The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has won a prestigious international award for the transformation of the Southern Ridges.
It was conferred the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Awards for Excellence 2010: Asia Pacific.
The Southern Ridges is a nine-kilometre chain of green and open spaces spanning Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, Kent Ridge Park and West Coast Park.
The areas are connected by bridges and walkways including Henderson Waves, Singapore’s highest walkway.
The seamless connectivity of all the hill parks transforms the Southern Ridges into a soothing sanctuary of greenery.
The connections comprise the two pedestrian bridges and an elevated walkway – the Henderson Waves, which is Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge, Alexandra Arch and the Forest Walk.
Areas within the Southern Ridges that were previously not accessible are now open to the public as a result of these linkages.
The Southern Ridges was opened in May 2008 and has since attracted an additional million visitors over and above the usual number of visitors to the hill parks.
The URA mooted the idea after noting that the hill top parks, which are rich in flora and fauna, were not easily accessible as they were separated by major roads and dense vegetation.
Established in 1979, the ULI Awards for Excellence are acknowledged as one of the most prestigious recognition programme for best practices in land use.
The jury for the ULI awards, comprising renowned real estate professionals, planners and architects, was impressed with the concept of the Southern Ridges.
It cited that “the innovative concept, visited by more than a million people since its opening, creates a rare contiguous recreational space in the densely populated city state and has moved the concept of green links and neighbourhood parks to a new level”.
The chief executive officer of URA, Cheong Koon Hean, said: “This area was already a nature’s gem with lush vegetation. We were very mindful to maintain the intrinsic character of the area as a secondary forest, to enable visitors to escape into the serenity of the hills and enjoy a seamless lush green experience as they walk through the Southern Ridges. Today, it has become a popular venue even for wedding photos and fashion shoots!
“We are overwhelmed by the tremendous popularity of the Southern Ridges, and very pleased that it is so well received by all members of the community.”
This is the third time URA has received an award from the ULI, an international non-profit research and education organisation.
Singapore’s conservation programme was conferred the ULI Awards for Excellence 2006: Asia Pacific and subsequently the ULI Global Awards for Excellence 2006.
URA’s masterplanning efforts for the Bras Basah/Bugis district was also conferred the ULI Awards for Excellence 2008: Asia Pacific.
Source: Channel News Asia, 24 Jun 2010
Showing posts with label URA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label URA. Show all posts
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
A chance for real, lasting change
Concept Plan 2011 may sound like yet another bureaucratic exercise that will produce another paper to be filed away – and many people have simply ignored it. Past history shows that Concept Plans can actually be a big deal, though.
Just look back a few decades. Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan said recently: “In the first Concept Plan in 1971, we drew up plans for major infrastructure projects such as Changi Airport and our first MRT lines.”
Two decades later, “in the 1991 Concept Plan, we systematically planned for the decentralisation of commercial space from the CBD”, he added.
Recommendations in those two Concept Plans have radically transformed Singapore.
A further two decades on, it may now be the right time for another radical change. This time, though, the initial recommendations announced early this month make it seem like Concept Plan 2011 could focus as much on the softer side of Singapore’s soul as on infrastructure.
It has the potential to catalyse far-reaching changes that could create a more vibrant place to live. To make a real difference, though, three unpolished gems amid the concepts floated so far may need a lot more polishing to make a real difference.
One of those gems is – as the focus group said – that the city needs buzz. With only 43 per cent of respondents in the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s 2009 Lifestyle Survey saying they are satisfied with night-time activities and events here, many Singaporeans seem to agree. The recent CB Richard Ellis study showing that Singapore had dropped to 11th place for cities where top world retailers are located reaffirms the need for vibrancy.
Yet much more than closing downtown streets on weekends and putting art on the streets is needed. Renowned researcher Richard Florida says that knowledge workers prefer things like a “vibrant music scene, outdoor restaurants, organic supermarkets, juice bars”, rather than “passive cultural amenities” and “big-ticket items”.
