Master Plan 2008 – “Where our future is. Great opportunities, good life”

OPENING ADDRESS BY MR MAH BOW TAN, MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE LAUNCH OF THE DRAFT MASTER PLAN 2008 EXHIBITION AT URA CENTRE ATRIUM ON 23 MAY 2008 AT 10.10 AM

Mr Alan Chan, Chairman URA
Mrs Cheong Koon Hean, CEO URA
Ladies and Gentleman,

Master Plan 2008 – “Where our future is. Great opportunities, good life”.

1. It gives me much pleasure this morning to open the Draft Master Plan 2008 exhibition.

2. We have seen significant transformation of our city over the past 10 years. Marina Bay is fast shaping up as a premier live-work-play destination, and new developments such as the Integrated Resorts will bring added economic vitality.

3. The next 10 years can be just as exciting, if not more. Despite the current economic uncertainties, I am optimistic that we can grow from strength to strength. The draft Master Plan 08 envisions Singapore in 2020 as a lively yet liveable global city – a city that is distinctive in its ability to offer a unique combination of economic opportunity, vibrant lifestyle and quality environment, for a cosmopolitan population.

4. The challenge for our planners is to make it possible for this vision to be realised given our limited land resources. With this in mind, we have developed the draft Master Plan 2008, which will guide our land use for the next 10 to 15 years, taking three key objectives into account. First, ensure that we have sufficient land to support economic growth. Second, provide quality housing and leisure options for our people. Third, enhance accessibility and reduce commuting by bringing jobs closer to home.

Building Capacity for Growth

5. Let me touch on the first thrust of supporting future growth by creating the needed physical capacity. While Marina Bay and the city centre will remain the key commercial district to meet the demand for space for financial, business services and tourism sectors, we will open up new commercial nodes outside the CBD. These new commercial nodes, each with its own unique characteristics and supported by amenities and infrastructure, will offer businesses a choice of attractive business locations.

6. We had announced earlier this year the plans to grow new areas in Beach Road and the Ophir-Rochor corridor. These areas, together with a rejuvenated Tanjong Pagar, will become strategic gateways to the city centre. Last month, I unveiled proposals to transform Jurong East into the Jurong Lake District, a lakeside destination for business and leisure serving the western part of Singapore.

7. Today, I would like to focus on two other growth areas in the Draft Master Plan 2008 – Paya Lebar Central and Kallang Riverside.

Paya Lebar Central – Commercial Node with Character

8. We plan to develop the area around Paya Lebar MRT station into a suburban commercial node called Paya Lebar Central. Nestled between Tampines and the city centre, it will complement the other existing fringe centres like Buona Vista and Novena, while differentiating itself with its unique local character.

9. Paya Lebar Central will be a very attractive location for businesses that do not need to be located within the city centre but still want to be close by. It is located close to the CBD, in fact, just a 10-minute drive away. It enjoys excellent connectivity, being connected to the PIE and ECP expressways. In the future, with the completion of the new Paya Lebar MRT interchange station in 2010 for the Circle and East-West lines, getting to Paya Lebar Central will become even more convenient.

10. With about 12 hectares of land in the area available for development, more than 500,000 sq m of commercial floor space, for office, retail and hotel uses, will be injected into Paya Lebar Central, to give it critical mass.

11. Paya Lebar Central will be a great place to work in. There will be ample landscaped public spaces within the area. With the completion of the Marina Barrage this year, water levels in Geylang River will stabilise. The River will be integrated with future developments here, creating attractive public spaces at the new commercial centre.The plan is to re-align a stretch of Geylang River so that it runs through new commercial developments along Tanjong Katong Road. A mix of office, retail and hotel developments will bring life to the riverbanks. And there will be life after work, when the day is done.

12. Paya Lebar Central will be distinctive in character. The area is currently well known for its distinctive local Malay character with its many shops, eating places and activities such as the popular Geylang Serai Market and the Hari Raya Bazaars that line Geylang Road every year during the Ramadan period. URA will initiate and encourage new developments that will enhance the area’s local character.

13. A new pedestrian mall will be created along Geylang Road to give more space for stalls during the popular annual Hari Raya bazaar. A plaza space in front of a new civic centre, about the same size as the open atrium space at HDB Hub, could also provide additional space for activities and stalls to further enhance the Hari Raya celebrations. Located next to the rebuilt Geylang Serai Market, the proposed civic centre and plaza space will allow grassroots and community organisations to organise activities and events throughout the year. The civic centre will house a Community Club, the Community Development Council office and possibly a community library.

14. In recognition of the rich Malay heritage of the area, URA will work closely with the relevant stakeholders and grassroots organisations to preserve this cultural element when developing the new civic building. There is also opportunity to incorporate a gallery in the civic building, showcasing the local heritage and history of the area.

Kallang Riverside – lifestyle precinct by the waterfront

15. Next, Kallang. Located at the edge of the city, Kallang is close to Orchard Road, the CBD and Marina Bay. It is part of the Greater Marina Bay District and will be home to the Sports Hub. The area is well connected by the KPE and two existing MRT stations. Getting there will be even easier with the completion of a new Marina Coastal Expressway and the future Circle Line MRT station at the Sports Hub.

