URA unveils 7 elements of SG’s future urban environment

The elements will help optimise the use of Singapore’s limited land.

To optimise the use of Singapore’s limited land, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has launched its Long-Term Plan Review (LTPR) which centres on the seven elements of the county’s future urban environment namely Live, Work, Play, Move, Cherish, Steward and Sustain.

READ MORE: Is URA’s Long-Term Plan Review any different from past concept plans?

Live

Under the “Live” element,  URA has provided a variety of inclusive housing options that supports the changing demographics and lifestyle of Singaporeans.

This includes the creation of towns and estates with a good mix of public and private homes and housing concepts for the ageing population or “assisted living.”

“In addition to the Community Care Apartments, which were piloted at Bukit Batok and to be launched in Queenstown, we will be launching a tender to pilot a private model of assisted living at Parry Avenue in Kovan,” the URA said.

To better enhance the flexibility of spaces, URA said it also plans to explore more time-sharing of spaces for different uses, and ways to activate underused spaces for community uses.

Work

To provide more jobs closer to homes and sustain Singapore’s competitiveness, URA will be exploring concepts such as “vertical zoning” for Singapore’s industrial estates, and the establishment of Business-White Zones.

URA said it also plans to transform the Central Business District (CBD) will soon be transformed into  a “more mixed-use and vibrant precinct to support the evolving nature and modalities of work vis-à-vis more varied needs of modern lifestyles.”

Play 

Apart from jobs, URA also plans to bring recreation closer to homes by repurposing under-utilised open spaces such as rooftops of multi-storey car parks to community gardens. 

The agency will also leverage SG’s islandwide network of green spaces, water bodies and coastal areas to bring more nature-based recreation to residents. In particular, the URA will explore further unlocking the Southern Islands to become Lion City’s very own tropical island destination over the longer term. 

Move

A futuristic urban environment also calls for better mobility which is why URA will prioritise more road space for public buses and expand the cycling network moving forward.

The agency said it will also tap on technology and innovation to develop a sustainable and people-centric mobility network, and support an efficient urban logistics system. 

“We will pilot new ideas such as courier hubs to facilitate more efficient logistics operations and seek to leverage technology such as Autonomous Vehicles to transform the way we move,” the URA said. 

Cherish

Future homes are not URA’s only focus. The agency said it will also enhance Singapore's heritage sites.

To guide URA in its long-term efforts to protect, enhance and sensitively integrate built heritage into the urban environment, the agency also developed a Heritage and Identity Structure Plan.

Meanwhile, the agency also introduced the concept of Identity Corridors which are corridors with unique streetscapes, heritage and experiences that resonate with Singaporeans across generations.

So far there are five identified Identity Corridors namely Historic East, Thomson-Kallang Corridor, Inner Ring, Rail Corridor, and Southern Ridges and the Coast.

Steward

As a country that is pushing for sustainability, URA also plans to build more green and blue spaces in Singapore to transform it into a City in Nature.

For the transformation to take place, URA said it will adopt strategies such as a science-based approach towards the stewardship of green and blue spaces underpinned by the National Parks Board’s (NParks’) Ecological Profiling Exercise (EPE); integrating multi-functional green and blue spaces into the urban landscape, and tapping on these spaces for nature-based solutions to enhance traditional engineering solutions; reinforce Singapore’s climate resilience.

Sustain

As building green spaces alone would not be enough to create a sustainable future, URA has also explored ways to keep the environment clean and green.

Amongst those being explored by URA is the Creation of more underground caverns that could potentially be used to store goods or other materials that need large land area, or even house utilities and suitable industries as we move towards more automated processes.

“They could also be connected by an underground logistics system to move goods efficiently and reduce surface road traffic,” the URA said.

To protect the country's coastline, URA also plans to create a “Long Island” along the south-eastern coast from Marina East to Changi by integrating coastal protection measures with planned future reclamation.

“This could include creating a new reservoir to enhance our flood and water resilience. The ‘Long Island’ can be developed for new homes and integrated with coastal parks and recreational spaces,” the URA said.