Innovative ideas for more far-reaching concepts – from edgier entertainment to entirely new models for restaurants and retailers – may need to become key parts of the mix.
A second gem involved concepts for buildings that included recommendations for changes such as organic growth in “distinctive neighbourhoods” like Bugis or Little India, and space for inter-generational bonding.
All are good concepts. Again, more transformational changes than tweaks to HDB flats may be needed to bridge the generational and diversity divides.
In one of his books Harvard professor Robert Putnam cites a dozen success stories – such as the Chicago public library branches that have become vital locations for building social connections – as examples of how to build social capital. Multi-cultural multi-ethnic Singapore may have even more opportunities than the United States, and out-of-the-box thinking could create new concepts that better connect this diversity of people.
The concept of diversity, too, could be expanded to refer to anything from art havens to lifestyle choices.
And third, the focus group recommended environmentally-friendly projects ranging from bike lanes and better public transport to creating a Heritage Charter to preserve historic buildings. But rather than just pulling down old buildings or clearing away parks to make way for the new, co-chairman Lee Tzu Yang said it is important to “try and build a consensus among all the stakeholders in a particular district as to how to cherish, safeguard the things we love”.
These ideas are good too, yet, as reporter Ong Dai Lin noted in Today’s coverage of the Concept Plan 2011, “their suggestions echoed popular calls that have been rejected time and again”. More transformative projects, perhaps something like solar panels on the roof of every public building to make Singapore a world model for alternative energy, could offer changes that remake Singapore.
This once-in-two-decades chance to transform Singapore through the Concept Plan seems too important to ignore. What may be needed to propel Singapore forward is more input from more people and truly innovative ideas for creating vibrancy or improving fundamental policies.
While small focus groups and lightly-publicised requests for feedback that drew a few thousand responses are a start, only around 0.1 per cent of the population has provided input on what could truly be a plan to reinvent Singapore yet again. Now is the time to put the power of many more people to work.
Source: Today, 27 May 2010
Just look back a few decades. Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan said recently: “In the first Concept Plan in 1971, we drew up plans for major infrastructure projects such as Changi Airport and our first MRT lines.”
Two decades later, “in the 1991 Concept Plan, we systematically planned for the decentralisation of commercial space from the CBD”, he added.
Recommendations in those two Concept Plans have radically transformed Singapore.
A further two decades on, it may now be the right time for another radical change. This time, though, the initial recommendations announced early this month make it seem like Concept Plan 2011 could focus as much on the softer side of Singapore’s soul as on infrastructure.
It has the potential to catalyse far-reaching changes that could create a more vibrant place to live. To make a real difference, though, three unpolished gems amid the concepts floated so far may need a lot more polishing to make a real difference.
One of those gems is – as the focus group said – that the city needs buzz. With only 43 per cent of respondents in the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s 2009 Lifestyle Survey saying they are satisfied with night-time activities and events here, many Singaporeans seem to agree. The recent CB Richard Ellis study showing that Singapore had dropped to 11th place for cities where top world retailers are located reaffirms the need for vibrancy.
Yet much more than closing downtown streets on weekends and putting art on the streets is needed. Renowned researcher Richard Florida says that knowledge workers prefer things like a “vibrant music scene, outdoor restaurants, organic supermarkets, juice bars”, rather than “passive cultural amenities” and “big-ticket items”.
Innovative ideas for more far-reaching concepts – from edgier entertainment to entirely new models for restaurants and retailers – may need to become key parts of the mix.
A second gem involved concepts for buildings that included recommendations for changes such as organic growth in “distinctive neighbourhoods” like Bugis or Little India, and space for inter-generational bonding.
All are good concepts. Again, more transformational changes than tweaks to HDB flats may be needed to bridge the generational and diversity divides.
In one of his books Harvard professor Robert Putnam cites a dozen success stories – such as the Chicago public library branches that have become vital locations for building social connections – as examples of how to build social capital. Multi-cultural multi-ethnic Singapore may have even more opportunities than the United States, and out-of-the-box thinking could create new concepts that better connect this diversity of people.
