutes aside — working in suburban commercial centres also saves them extra dollars here and there. Shopping or eating at Tampines Mall and Century Square, for example, is generally cheaper than in the city or town, noted banker Joyce Loh. There is also “less stress” during lunch breaks, she added. “(When you’re in the CBD), you have to hunt for seats, spend a long time queuing, and then eat everything quickly because people are staring at you or your lunch hour is almost up,” the 28-year-old said. These off-central commercial hubs also bring business to existing shops and F&B outlets around them. Eateries around Buona Vista, for instance, said their lunch-time crowd has swelled by as much as 30 per cent. Said coffeeshop assistant Lim P L: “We have many more customers now. They have restaurants there (referring to one-north) but there are more choices here, and cheaper. You have so many coffee shops and hawker centres around here, Holland Village, Tanglin Halt, Ghim Moh, all not very far away.”
HUB BENEFITS Breezier commutes: Cycling or walking to work is a common sight, while cab fares are not inflated by hefty surcharges Proximity to clients: Companies working out of these hubs have easy access to clients as similar sectors are often gathered in the same compound Consolidating operations: The hubs’ vast floor areas allow firms to bring operations under one roof Cost-saving: Shopping or eating is cheaper and office rents are lower Benefiting others: Decentralised hubs bring business to existing shops and F&B outlets around them Better amenities: Improved dining, shopping options; better transport links such as new interchange stations and pedestrian and cycling tracks
There are more choices here, and cheaper. You have so many coffeeshops and hawker centres around here, Holland Village, Tanglin Halt, Ghim Moh, all not very far away. Lim P L COFFEESHOP ASSISTANT
boasting three shopping malls. The new Changi City Point mall was also opened in Changi Business Park, adding to the dining options nearby residents had at Singapore Expo. Ghim Moh resident Yeo Moi, a housewife, cited the new interchange station at Buona Vista which links the Circle Line and North East Line. At Jurong Lake District, plans are also for existing heartland neighbourhoods surrounding it to undergo a thorough facelift. For instance, a network of pedestrian and cycling tracks linking up the region will be completed over the next few years; while two new iconic estates a la Pinnacle@Duxton will be built alongside Bukit Batok Avenue 1. With such developments typically planned near MRT stations and major interchanges, the MND said: “In our planning for these key hubs, agencies have also planned for the necessary road and transport infrastructure upfront to cater for the projected volume of traffic and people.” In fact, these hubs improve traffic conditions overall because of the curb on increased peak-hour travel to “core employment areas” in the CBD and the west. As for those who want to take advantage of the proximity to cycle to work? The MND says: “From a land use planning point of view, we will work towards making cycling a safer and more convenient form of intratown transportation, with dedicated paths and designated parking areas.”
ADDING AMENITIES
As for residents, there are minor annoyances, such as crowded MRT stations and bus interchanges, or not enough parking lots because office workers park in their estate. But the setting up of these hubs also means they are guaranteed more and better amenities. Tampines Regional Centre, for example, has transformed from a “ghost town” when it first started, to
Traffic to Changi Business Park is quite smooth. There is usually no jam and you can see quite a number of people who cycle to work. Mr Jason Chuah ANALYST AT CREDIT SUISSE, WHICH IS LOCATED IN CHANGI BUSINESS PARK
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MAXIMISING LAND USE
Short of space? No such thing We could build over, under, outwards and offshore, say experts — the creative opportunities truly abound
fresh air and gardens, babies and families, communities and opportunities,” said Mr Tan, principal of Archurban Architects Planners.
If architect Tan Cheng Siong had his way, Singapore’s living areas would be multi-capable zones teeming with activity, sited next to MRT stations. People would work and live there. Workplaces and entertainment outlets would be sited below residential spaces, with the different functions vertically separated via a system of pedestrian, bicycling and landscaped decks. Buildings would have frames built to last a long time, but with flexichangeable interiors. They would be lush with vertical greenery and allow for vertical air circulation. They would feature a variety of housing such as cluster homes, penthouses and apartments. They would also be equipped to collect rainwater, to produce energy via solar panels and mini-wind farms, and food via personal farm plots in multi-storey carparks. “Citizens want affordable housing and employment, leisure and mobility,
Mr Tan, Designer of the Year at the 2012 President’s Design Award, believes innovative design, good management and architecture that incorporates what he calls the “skyland” concept is key to successfully accommodating a larger population. Geographical land size should not stop Singapore from multiplying its volume of space — and no, he isn’t referring to more shoebox apartments. “Stop them before they become head shrinkers and slums,” said Mr Tan, who has previously said land shortage is a “fallacy”. Singapore could house a population of 6.5 million to 6.9 million by 2030, according to the population White Paper published last month. The Ministry of National Development (MND) reckons that about 7 per cent more land is needed — about 766 sq km, up from 714 sq km available today — to “comfortably support” the projected population.
