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CNA
a day ago
- Business
- CNA
Commentary: As Singapore builds up, can it hold on to its memories?
SINGAPORE: When the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) launched its draft master plan last month, most of the conversation focused on how many new homes would be built – at least 80,000 in more than 10 new neighbourhoods over the next 10 to 15 years. It's not surprising. In land-scarce Singapore, housing is one of the most talked about and debated topics. But tucked away in the 47-point media release and stack of annexes was a concept for several so-called 'identity corridors' that were first introduced in URA's Long-Term Plan Review in 2022. What are identity corridors? And how can they help foster Singapore's national and urban identity? CITIES REPRESENT SOCIAL IDENTITY In their 2013 book The Spirit of Cities: Why the Identity of a City Matters in a Global Age, political scientists Daniel A Bell and Avner de-Shalit argue that every city expresses a set of distinctive values or ethos. In that book, Singapore is strongly associated with the ethos of nation-building. This too, is hardly surprising. Singapore's position as a thriving and liveable global city today is very much an outcome of our nation-building efforts. The outcome of these efforts is clear. The IMD World Competitiveness Index 2025 ranks us as the second most competitive economy in the world. But this progress comes with big changes. As Singapore's economy grew rapidly, so too did the changes in its urban landscape. The kampungs that dotted our island made way for high-rise public housing with cleaner and more modern living conditions. The old National Library building, much-beloved by students and readers of that era, gave way for the Fort Canning Tunnel. In some instances, brand new spaces were created to cater to our socio-economic needs. For instance, the Marina Bay district was developed as an extension of the Central Business District (CBD), which had become increasingly crowded as global banks and corporations flocked to Singapore during its rapid growth as a financial hub through the 1990s and 2000s. This is not unique to Singapore. In many cities, rapid economic development can result in equally rapid changes in the urban landscape. These can have implications for a city's social fabric. For instance, Google's entry into Zurich has given rise to extensive gentrification and a spike in housing costs and consequent public unhappiness and protests. Protesters blamed large banks and companies for driving up housing costs and accessibility. In land-constrained cities, heritage sites and buildings can be particularly vulnerable in the face of rapid economic and urban transformation. A 2024 report by the World Monuments Fund identified rapid urbanisation and overtourism as top threats to heritage conservation. At the same time, cities cannot survive without economic growth. The first cities of the world had emerged due to the confluence of economic and human activity within their boundaries. Cities today continue to thrive as key nodes in global trade and finance. Even as Singapore continues to grow as a major economic and financial hub, it will need to preserve aspects of the city that reflect citizens' memories, identity and aspirations. PRESERVING SINGAPORE'S ZEITGEIST In response to a question that was posed to me during the launch of the 2025 draft master plan, I had mentioned that '(w)e want to plan for our future climate needs, our socio-economic needs; but at the same time, we want to preserve some of the spaces that sort of define the zeitgeist of Singapore'. Like Bell and de-Shalit, I too feel that Singapore's identity is very much defined by our nation-building efforts. It is therefore important that we conserve some of the spaces that have played key roles in our nation-building story. The NatSteel building that was recently proposed for conservation is a good example of this. However, Singapore's national identity is much more than our nation-building journey, important as that may be. It comprises a rich tapestry of cultural practices and lived experiences that have accreted over multiple generations. This is where the URA's identity corridors will play an important role in conserving and even enhancing the identity and heritage that already exist in many of our iconic spaces and neighbourhoods. For instance, the Historic East corridor includes culturally rich and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods such as Geylang Serai, Joo Chiat and Katong. By linking up these neigbourhoods, the Historic East identity corridor provides a more cohesive and integrated experience of these neighbourhoods' heritage and identity. This can in turn generate greater interactions between visitors and residents and interest in the traditional crafts and food that continue to be found in these neighbourhoods. Think you know all about Katong-Joo Chiat? There's so much more to discover! From old-school charm to modern experiences, go on an exciting adventure with Toufiq, our urban designer, and local heritage business owner Michael as they reveal the best-kept secrets of the Historic East Corridor. Have ideas to shape the future of our Identity Corridors? Sign up for our visioning workshops at: #DMP2025 #SpaceForOurDreams #IdentityCorridors #Katong #JooChiat #ExploreSG Posted by Urban Redevelopment Authority on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 Cities are much more than just buildings and infrastructure. They are living repositories of the shared memories, stories and traditions of the people who live in them. The two need not be mutually exclusive. Through sensitive urban planning, our built environment can be planned and designed to highlight and enhance our rich cultural heritage and foster a sense of belonging among residents. Even as Singapore continues to experience rapid economic and urban transformation, there remains a need to preserve and grow the Singaporean spirit or zeitgeist. This means ensuring a lived environment that both protects and expands on our rich cultural identity. Dr Woo Jun Jie is Senior Lecturer at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. He researches global cities in Asia, with a strong focus on urban governance, policy design and economic development. He is the author of several books on the emergence and development of global financial hubs in Asia.