The concept of diversity, too, could be expanded to refer to anything from art havens to lifestyle choices.
And third, the focus group recommended environmentally-friendly projects ranging from bike lanes and better public transport to creating a Heritage Charter to preserve historic buildings. But rather than just pulling down old buildings or clearing away parks to make way for the new, co-chairman Lee Tzu Yang said it is important to “try and build a consensus among all the stakeholders in a particular district as to how to cherish, safeguard the things we love”.
These ideas are good too, yet, as reporter Ong Dai Lin noted in Today’s coverage of the Concept Plan 2011, “their suggestions echoed popular calls that have been rejected time and again”. More transformative projects, perhaps something like solar panels on the roof of every public building to make Singapore a world model for alternative energy, could offer changes that remake Singapore.
This once-in-two-decades chance to transform Singapore through the Concept Plan seems too important to ignore. What may be needed to propel Singapore forward is more input from more people and truly innovative ideas for creating vibrancy or improving fundamental policies.
While small focus groups and lightly-publicised requests for feedback that drew a few thousand responses are a start, only around 0.1 per cent of the population has provided input on what could truly be a plan to reinvent Singapore yet again. Now is the time to put the power of many more people to work.
Source: Today, 27 May 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Vision of future Singapore
A VISION of future Singapore as a place which celebrates diversity, encourages community life and creates iconic spaces has been drawn by a group tasked to look at improving the quality of life here.
Among their ideas are to create desirable housing for the elderly, develop a transport network that lets people get around the city easily, and allow places with distinct character to grow.
Preliminary recommendations were presented to 200 people yesterday at a public feedback forum by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on its Concept Plan 2011, which sets out directions for land use and transport for the next 40 to 50 years.
The focus group recommended creating spaces that would have distinct and different purposes, from art outreach to community interaction.
Because of land scarcity, green spaces need not be huge and could be 'pocket-sized', said Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, president of the National University of Singapore and the group's co-chairman.
He told reporters the group was in 'strong agreement' about letting distinctive neighbourhoods, like Bras Basah and Little India, develop organically and open up to greater community involvement.
Suggestions for the greying population included allowing seniors to live next door to their family members. Technology must also be better harnessed to improve the transport system so that they and the disabled can get around easily.
The feasibility of getting around on bicycles generated a lot of discussion too, said Mr Edmund Cheng, chairman of the National Arts Council and the group's co-chairman.
Forum participants also suggested making shopping centres more diverse and less homogeneous, reducing pollution by replacing buses with electric trams in the city and saving energy by having buildings that do not need too much air-conditioning.
Another focus group looked into issues of sustainability and identity. The finalised recommendations will be taken into consideration by URA for the concept plan, to be made public next year for feedback.
Source: Straits Times, 11 May 2010
Among their ideas are to create desirable housing for the elderly, develop a transport network that lets people get around the city easily, and allow places with distinct character to grow.
Preliminary recommendations were presented to 200 people yesterday at a public feedback forum by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on its Concept Plan 2011, which sets out directions for land use and transport for the next 40 to 50 years.
The focus group recommended creating spaces that would have distinct and different purposes, from art outreach to community interaction.
Because of land scarcity, green spaces need not be huge and could be 'pocket-sized', said Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, president of the National University of Singapore and the group's co-chairman.
He told reporters the group was in 'strong agreement' about letting distinctive neighbourhoods, like Bras Basah and Little India, develop organically and open up to greater community involvement.
Suggestions for the greying population included allowing seniors to live next door to their family members. Technology must also be better harnessed to improve the transport system so that they and the disabled can get around easily.
The feasibility of getting around on bicycles generated a lot of discussion too, said Mr Edmund Cheng, chairman of the National Arts Council and the group's co-chairman.