GEOGRAPHY NOT A LIMITATION
766
sq km OF LAND, 52 SQ KM MORE THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW, WILL BE ABLE TO ‘COMFORTABLY SUPPORT’ THE PROJECTED 6.9 MILLION POPULATION
Areas that could be reclaimed by 2030 include Tuas Port, Pulau Tekong and Jurong Island. Beyond 2030, areas including Simpang, Marina East, Changi East, Sungei Kadut, Pasir Ris and around the Western islands could be reclaimed if needed. RECLAIM OR RECYCLE
Experts, however, note the limits to the territorial sea space available for reclamation. There is a limit to how far Singapore can reclaim if the Republic is to keep its anchorages and fairways for the maritime and shipping industry, said civil engineering professor Yong Kwet Yew of the National University of Singapore. He notes that shallow waters less than 20m deep have been reclaimed in the past, and current projects are in depths of between 30m and 40m. It is less economically feasible to reclaim at further depths, Prof Yong said. Besides reclamation, the intention is to develop existing land not in use, intensify land use and “recycle” land, an MND spokesperson said. To cater to economic and population growth, more land will be required for “criti-
Redeveloping sites such as golf courses
Remodelling the island city
cal uses” like housing, community facilities, industry and infrastructure. To this end, the Government plans to consolidate land-intensive activities such as military grounds and golf courses. The latter will be allowed to run out their leases before being redeveloped, the MND said. Land for old industrial estates will also be recycled. GOING UNDER
Beyond these measures, exciting possibilities lie below ground and offshore. An Underground Master Plan is in the works to map out possible uses of this subterranean resource, and Prof Yong said a framework of subterranean land rights should also be created to support underground development. He draws a distinction between spaces created at the basement of buildings — which are a vertical extension of these structures constructed in the ground, and commonly used for car parks or shopping malls — and underground caverns, which are usually standalone spaces created in the rock. In general, underground space is suitable for uses that do not require a long stay by humans. “The lack of
Demolishing old buildings to make way for newer, taller housing
Finding space in Singapore may not be as difficult as one might think. Here are some options put forth by experts to increase land space in our island city:
Going underground
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natural ventilation or sunlight may have psychological and behavioural effects on humans that we are still not fully aware of,” Prof Yong said. But such spaces are suitable for pollutive or noisy uses such as roads and heavy industries, as these would require less of a land buffer underground (building noise barriers above ground can be a blight on the landscape, he noted). Potential structures that can be housed underground include road and rail infrastructure, car parks, power stations, treatment plants, research labs, reservoirs, warehouses and even performance halls, said Prof Yong. SUBTERRANEAN SCIENCE CITY?
Singapore is already exploiting some of its subterranean space. Networks of tunnels channel sewage to a Changi treatment plant, and distribute electrical and telecommunications cables, district cooling and water pipes in Marina Bay. The Defence Ministry’s Underground Ammunition Facility is built beneath a former quarry in Mandai and the Jurong Rock Caverns, an oil and petrochemical storage facility being built 130m under Jurong Island, will begin operations later this year. The JTC is also studying the development of an underground science city beneath Kent Ridge Park. A feasibility study on the ambitious project was completed last year by a Swiss-Singapore consortium, which came up with a design for 40 linked rock caverns with total rentable space of 192,000 square metres across three to four levels, it was reported. The caverns could house research laboratories for biotechnology and life sciences as well as data centres. The MND added it is technically feasible to build large utilities and infrastructure facilities such as data centres, incineration and water reclamation plants underground, and it is studying whether to do so in order to “free up valuable surface land for higher value uses or community uses”. It has also commissioned a consulta ncy study — to be completed by June next year — to explore innovative design and engineering solutions that could reduce the cost of large underground developments. OVERSEAS MODELS
Land reclamation ART: YEN YOK
Offshore structures such as water treatment plants
There is no shortage of examples of what has been done overseas — the Churchill Falls Power Station and RESO underground city in Canada, and the Itakeskus swimming complex in Finland are just a few, said Prof Yong. And in Germany, an “innovative” underground transportation pipeline is being developed for cargo, which frees up surface infrastructure and also reduces pollution and noise caused by heavy vehicles, he said. “When Montreal and other major cities in temperate climates develop underground cities and shopping
TODAY • THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2013
The question is whether Singapore can still be as liveable as its population continues to grow ... the challenge can also become an opportunity.