16. This prime area will be renamed Kallang Riverside. It will be transformed into the next lifestyle destination on the edge of the city, with an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants set in historic buildings, beachfront promenades and new park spaces. About 4,000 new waterfront homes are planned for the area, offering more opportunities for Singaporeans to enjoy city living. These homes will have a range of storey heights that step down to the waterfront, enabling residents to enjoy views of the water. Waterfront homes here will also be encouraged to go “fenceless” to complement the lush park setting.

17. The existing Kallang Riverside Park at Kampong Bugis will be upgraded with beachside lagoons and facilities for new recreational activities like boating or canoeing. A new Central Green linear park will be developed, linking Lavender MRT to the waterfront. Land will be set aside for about 3,000 hotel rooms to capitalise on the tropical setting along the beachfront. An additional 400,000 sq m of commercial space for a mix of offices, retail and entertainment developments will inject more amenities and facilities into the area.

18. The former Kallang Airport, along with the office buildings, former hangar, as well as the lawn and other historical structures, will be conserved and adapted to new uses. All these will form part of a future development centred around the conserved lawn, offering a wide range of lifestyle, entertainment and retail facilities. Together with the Sports Hub, Kallang Riverside will be a significant sports and lifestyle cluster with a slice of history, supported by attractive beachfront hotels.

Enhancing our quality of life

19. Even as we plan for growth areas, we are clear that economic growth should not be at the expense of the quality of our living environment. The plans under the draft Master Plan are geared towards making Singapore an even better place to live in.

A home of choice

20. We will inject new housing options and rejuvenate public housing estates so that Singapore will continue to be a home of choice for our people. New towns are being developed in Punggol and Sengkang. Mature towns like Queenstown and Yishun will be rejuvenated. New housing choices will be available in familiar places like Bukit Merah, Bedok and Clementi. Other housing estates will be upgraded through HDB schemes such as the Home Improvement Programme and Neighbourhood Renewal Programme.

21. To make Singapore an endearing home, the Draft Master Plan 2008 will seek to retain places of identity and heritage. Particular emphasis will be placed on retaining familiar places and structures that residents identify with, such as markets within older HDB towns like Queenstown. Improvement works will be carried out to enhance areas identified in the 2003 Identity Plan like Upper Serangoon, Siglap Village, and Punggol Waterfront promenade.

An exciting playground

22. Singapore will not only be a great home but a fun place to live in. As I announced two days ago, the Draft Master Plan 2008 will include a new Leisure Plan that identifies a full range of new recreational options. Our aim is to make Singapore an exciting playground with recreational choices round-the-clock. The buzz in the city centre will be turned up a few notches with improvements to the range and quality of arts and urban entertainment as well as progressive infrastructural enhancements to liven the streetscape at Orchard Road, Bras Basah-Bugis, Singapore River and Marina Bay.

23. Those who love the great outdoors can look forward to new parks and more facilities and activities at the various waterbodies, and access them through a 150km round-island-route comprising park connectors, trails and promenades. New areas in Mandai, Kranji, and Lim Chu Kang will be developed as rustic retreats featuring lush greenery, waterways, and farmlands for Singaporeans within our highly urbanised city.

Enhancing Accessibility

24. The third and final thrust of the Draft Master Plan 08 is to enhance accessibility and reduce the need for commuting, by bringing jobs closer to home. You can see from the exhibition how the planned expansion of the public transportation network will support our growing population. The rail network will be expanded, with new rail lines such as the Downtown Line Stages 2 and 3, Thomson Line, Eastern Region Line, and the Tuas extension to the East-West Line. The road network will also be improved with the addition of two new expressways: the Marina Coastal Expressway and the North South Expressway.

25. Planners will consciously seek to bring jobs closer to home, and homes closer to jobs. Additional employment will be introduced in the North, Northeast and East Region. This includes as the North Coast Wafer Fab Park and Woodlands Regional Centre in the North, Seletar Aerospace Park, Sengkang West and land around Paya Lebar Airport in the Northeast, and Tampines Regional Centre and Changi Business Park in the East. This will bring new job opportunities to the growing population in these regions. Conversely, more housing will be introduced in the West, such as in Jurong Lake District, Hillview and Choa Chu Kang, as Jurong supports a robust industrial and business base with abundant job opportunities.

26. We have planned for the new growth areas outside the city – Jurong Lake District, Paya Lebar Central and Kallang Riverside – to be located around MRT stations so that workers can easily commute to work via public transport. With jobs, amenities and leisure options closer to home, the need to commute to the city centre is reduced and the burden on our transportation infrastructure is thus lightened.

Conclusion

27. The draft Master Plan 2008 sets out for all to see what we hope to achieve in the next 10 to 15 years. But, it will not be complete without your views. In preparing the draft Master Plan 2008, Singaporeans from all walks of life have been consulted through various feedback channels such as focus groups and dialogue sessions to canvas as wide a range of perspectives as possible. The draft plans exhibited today is a result of this effort. Today, I would like to invite the public to visit the exhibition to see for themselves the vision and plans in store for Singapore and to shape their future by giving us their views and ideas.

28. Together, we will strengthen Singapore’s position as a vibrant and distinctive global city with its own identity – a Singapore with great opportunities and a good life.

29. Thank you.

(Source: http://www.mnd.gov.sg/newsroom/Speeches/speeches_2008_M_23052008.htm)