URA to shrink shoebox unit standards amidst 'excessive' development

Average unit sizes outside the central area will be raised by 15 sqm to 85 sqm.

Minimum average unit sizes outside the central area will be raised by 15 sqm to 85 sqm on 17 January 2019, according to the revised guidelines released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

In an announcement made by the URA’s group director for development Goh Chin Chin, the new guideline will moderate the ‘excessive development’ of shoebox units.

Aside from the non-central area, the guidelines will also roll out stricter rules to areas such as Marine Parade, Joo Chiat-Mountbatten, Balestier, Telok Kurau-Jalan Eunos, Stevens-Chancery, Pasir Panjang, Kovan-How Sun, Shelford and Loyang. From January 2019, average unit sizes within said vicinities should be 100 sqm.

In their website, URA released the formulae for calculating the maximum allowable number of the dwelling units (DUs) in the concerned areas.

“The actual number of DUs that can be supported in any development will be assessed based on the site context, existing site conditions, and the impact on the local infrastructure,” the agency said.

URA noted that it will oversee the overall layout, design and unit sizes of the development proposals, and may even add other requirements ‘where necessary to protect the quality of the living environment’.

Moreover, URA urged developers to build a mix of unit sizes that could accommodate even larger families and facilitate multigenerational living.

“An example is a development where about 20% of the DUs have a nett internal area of at least 100 sqm, excluding voids, balconies, air-conditioner ledges and other external areas, and where units with a nett internal area of less than 50 sqm do not exceed about 20% of the proposed DUs,” the agency explained.

According to URA, said guidelines will also be implemented to the residential component of mixed-use developments.