Sky living?
Our artist’s impression of what it might be like to build multi-functional ‘land in the sky’ (inspired by architect Tan Cheng Siong’s ‘skyland’ concept).
Prof Heng Chye Kiang DEAN OF NUS SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENT
malls, it is as much about creating space as it is about consumers’ comfort during cold winters and hot summers,” he said. “Similarly, underground shopping malls in Singapore provide comfort during hot weather and rain.” In planning underground development, there is a need to account for unique conditions here such as the high ground water table, high humidity and variable geological formations. Unlike some cities with more extensive cavern developments like Helsinki in Finland and Oslo in Norway, Singapore has a flatter terrain. But preliminary studies have shown that “judicious ground improvement” of soils can render it feasible for underground caverns. “From an engineering perspective, there is no limit to how much space could be potentially exploited,” said Prof Yong. “The limit often lies in economic and commercial viability of the project.” There is one caveat, however: Underground space, once built, is difficult to redevelop. Planning must hence be done in a sustainable manner, and spaces should be designed for permanency or with a high degree of flexibility for change in use, he said.
Wind energy farming
Solar panels
Rain water storage
Pedestrian, cycling and landscaped decks
Residences
Workplaces and entertainment outlets Multi-storey car parks with individual farm lots
ALL AT SEA
What about floating structures off Singapore’s coast? They are mobile, less damaging to the marine ecosystem than land reclamation and enable unsightly utilities like incinerators and wastewater treatment plants to be located away from the population. But they also cost more to maintain than land structures, require a good foundation for stationkeeping and positioning and incur stability concerns due to waves, winds and currents, said Professor Soh Chee Kiong of the Nanyang Technological University’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The Marina Bay Floating Platform here is an example of a floating structure, as is Tokyo’s Mega-Float which serves as a runway for airplane takeoffs and landing, and a floating hotel built by Singapore’s Bethlelem shipyard now being deployed in North Korea. Research by NUS and NTU on floating structures in the past decade have mainly targeted applications for the offshore and marine oil and gas industry — which are more challenging than, say, for floating hotels, said Prof Soh. The National Innovation Challenge last year on Land and Liveability could spur research to develop new ideas in floating structure technology, he said. Overseen by the National Research Foundation, the S$135 million set aside aims to create new space and optimise land use to support an economically
ART: YEN YOK
vibrant, highly liveable and resilient city of the future. OPPORTUNITY, NOT PROBLEM
From an engineering perspective, there is no limit to how much underground space could be potentially exploited. The limit often lies in economic and commercial viability of the project. Prof Yong Kwet Yew CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSOR AT NUS
Prof Soh reckons that, depending on how the country develops and public acceptance, Singapore’s landscape in 50 years could feature multi-purpose offshore floating structures for its airport and seaport, for solar and wind energy harvesting, for fish farming and sea sports. “If I were a planner, I would look at using up available existing space including surrounding islands first, then go underground and if we need to, go offshore — though technology is there, research should continue to make them more durable, cost-effective and sustainable,” he said. Urban and land use planning for a denser population is complex, but as Professor Heng Chye Kiang, Dean of the NUS School of Design and Environment put it: “The question is whether Singapore can still be as liveable as its population continues to grow ... the challenge can also become an opportunity to introduce new
typologies of integrated development, more meaningful open and green spaces integrated with amenities, a more effective mobility system and better use of new technologies to render our city more efficient and resilient.”
WILL HDB FLATS OF THE FUTURE BE TALLER? Like all other developments, HDB blocks are subject to height control based on the relevant agencies’ planning rules, flight paths and other technical requirements, said the MND. Standing tallest at the moment is the Pinnacle@Duxton at 50 storeys. In towns with less severe height constraints — such as Toa Payoh, Queenstown, Bukit Merah — residential developments are “in the range of 40 storeys”, with a few blocks under construction exceeding that. The HDB already builds to the maximum allowable height in new towns. But it does not do so in the Central Area where height limits are less restrictive, because very high-rise buildings will require high-speed lifts and an additional fire safety refuge floor — extras which will be “expensive to provide and maintain”, said the MND.