Forum participants also suggested making shopping centres more diverse and less homogeneous, reducing pollution by replacing buses with electric trams in the city and saving energy by having buildings that do not need too much air-conditioning.
Another focus group looked into issues of sustainability and identity. The finalised recommendations will be taken into consideration by URA for the concept plan, to be made public next year for feedback.
Source: Straits Times, 11 May 2010
URA auctioning sites for heavy vehicle parking
THE Urban Redevelopment Authority will auction three sites for heavy vehicle parking at 2pm on June 3 at URA Centre.
The parcels, launched yesterday, are at Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 and Senoko Drive.
They are being released to help meet the needs of transport operators and fleet owners.
Registered heavy vehicles that can be parked on the sites include trailers, buses and any other vehicle with a maximum laden weight exceeding five tonnes.
Developer's packets can be bought from the customer service counter at the URA Centre for $52.50.
They can also be bought online at http://www.ura.gov.sg/LspWeb/ at the same price, plus delivery charges.
Source: Business Times, 11 May 2010
The parcels, launched yesterday, are at Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 and Senoko Drive.
They are being released to help meet the needs of transport operators and fleet owners.
Registered heavy vehicles that can be parked on the sites include trailers, buses and any other vehicle with a maximum laden weight exceeding five tonnes.
Developer's packets can be bought from the customer service counter at the URA Centre for $52.50.
They can also be bought online at http://www.ura.gov.sg/LspWeb/ at the same price, plus delivery charges.
Source: Business Times, 11 May 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
URA focus group shares suggestions
A FOCUS group set up to look at sustainability and identity issues for the Concept Plan 2011 recommends that Singapore aim to be 'environmentally and socially sustainable'.
The group, set up by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in January, announced its draft recommendations and sought public feedback on them at a forum yesterday.
The recommendations have two main thrusts: building a sustainable city and making Singapore an endearing home.
Under the first key thrust, the group wants stronger 'green' infrastructure and greater sharing and ownership of sustainable practices.
This can include reviewing the land tender system to include criteria to encourage developers to incorporate more green features in their projects, and establishing an island-wide waste-reduction and recycling programme.
The focus group also advocates promoting environmentally friendly transport and reviewing car parking policies to discourage the use of private transport - for example, by reducing the number of car parking lots or charging higher car parking fees in the city and town centres.
Ong Keng Yong, co-chairman of the focus group and director of the Institute of Policy Studies, said a 'holistic' blueprint - rather than a 'piecemeal' approach - is needed to make Singapore sustainable.
Under the second key thrust - making Singapore an endearing home - the focus group asks the government to safeguard the island's built and natural heritage, including historic districts such as Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India, monuments such as the old Supreme Court and City Hall and natural areas such as Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Pulau Ubin.
The focus group also wants to enhance people's experience of Singapore's built and natural heritage and involve the community in shaping an endearing Singapore. It recommends greater involvement of local communities, schools, stakeholders and NGOs in designing and managing 'endearing' spaces.
'It's to try to build a consensus among all the stakeholders in a particular area on how to cherish, safeguard the things we love in that district,' said Lee Tzu Yang, co-chairman of the focus group and chairman of Shell Singapore.
The public feedback sought by URA will be considered by the focus group for incorporation in its final report.
Source: Business Times, 7 May 2010
The group, set up by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in January, announced its draft recommendations and sought public feedback on them at a forum yesterday.
The recommendations have two main thrusts: building a sustainable city and making Singapore an endearing home.
Under the first key thrust, the group wants stronger 'green' infrastructure and greater sharing and ownership of sustainable practices.
This can include reviewing the land tender system to include criteria to encourage developers to incorporate more green features in their projects, and establishing an island-wide waste-reduction and recycling programme.
The focus group also advocates promoting environmentally friendly transport and reviewing car parking policies to discourage the use of private transport - for example, by reducing the number of car parking lots or charging higher car parking fees in the city and town centres.
