Latest news with #DraftMasterPlan
Straits Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
i Light Singapore 2025 launched on May 29
National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat (second from left) invited the public to view the Draft Master Plan 2025 exhibition when it launches on June 25. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI New city blueprint to be launched at URA Draft Master Plan exhibition on June 25 SINGAPORE – Singapore will have a new blueprint to guide the city's development over the coming years when the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) launches its Draft Master Plan on June 25. Announcing the launch date at an event on May 29, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said visitors to the exhibition of the masterplan will see 'how we are planning for a liveable, inclusive and endearing home. A home that all of us can be proud of'. Mr Chee was speaking at the opening of the art festival i Light Singapore, which is in its 11th edition and features 17 light installations in Marina Bay, Raffles Place, the Singapore River and South Beach. The URA Master Plan – one of two major development blueprints by Singapore's planning authority – is a statutory document that guides Singapore's development for the next 10 to 15 years and is reviewed once every five years. It translates broader strategies from the other development blueprint – the Long-Term Plan – into detailed plans that guide how land and properties are used. The Long-Term Plan, which guides plans for the next 50 years and beyond, is reviewed once every decade, with the last edition unveiled at an exhibition in 2022. Public consultations for the upcoming masterplan began in October 2023, and conversations have been shaped around four themes: Shaping A Happy Healthy City, Enabling Sustainable Growth, Strengthening Urban Resilience and Stewarding Our Nature And Heritage . Current developments are guided by the URA Master Plan 2019, which came into force in November that year after it was exhibited for a few months. The Guardians by Matthew Aberline and The Beautiful and Useful Studio (Australia), located at Raffles Place Park. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR Highlights from the 2019 masterplan include the Rail Corridor, Punggol Digital District and the Greater Southern Waterfront. Some of these projects are still in development. Speaking at Marina Bay, Mr Chee said the transformation of the bay area is a testament to Singapore's long-term planning and meticulous implementation. He noted that plans for the bay were developed in the 1970s, when pioneer leaders and planners saw the need to expand Singapore's city centre to support the country's growth as a global business and financial hub. Reclamation of 360ha of land to form the bay took place between the 1970s and 1990s, with landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay's Bay South Garden built entirely on reclaimed land later. The area's transformation 'is the story of the foresight of those who came before us, who dared to dream and who have laid the foundations for a better Singapore', Mr Chee said. He said the bay is part of Singapore's skyline, which is recognised globally, and that the area is 'a people's bay', with community spaces for all to enjoy. Initiatives such as i Light Singapore gather people from all walks of life and help to bring these community spaces to life, said Mr Chee, who added that the festival celebrates aspirations for a sustainable, shared future. He cited the Bridge Of 1,000 Dreams, an installation that features a thousand illuminated bamboo sticks on Cavenagh Bridge, each of which was decorated by a child and reflects 'the dreams and visions of Singaporeans'. Mr Chee interacting with guests at the launch of i Light Singapore 2025, with the art installation Bridge Of 1,000 Dreams in the background. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI The work is by Studio Toer, a multidisciplinary design studio from The Netherlands, and features Singapore motifs created by local design studio Binary Style. Mr Castor Bours, Studio Toer's co-founder, said having children work on the bamboo sticks 'may be the most important part of the installation'. He added: 'At the end, the sticks are put on a beautiful bridge, but the whole process of helping people think about what they want for their city, what they want for their future in a creative way – that's what makes this installation different from others.' He said having public art installations in the city helps break the monotony of daily life. 'People have their rituals, they walk to work and return from their workplace, and somehow, with an installation, this breaks the ritual a bit,' Mr Bours said. 'They take a few seconds or maybe minutes to get off that rhythm, and be inspired again by their own city. It's a way to be distracted from reality.' Ng Keng Gene is a correspondent at The Straits Times, reporting on issues relating to land use, urban planning and heritage. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
AsiaOne
15-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Turf City grandstands and Singapore Badminton Hall among 5 sites to be conserved, Singapore News
Two grandstands at Turf City and the Singapore Badminton Hall along Guillemard Road have been proposed for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). They are among the "significant buildings" at five sites being put forth for conservation as part of the authority's Draft Master Plan 2025, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee on Wednesday (May 14). The three other sites are the former Royal Malayan Navy administrative block in Woodlands North, Jurong Hill Tower and a cluster of six blocks in the Dakota Crescent estate. In a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday, Lee said these buildings and sites help to tell the story of Singapore's progress in the past 60 years. "Each one means something to someone. So, one important way of anchoring our sense of place and identity as Singaporeans is to conserve buildings and sites that reflect our common history and experiences," he said. "Beyond conserving the physical structures, we can continue to recall digital documentation, physical markers and walking trails." All 5 sites hold historical significance The South and North Grandstands of the former Turf City were built in 1933 and 1981. Turf City was Singapore's second racecourse from 1933 to 1999, and became a recreational and commercial hub after the Singapore Turf Club relocated to Kranji in 1999. Singapore Badminton Hall was designed by pioneer architect Ng Keng Siang and completed in June 1952. It was used as a vote-counting venue in the 1962 referendum to merge Singapore, Brunei, Sarawak, Sabah and the Federation of Malay States to form Malaysia. Jurong Hill Tower, which was built in 1969 by JTC Corporation as a lookout point, aimed to provide residents and workers with recreational spaces and access to nature, at a time when the nation was undergoing rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. Completed in 1953, the former Royal Malayan Navy (RMN) administrative block holds 70 years of naval history, spanning Singapore's colonial era to post-independence, with ties to the Commonwealth as well as both Singapore and Malaysia. The RMN base reflected the urgent need for Malaya to build up its own defences in the post-World War Two era. Dakota Crescent is one of Singapore's oldest public housing estates. It was built by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) in 1958 to address overcrowding in the city centre and provide affordable homes to improve living standards of residents. In 2017, then National Development Minister Lawrence Wong announced that while Dakota Crescent would be redeveloped for public housing, six blocks, now slated for conservation, would be retained for civic and community uses. URA Draft Master Plan a 'key SG60 programme' URA has conserved over 7,200 buildings and structures in more than 100 areas since Singapore's urban conservation programme was launched 36 years ago. "The sites and buildings reflect significant aspects of our nation's development and collectively, the story of Singapore's transformation as an independent nation and underscores our strong, continued commitment to conservation," it said in a media release on Wednesday. The URA's Master Plan guides Singapore's development for the next 10 to 15 years, and is reviewed once every five years. According to the authority, the Draft Master Plan 2025 is a key SG60 programme. It translates land use strategies developed alongside Singaporeans and stakeholders into detailed 10 to 15-year plans. URA also said that it will present its conservation proposals at the upcoming Draft Master Plan 2025 exhibition in June, adding that further plans for Singapore's built heritage will be announced at the same time. "Beyond retaining the physical form of our built heritage, URA and partner agencies will continue to work together with stakeholders on other ways to recall significant heritage that contributes to our collective history and culture," said the authority. [[nid:699610]]