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TODAY • THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2013
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Rotterdam and Oostelijk Havengebied in AmNEW sterdam in order to TOWNS transform our own PG 4 Punggol Waterway into a picturesque waterway for everyone to enjoy. Vancouver prides itself on developing “high density” housing within the city to bring back a live-in population, unlike other western cities which have sprawling suburbia. Their good urban design and how they design their buildings to shape the city provide learning points for us. With closer living and more densely built up estates, how do you — at the planning level — ensure problems like noise pollution are contained, for example through design or technology?
PHOTO: DON WONG
Q&A WITH HDB’S CEO
PLANNING FOR LIVEABILITY How do you factor in the future aspirations of Singaporeans, even as you grapple with the need to accommodate a growing population and ensure sufficient space for vital economic activity?
Many first-time visitors to Singapore arrive with the impression that Singapore is a concrete jungle. But the moment they touch down at Changi Airport, drive along the canopy of rain trees along the ECP, and burst onto the Marina Bay area, this impression is quickly dispelled. Those who visit our HDB towns say they do HDB not sense the “denseREDESIGN ness” they feel in othPG 2 er large Asian cities. One Indian visitor told me that our HDB public housing is several times better than some of their private condominiums. Despite our land constraints, it is not by chance that Singapore is now ranked as one of the most liveable cities in Asia. This is because we factor in several considerations in our planning. First, we take a longer term view of what the future economic and social landscape, demographic and lifestyle trends could be and safeguard adequate land to support our development needs based on the resources available to us. Second, we do not only focus on
DR CHEONG KOON HEAN Appointed CEO of HDB in August 2010, she is concurrently Deputy Secretary (Special Duties) in the Ministry of National Development. She previously served as CEO of the Urban Redevelopment Authority for six years, during which she spearheaded the transformation of Marina Bay and development of new growth areas at Jurong Lake District, Kallang Riverside and Paya Lebar Central.
economic objectives but also on developing a liveable city, emphasising a good quality living environment. For example, even as we set aside land for businesses and industries, a large amount of land is also apportioned for social and recreational amenities like housing and parks. In addition, we try our best to plan our infrastructure to match growth. Many of our MRT lines can be built today because we safeguarded the rail corridors some 10 to 20 years ago. Similarly, our city can now grow into Marina Bay because the planners then had the foresight to reclaim the land decades ago. Of course, planners have to juggle constantly between different competing uses for land, but a holistic approach is helpful to ensure we balance the trade-offs. As it is never possible to predict the future with certainty, our planning also builds in flexibility that will preserve some options for our future generations to tap onto growth opportunities and to determine the way they want Singapore to develop. What are some of the densely-populated urban cities we have looked to for lessons or inspiration in good design/ planning? Are there certain challenges that are uniquely Singapore’s? The challenge of accommodating a growing population is not unique to
Singapore. By 2050, the world’s population in urban areas will almost double from 3.3 billion to 6.4 billion. The emerging challenge facing cities is to deal with rapid urbanisation and yet build vibrant and sustainable cities. Singapore is always open to learning from other cities.
We would like to create more distinctive towns with greater character and identity through good urban design, taking into consideration the existing features and history of a place. We should, however, be discerning and not copy wholesale, as our context can be rather different from theirs. For example, climatically we are hot and humid compared to their temperate and cold climates. There are also cultural and lifestyle differences which we should be mindful of. Nevertheless, different cities do have their unique strengths which offer interesting ideas for us. New York and London have vibrant arts and entertainment scenes, and it would be useful to distil what makes them “tick”. We, too, have progressively built up our arts and cultural districts over the years. Our Museum and Civic District will become even more exciting with the
completion of the renovations for the National Art Gallery and the Victoria Theatre. More theatres, including those at Marina Bay have further strengthened the arts and entertainment offerings. Dense cities like New York and London have woven in large parks in the heart of their city to mitigate their high densities. New York has Central Park and London has Hyde Park as green lungs. And now Singapore has its own Gardens By the Bay. In fact, we want to move towards being a City in a Garden — imagine how wonderful it will be to live amidst greenery all the time. New York is highly innovative and continues to reinvent itself. For example, there is a vision to create 350 miles of landscaped bicycle and pedestrian paths. Even an old railway track has been converted into a public space in the sky called the High Line. Sydney, Melbourne, Vancouver and Munich have great waterfronts and rivers which they capitalise on to develop very attractive environments for homes and for play. As Singapore is an island surrounded by water, we can learn from them. Many of the agencies such as the URA, NParks, PUB and HDB have already been working together to weave in tropical greenery and waterbodies into our urbanscape. The HDB worked with the PUB to study examples such as the Cheonggyecheon River in Seoul, Kop Van Zuid in
Realistically, while disamenties such as noise and loss of privacy can be minimised, they cannot be completely eliminated in a city environment. Nonetheless, creative design and technology are both important in helping to mitigate and to minimise disamenities such as noise, in a denser environment. At a macro level, proper planning can mitigate the denseness by interspersing low density and common green spaces with high density developments to create “breathing spaces” within the town. Noisy activities and highways can be screened from housing blocks using noise barriers at appropriate locations, or by using a multi-storey car park as a screen. Building blocks can be arranged and oriented to maximise privacy and minimise overlooking. We also take care to locate noisier facilities such as basketball courts further away from the housing blocks. Landscaping and good façade design and screening can also help to mitigate noise and other disamenities. We will continue to work with various agencies such as LTA and NEA to find ways to minimise noise disturbances. Another source of noise could come from residents’ activities. We encourage everyone to exercise some social responsibility. Consideration, kindness, tolerance and good neighbourliness can go a long way to ensure we jointly create a happy neighbourhood.