Ong Keng Yong, co-chairman of the focus group and director of the Institute of Policy Studies, said a 'holistic' blueprint - rather than a 'piecemeal' approach - is needed to make Singapore sustainable.
Under the second key thrust - making Singapore an endearing home - the focus group asks the government to safeguard the island's built and natural heritage, including historic districts such as Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India, monuments such as the old Supreme Court and City Hall and natural areas such as Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Pulau Ubin.
The focus group also wants to enhance people's experience of Singapore's built and natural heritage and involve the community in shaping an endearing Singapore. It recommends greater involvement of local communities, schools, stakeholders and NGOs in designing and managing 'endearing' spaces.
'It's to try to build a consensus among all the stakeholders in a particular area on how to cherish, safeguard the things we love in that district,' said Lee Tzu Yang, co-chairman of the focus group and chairman of Shell Singapore.
The public feedback sought by URA will be considered by the focus group for incorporation in its final report.
Source: Business Times, 7 May 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
URA takes over naming of street and building names
With effect from 30 April this year, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will take over the secretariat function for the Street and Building Names Board (SBNB) from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).
According to its press release, it will also launch a slew of e-services for the application of street, estates and building names. Agents or owners will now be able to apply for streets, estates and building names via the website http://www.ura.gov.sg/dc/sbnb/sbnb.htm.
For ease of transition, URA will continue to accept manual applications for streets, estates and building names until 30 July. From 1 August onwards, all applications for street, estates and building names will have to be submitted online.
Source: AsiaOne, 26 Apr 2010
According to its press release, it will also launch a slew of e-services for the application of street, estates and building names. Agents or owners will now be able to apply for streets, estates and building names via the website http://www.ura.gov.sg/dc/sbnb/sbnb.htm.
For ease of transition, URA will continue to accept manual applications for streets, estates and building names until 30 July. From 1 August onwards, all applications for street, estates and building names will have to be submitted online.
Source: AsiaOne, 26 Apr 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
URA to get public feedback for Concept Plan 2011
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will be organising two public forums next month to gather feedback for the upcoming Concept Plan 2011.
URA earlier formed two focus groups to consider issues that will shape Singapore’s environment in the years ahead. Over the past four months, the focus groups have met to discuss quality of life, ageing, sustainability and identity issues
The groups will share their preliminary recommendations for Concept Plan 2011 at the public forums, to seek feedback.
The first forum – on Sustainability and Identity – will be held on May 6 at 6pm. Shell Companies in Singapore chairman Lee Tzu Yang and Institute of Policy Studies director Ong Keng Yong will co-chair the session.
The second forum – on Quality of Life and Ageing Issues – will take place on May 10 at 6pm. National Arts Council chairman Edmund Cheng and National University of Singapore president Tan Chorh Chuan will lead the session.
The focus groups will review the feedback received at the forums before submitting their final recommendations to URA.
URA will then come up with a draft Concept Plan after considering views from the focus groups and the public. It will allow the public to give feedback on the draft Concept Plan next year.
Source: Business Times, 20 Apr 2010
URA earlier formed two focus groups to consider issues that will shape Singapore’s environment in the years ahead. Over the past four months, the focus groups have met to discuss quality of life, ageing, sustainability and identity issues
The groups will share their preliminary recommendations for Concept Plan 2011 at the public forums, to seek feedback.
The first forum – on Sustainability and Identity – will be held on May 6 at 6pm. Shell Companies in Singapore chairman Lee Tzu Yang and Institute of Policy Studies director Ong Keng Yong will co-chair the session.
The second forum – on Quality of Life and Ageing Issues – will take place on May 10 at 6pm. National Arts Council chairman Edmund Cheng and National University of Singapore president Tan Chorh Chuan will lead the session.
The focus groups will review the feedback received at the forums before submitting their final recommendations to URA.
URA will then come up with a draft Concept Plan after considering views from the focus groups and the public. It will allow the public to give feedback on the draft Concept Plan next year.
Source: Business Times, 20 Apr 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)