Focus Malaysia
3 days ago
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
PSM, Muda keep distance from Muhyiddin's opposition Bloc as PAS cites busy schedules
MUDA and the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) have denied joining Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's proposed united opposition bloc, potentially undermining the former Prime Minister's latest effort to bolster his position within PN. Meanwhile, PAS explained that its leaders were occupied with other commitments, giving the impression that an opposition leader's major effort to rally parties was not a priority for them. PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man explained that party leaders could not attend the meeting due to prior commitments in Kedah following Thursday's 'Himpunan Mandat Negarawan' rally. Muda stated it is open to cooperating with any party sharing its principles while PSM clarified it did not assent to joining PN. 'If we talk about differences, every party present has significant differences. But I think there are a few fundamental issues that we are all concerned about. 'These include the rising cost of living affecting the people, the increasing abuse of power, and the reform promises that remain unfulfilled,' Muda's Acting President, Amira Aisya Abd Aziz said in a statement on Saturday. Nevertheless, she stressed that the opposition must remain strong and principled to hold the government accountable. Muda currently has political understandings with PSM and a cooperation agreement under URA with Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang). PSM deputy chairman S. Arutchelvan said his party attended the meeting as part of its policy to engage with any political group but has not decided to join PN or any new coalition. Any coalition decision must be approved by PSM's Congress. On Friday, Muhyiddin held a meeting with 11 opposition party leaders to discuss the proposal to form a cross-party alliance. Muhyiddin, who is also President of Bersatu, said the discussion aimed to gather views and preliminary agreement on establishing a political coalition involving various opposition parties to strengthen the voice of checks and balances both inside and outside Parliament. —July 20, 2025 Main image: The Diplomat
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Tampines regional centre set to get more homes, offices and public amenities
Based on the draft masterplan, at least two residential plots and four commercial plots could be developed in Tampines regional centre. SINGAPORE – More homes, offices and public amenities are set to be built in the heart of Tampines, latest plans from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) show. Plans showcased at the URA's Draft Master Plan 2025 exhibition state that the added developments will 'future-proof Tampines Regional Centre for new live-work-play trends', such as by bringing offices and leisure facilities closer to homes. These are part of a decentralisation strategy that Singapore has pursued since 1991 that brings jobs out of the city centre and into residential towns. A URA spokesperson told The Straits Times on July 18 that the plans build on previous efforts to rejuvenate the regional centre and optimise land use, such as the development of Our Tampines Hub, which opened in stages from November 2016 and has amenities such as a library, sports facilities and a hawker centre under one roof. Based on the draft masterplan, at least two residential plots and four commercial plots could be developed in Tampines regional centre, which was established in 1992 and is about 37.5ha in size. Of these, three commercial plots are within an area that the authorities have identified for potential mixed-used developments, including a site that is about 5.4ha in size that currently houses the Tampines Bus Interchange, a Housing Board commercial block and a Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board building. Tampines MP Masagos Zulkifli had said in February that agencies were studying plans for a new integrated transport hub in the town centre , and the URA spokesperson said this could involve linking the Tampines stations on the Downtown and East-West MRT lines with the bus interchange. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Other integrated transport hubs – or developments with integrated bus interchanges that are linked to MRT stations – include Hillion Mall in Bukit Panjang and Bedok Mall. URA's Master Plan sets out the permissible land use and floor area of developments, and the latest draft was unveiled on June 25 and is expected to come into force later in 2025. There are also plans to reduce car usage within the Tampines town centre by making it more pedestrian-friendly. To this end, a 50m stretch of Tampines Central 5, between Tampines Mall and the East-West Line's Tampines station, will soon be pedestrianised. An artist's impression of the pedestrianised stretch of Tampines Central 5. PHOTO: LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY The Land Transport Authority had said in March that works could begin later in 2025. Other improvements outlined by the URA include 'green pedestrian streets' and 'community streets' that will cut across the town centre, allowing users to get to its various amenities on foot. A new centrally located public space will also be introduced, said URA. Plans show that this will be sited in front of the CPF building, in an area currently occupied by the bus interchange. Improvements outlined by the URA include streets that will cut across the town centre, allowing users to get to its various amenities on foot. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI The agency's spokesperson said agencies are currently consulting stakeholders and residents to shape plans, and details including the development timeline will be finalised only after ideas and feedback are reviewed. Analysts told The Straits Times that each housing plot in the regional centre that was identified in the draft masterplan could yield more than 300 units, if used for private homes. One plot is about 0.9ha in size and has been assigned a gross plot ratio of 3.0, and is located next to a plot earmarked for a healthcare facility. The other is about 1.1ha in size and has a plot ratio of 2.5. It previously housed an office building that was demolished within the last two years after its 15-year lease ended. Mr Alan Cheong, executive director of research and consultancy at Savills Singapore, said using the land for private housing will unlock the most value, given the premium that buyers would fork out to be close to the area's two MRT stations and surrounding amenities. Ms Tricia Song, head of research for South-east Asia at CBRE, added that given the relatively high concentration of public flats and executive condominiums in Tampines, there is scope to build private condominiums on these plots in the town centre. Analysts told The Straits Times that each housing plot in the regional centre that was identified in the draft masterplan could yield more than 300 units, if used for private homes. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI On the plans for more commercial spaces, both said that there is no immediate need to develop them, with other areas such as Bishan receiving more attention at URA's exhibition, and given the lacklustre response to Jurong Lake District's master developer tender in 2024 . Mr Cheong noted that office rents for Tampines are lower than in other regional centres – Jurong East and Woodlands – owing to the age of buildings and the lack of demand for the area. Ms Song added that continued investment in infrastructure, amenities, and business ecosystems will help to increase the appeal of regional centres such as Tampines, and added that the offices in the town – where rents could be up to half that of prime Central Business District buildings – could attract small and medium-sized enterprises and cost-conscious tenants. He noted that the 5.4ha plot and the 2.6ha plot – both earmarked for mixed-use developments with a plot ratio of 4.2 – are large enough to accommodate more than just commercial developments. Including housing on these plots will draw higher bids than keeping them purely for commercial uses, he said.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's URA may review compensation cuts for residents affected by redevelopment
Hong Kong's cash-strapped Urban Renewal Authority (URA) may review its policy to reduce compensation to residents affected by redevelopments, its new chief has said, as the organisation faces rising financial challenges. URA managing director Donald Choi Wun-hing said on Friday in his first meeting with the media that it was an appropriate time to review the current compensation package. Residential flat owners receive the cash equivalent of the market price of a comparable seven-year-old flat in the same district under the current arrangement. 'We have room to discuss and review the compensation arrangement,' Choi said, adding that there should be flexibility for adjustments. He cited offering cross-district resettlement with new land granted by the government in Tseung Kwan O as one of the examples. The government last month made a rare move of granting the URA two land parcels in Hung Hom and Tseung Kwan O to provide extra financial help for its projects, under the conditions that the authority had to undertake urban redevelopment in a financially sustainable manner, 'irrespective of market ups and downs'.