Residents are the ‘heart-ware’ that enlivens our towns. They make our towns socially cohesive and endearing ... we hope to encourage residents to take greater ownership of their towns.
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and heritage and want to preserve precious social memories. But we have to balance the extent of conserving these special places with the need to provide land for other uses such as housing and for economic development. Creative pla n n i ng can sometimes help to GREEN find a middle ground. HAVENS For example, within a PG 8 housing estate, part of a wooded area to be kept can be merged with a park. Heritage buildings can be saved if we integrate them with new developments to achieve economic viability. Planners do not have a monopoly over good ideas. This is why in the process of formulating major plans, we seek feedback and views of many stakeholders through avenues such as focus groups, surveys, public exhibitions and dialogues. Inevitably, there will be multiple different voices and views. While all views are welcomed and should be robustly debated, in the end, the Government will still need to exercise leadership and move forward based
on securing the long-term interests of its citizens and for Singapore. When mapping out land use for economic purposes, what projections do you use to determine which economic activities should have priority for the next 10, 20 years? We will safeguard enough land at the right locations to support the economic strategies set out by our economic agencies. Our economic agencies will target the sectors which have growth potential and which will create the mix of activities that can provide good jobs for our people. Selection of the growth sectors would have to take into consideration the land and resource constraints we face. For example, financial and business services, R&D and non-pollutive knowledge based industries can generate high value add and yet do not require extensive land take. The expansion of our commercial areas, such as Marina Bay and new areas for industries, such as one-north and CleanTech Park, are examples of how plan-
How do you see the HDB’s role as master planner of towns, and the collaboration with private sector developers, over the next 20 years? The HDB is not only a master planner but also a master developer of towns, meaning that we can make what we plan happen. The road ahead for the HDB is exciting. Our mission is to provide affordable and value for money quality housing for Singaporeans. Developing a town successfully is also a public-private partnership between the government, the private sector, and also the people. In 2011, we launched a Roadmap to Better Living in HDB Towns. This forward-looking approach will guide us in shaping our towns going ahead. The roadmap features three key elements: •Well-designed towns: We would like to create more distinctive towns with greater character and identity through good urban design, taking into consideration the existing features and history of a place. To attain this, we have partnered the private sector — such as consultants, developers and contractors — to undertake the design and construction of public housing projects in recent years. CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
ON THINKING OUT OF THE BOX
Traditional shop houses in Amoy Street are integrated with newer developments to achieve economic viability.
How do you convince Singaporeans to accept certain necessary trade-offs — such as giving up a green area or old landmark to development? What part does public or stakeholder engagement play in the process of planning? I believe the majority of fellow Singaporeans are rational and pragmatic. We need to share the limitations and opportunities to deal with the challenges of population and economic growth in order to garner shared understanding. My experience is that when you put diverse groups with different interests together, they would generally come to a sound conclusion after listening to each other’s points of view. For example, most would agree that we would not be able to conserve every green space or old building. In fact, planners, too, love greenery
ning supports economic activities. However, as the global economy is a dynamic one, our planning must build in sufficient flexibility to cater to a changing economic landscape in future.
