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| Making
a global city of distinction |
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| URA plans
to make Downtown at Marina Bay a great
place to live, work and play! |
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If Sir Stamford Raffles
were still alive, he would surely be very proud
of how an obscure fishing village grew into a bustling
port and is now a successful city-state. But could
the founder of modern Singapore ever foresee how
our tiny island could become the invigorating metropolis
and cosmopolitan hub-city it is today?
While some countries choose to take their time to
evolve, Singapore showed a preference for accelerated
progress, especially after gaining independence
in 1965. In fact, we swiftly advanced from third
world to first within the last 40 years.
Credit must go to the Urban Redevelopment Authority
(URA), for ensuring that there is enough land allocated
for housing, business, industry, recreation, infrastructure,
water catchment and military needs — within
just 699 square kilometres — is a phenomenal
feat.
Looking ahead, URA has more ambitious plans in store:
It wants to excite and inspire Singaporeans about
their future living environment.
“This is an enormous challenge,” said
URA CEO Cheong Koon Hean. “It means offering
Singaporeans more choices in their living, working
and recreational environment. It also means we hold
out to Singaporeans, especially the next generation,
the hope of a better and higher quality of life
in the future.”
URA’s vision for the 21st century is found
in its Concept Plan 2001, which anticipates Singapore’s
needs in the next 40 to 50 years. It charts strategies
for high-rise city living, more leisure options,
enhanced flexibility for businesses, a global business
centre, an extensive rail network and more.
The broad, long-term vision of the Concept Plan
is translated into the detailed Master Plan, which
lays down specific guidelines for Singapore’s
development in the next 10 to 15 years. Critical
to this medium-term plan is the Identity Plan and
the Parks and Waterbodies Plan.
The former aims to enhance familiar places, yet
keep their distinctive charm so that people will
have a sense of belonging and rootedness. And with
the Parks and Waterbodies Plan, the public will
enjoy more parks and better access and connectivity
to areas of natural beauty. (Read about these two
plans in the following related stories.)
In the years to come, Singaporeans and overseas
visitors can look forward to more new developments.
For example, Downtown at Marina Bay will be a choice
destination for those who thrive in the city. The
bay will be transformed into a round-the-clock,
dynamic and cosmopolitan leisure and global business
hub that will also accommodate residential, retail,
entertainment, lifestyle and cultural uses.
Orchard Road, which will have a makeover, is also
looking to woo the crowds. Billions will be invested
to make it one of the world’s greatest shopping
streets.
And nearby Bras Basah and Bugis will form a vibrant
arts, culture, learning and entertainment district,
buzzing with student life and activities.
“To make Singapore a great city to live, work
and play” is the overarching mission of URA.
It may sound simple, but it requires foresight to
always ensure that the future needs of the public
are met. Confronted with diverse needs, URA will
have to continually seek balance in planning for
Singapore’s physical development, which is
not an easy task.
But having come such a long way, URA has gained
much wisdom and experience over the years. And these
are the vital qualities that can enable the architects
of 21st-century Singapore to make a truly distinctive
global city — one that every Singaporean would
be proud of.
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This
is the only place in Singapore
where you can get a stunning bird's
eye view of the whole of Singapore
and even locate exactly where
you live! You can also catch a
glimpse of what is in store in
the next 15 years and beyond.
Visit www.ura.gov.sg/gallery/
for more details. |
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Next: Getting
closer to nature |