Business Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
New private home sales more than double year on year in H1 2025 to 4,634 units
[SINGAPORE] Developers in Singapore sold around 4,634 private homes in the first six months of 2025 – more than double the 1,889 units moved in the same period last year. The half-year tally is also 37 per cent higher than the 3,383 units sold in H1 2023, and nearly 10 per cent more than 4,222 units sold in H1 2022. Figures from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Tuesday (Jul 15) showed that the strong showing came despite a 12.8 per cent month-on-month decline in the number of units sold in June amid the school holiday lull. Monthly sales were also muted in May, with just 312 new private homes sold, as new launches in the second quarter of 2025 were few and far between. Analysts said sales are expected to pick up in the coming months as a wave of new projects hit the market. ERA chief executive officer Marcus Chu pointed out that, in Q3 alone, an estimated 4,154 new units will be launched for sale across Singapore. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up The prime Core Central Region (CCR), in particular, will see four new launches, including the 301-unit Upperhouse at Orchard Boulevard and the 348-unit The Robertson Opus. Both are slated to be marketed this weekend. Some of these new launches will be in prime areas that have had limited new supply in the past couple of years, said Knight Frank research head Leonard Tay. CapitaLand's 343-unit LyndenWoods condominium – the first residential project in the Singapore Science Park – launched over the weekend, with a take-up rate of over 94 per cent at an average price of S$2,450 per square feet (psf). This shows that buyers were not concerned about the increase in holding period for seller's stamp duty, as strong household balance sheets continue to support investments in long-term assets, said Huttons Asia senior director of data analytics Lee Sze Teck. Wong Siew Ying, PropNex head of research and content, said LyndenWoods' strong performance 'could help to generate some buzz in the new home sales market over the next few weeks as more launches come up'. She added that the slower growth in private home prices – up 0.5 per cent in Q2, according to URA flash estimates – as well as a more benign interest rate environment and better economy could lift buying sentiment further. Lee said developers also appear to be more confident in the market, going by participation and bids for state land tenders in recent months. Last week, a private housing site in Chuan Grove drew seven bids, with the top bid of S$703.6 million or S$1,376 psf from a Sing Holdings-Sunway Developments joint venture. 'The competition for buyers among upcoming launches and the need to sell out before the (five-year) additional buyer's stamp duty deadline will create an urgency to launch as soon as possible,' Lee pointed out. 'Developers are competing for the first mover to launch and sell ahead.' In June alone, developers sold 272 private homes as 187 new units came to market. Just two projects were launched for sale in the month – the freehold Amber House with 105 units in the Amber Park area, and the 107-unit freehold Arina East Residences in Tanjong Rhu. Wong noted that the median unit price of new non-landed homes rose across the board, with the Rest of Central Region (RCR) seeing the biggest jump of 3.1 per cent month on month to S$2,732 psf. The price increase was just 0.5 per cent to S$3,270 psf in the CCR, and 1.1 per cent to S$2,274 psf in the suburban Outside Central Region (OCR). The price gap between the CCR and RCR also narrowed to 19.7 per cent in June – the tightest it has been in the last few years, said Wong. Realion Group chief research and strategist Christine Sun pointed to continued interest in ultra-luxury condominiums, with four units sold for over S$10 million apiece – more than the three such transactions in May. The priciest non-landed transaction was a 5,285 sq ft unit on the 55th floor of the 99-year leasehold Skywater Residences, at S$30.9 million or S$5,841 psf on Jun 19. Another 11 new condos were sold for between S$5 million and S$10 million in June, higher than the eight units moved in May, Sun noted. These were units at the 99-year leasehold Irwell Hill Residences and Canninghill Piers, both in River Valley; the 99-year leasehold Union Square Residences along Havelock Road; and the freehold Watten House in Bukit Timah. 'Some of these buyers are turning to real estate as a form of value preservation, especially during periods of broader economic and market uncertainty,' said SRI head of research and data analytics Mohan Sandrasegeran. 'Well-located homes in Singapore are viewed not only as luxury residences, but also as stable financial assets that offer long-term capital security.'
