HDB gears up for ‘greener' projects

They will adopt the Biophilic Town Framework progressively from July.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) will adopt the Biophilic Town Framework for all their projects to be launched, an announcement revealed.

Said framework was first applied to the Punggol Northshore District in 2015 and has been refined and validated through the course of a three-and-a-half year research with the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), and National Parks Board (NParks).

“The Biophilic Town Framework, which we have developed, provides a strong foundation for holistic planning and design of neighbourhood landscapes, so that our residents can enjoy a strong sense of place and well-being.” HDB CEO Dr. Cheong Koon Hean said.

HDB will implement the said initiative progressively starting from projects for launch this July.

The Biophilic Town Framework includes five key elements of environment landscape such as soil, floral and fauna, outdoor comfort, water, and people. It also mentioned 17 ecosystem services to let architects assess how to engage the elements in HDB’s projects.

For the soil element, the framework included nutrient cycling, maintenance of soil quality, and erosion control whilst provision of wildlife habitat, mosquito control and fresh produce will fall under floral and fauna. Outdoor comfort includes heat mitigation and noise abatement.

Meanwhile, the water element in the framework includes water cycling, flood hazard mitigation, stormwater and domestic wastewater treatment, and water for irrigation.People-centric efforts will include sense of place,aesthetic values, social relations, education values, and recreation.

Through its contribution in “building resilience in the urban and natural systems”, HDB’s previous projects will be recognised by the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Africa, Asia Pacific and Middle East (AAPME) including the Adventure Playground @ Canberra, Kampung Admiralty, Waterway Ridges at Punggol, Yishun Nature Park, and Senja Parc View.