Children cooling off in the fountain at Washington Square Park in New York, which has woven in large parks in the heart of the city to mitigate its high population density. PHOTOS: REUTERS
More land: While land is a precious resource, there is no lack of ideas to “grow” and optimise our landstock. For example, Singapore has grown some 20 per cent through reclamation; we are tapping underground spaces for oil storage and development. Liveability: Creative designs can help us achieve a liveable environment even as we build more densely. For example, HDB’s Pinnacle@ Duxton demonstrated that high-density, high-rise living can be comfortable — “skyrise gardens” provide community and garden spaces for our residents. Soon, you will never be far from a nearby park connector which will immediately give you access to larger parks and the coastal areas — such an idea increases the sense of recreational space. And in another 10 to 20 years, Singaporeans will experience even more greenery on sky gardens and terraces located on our high-rise buildings. Preserving the past: Despite our high density, Singapore has one of the most comprehensive conservation programmes in South-east Asia. We have conserved more than 7,000 buildings and structures, many as entire districts and not just single buildings. Creative policy has enabled us to save our heritage in an economically viable way. Tapping the hinterland: Although Singapore is a city state, we must not forget that we have a large “hinterland”. Our strategic location and hub status means that within a short drive or a seven-hour flight is a large region which provides us with economic collaboration opportunities and a myriad of recreational offerings.
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LAND USE BEYOND 2030
SOURCE: MND
Planning for liveability CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
Their participation has enriched the townscape further and provided our residents with a greater variety of designs and choice. An example is the HDB’s collaboration with local architectural firm Arc Studio on the Pinnacle@Duxton. Even as we harness the resources and ideas of the private sector, we will set out clear guidelines to ensure that they design, price and sell the right types of housing for our intended target groups. •Sustainable towns: The HDB has ambitious goals under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. To do that, we need a new generation of “Green Towns” like Punggol Eco-town, where we can pursue suitable green initiatives and sustainable solutions. •Community-centric towns: The towns we build should be centred on promoting community life so as to strengthen social cohesion and community bonding. Besides the hardware, residents are the “heart-ware” that enlivens our towns. They make our towns socially cohesive and endearing. By providing social facilities and organising community activities, we hope to encourage residents to take
greater ownership of their towns. How does the HDB give Singaporeans the kind of homes they aspire to, and still ensure affordability? Singaporeans are house proud. They want a comfortable living environment for their families and a restful place they can come home to. We can provide good quality estates and environment through good planning and innovative design. Even as the quality of public housing improves, the Government has, and will continue to price new HDB flats fairly, taking into consideration affordability and income levels. Flats will continue to be subsidised through a combination of market subsidies and housing grants so that Singaporeans will be able to have their own homes. We closely monitor the debt servicing ratios and today, the typical household generally needs to pay, on average, only about a quarter of their monthly income to service their mortgage. The majority of home owners actually use their CPF to service their loan fully without any monthly cash outlay. The HDB also encourages financial prudence through initiatives like financial counselling to ensure that residents purchase a flat within their means. We will continue to offer a wide range of new flats with good geographical spread in various estates to give buyers more choices that suit their lifestyle preferences and budget.
THE EVOLUTION OF HDB TOWN PLANNING 1960s: The HDB started with the challenge to build a large number of basic and low cost flats in the shortest time possible to alleviate the critical housing shortage. Housing designs were kept simple and functional and had basic amenities like water and electricity. 1970s: We paid more attention to the quality of the HDB living environment. New towns were planned to be self-sufficient and well served by amenities like schools, shops and transport system. Toa Payoh was the first comprehensively planned new town. 1980s: Rising affluence brought greater aspirations and higher expectations for public housing. More emphasis was placed on precinct character, as well as the provision of regional facilities such as regional parks, open spaces, playgrounds, and precinct pavilions.
1990s: Greater emphasis was placed on creating a quality living environment with character and building up the identities of precincts, neighbourhoods and towns. Landmark buildings, landscaping, open spaces and special architectural features were incorporated, as were more common facilities like open spaces, children playgrounds and parks. 2000s: To further optimise land use, our design approach changed to integrating multi-storey car parks with rooftop gardens. As residents increasingly value their privacy, we switched from building flats with long corridors to point block type flats. Older estates are not forgotten. Extensive upgrading programmes were put in place to enhance the living environment of older HDB estates, such as the main, interim and lift upgrading programmes. Most recently, the focus is on creating sustainable towns. Punggol will be the first eco town built in Singapore and serves as a “living laboratory” to test bed and develop environmentally friendly designs and urban solutions. New ideas and innovations are also constantly researched and developed.
PHOTO: REUTERS