How adaptable and resilient is the Master Plan 2019 set forth by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)? Indesignlive.sg investigates.
June 21st, 2021
In the Master Plan 2019, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) laid out broad strategies to rejuvenate the city centre, including plans to develop key gateways and growth centres across the island, to redistribute travel demand and bring jobs closer to homes. While it continues to pursue these strategies and plan for a liveable city, the URA is also studying the impact of the pandemic on our urban development plans, to see if adjustments and fine-tuning of specific plans are required. The question at hand: how adaptable and resilient is the Master Plan 2019?
In response to queries from Indesignlive.sg, the URA shared that like many other cities, it is studying possible changes in activity patterns across various sectors due to COVID-19.
One key change is the widespread uptake of flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting, which has affected commuting, retail consumption and lifestyle patterns. “With more people working from home, there is potential for us to strengthen the convenience and accessibility of amenities within our neighbourhoods. The development of our gateways will help spread out demand and bring jobs even closer to our homes. It also sharpens the need for the CBD to have more mixed uses with more live-in population,” says Chief Planner and Deputy Chief Executive Officer Hwang Yu Ning.
To this end, the CBD Incentive Scheme in the Master Plan 2019 which aims to transform the CBD into more vibrant mixed-use neighbourhoods instead of being a mono-use office-centric district, seems poised to accommodate such changing trends. The URA has received several proposals since the introduction of these schemes and are continuing to engage and work with developers who are interested to create multi-experiential places for the city centre.
The Master Plan 2019 focuses on planning for more inclusive, sustainable and green neighbourhoods with community spaces and amenities becoming even more pertinent given the current emphasis on health and wellness. Already in the pipeline is the development of another 1,000ha of parks and park connector networks. The goal is for over 90 per cent of households to be within a 10-minute walk of a park in future.
When the pandemic hit, major convention venues, disused apartments and school buildings were repurposed as temporary care facilities for recovering COVID-19 patients and foreign workers. Hwang highlights a key lesson, “This pandemic has shown us the importance of providing for buffers in our urban fabric to enable rapid responses to crises, such as the flexibility to convert existing buildings or rapidly scale up or down capacity in critical infrastructure such as healthcare. Long-term planning and thinking through possible issues ahead help us to anticipate and respond to changing needs. Our plans cannot be static and need to be continuously reviewed.”
Certainly, more considerations and questions may come up along the way – how would public amenities need to evolve and would the staging of certain existing plans need to be re-prioritised. For now, the current master plan seems to provide a firm foundation from which adjustments can be made.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
‘The Elevation of Gravity’ installation was an immersive showcase of innovation that heralded the debut of Gaggenau’s groundbreaking Essential Induction cooktop.
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
From housing affordability to questions of density, multi-residential design and the future of cities, here are eight varied stories from our archives.
Dallas Rogers, Head of Urban Discipline at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Sydney, comments on the history of map-making in our cities.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Gray Puksand’s construction-focused facility at TAFE NSW responds to the critical need for a resilient Australian construction industry.
Salone del Mobile 2024 is only a few weeks away, so we’re highlighting here seven special events, spaces and installations that we’re certainly planning to check out.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.