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SINGAPORE:
A DISTINCTIVE GLOBAL CITY
1 When Prime Minister Lee launched URA’s
Shaping Singapore exhibition last December, he talked
about developing the X factor for Singapore. Since then,
it has sparked lively discussion in the media and the
profession. What is this elusive element? Does Singapore
have it? If not, how can we achieve it?
2 Building up our X factor is integral
to our making Singapore a global city of distinction.
It is not just about becoming a more beautiful and vibrant
city. In this age of intense global competition, it
is also about attracting talent, tourists and investments.
The issue is not WHETHER we can make it. We HAVE to
make it, or we will become irrelevant. The issue is
HOW we are going to make it.
The
journey so far: where we are today
3 Making Singapore a global city is
not a new initiative. Neither is it a passing fad. It
is a process that began some 30 years ago, when we embarked
on comprehensive urban planning and redevelopment to
create a modern city-state. Singapore’s growth
and evolution as a city is testimony to the success
of this effort.
4 We have already achieved a certain
level of distinction. Our excellent physical infrastructure
and communication linkages, an educated population,
our cultural diversity and cosmopolitan society-- these
are attributes that put us in good stead to become a
global city. They have been painstakingly nurtured through
careful urban planning, sound policies, and time-tested
principles of openness, meritocracy and integrity. They
are the fruits of the labours of a hardworking and pragmatic
people.
5 Today, Singapore is a thriving metropolis.
The city centre flourishes with life and colour. Orchard
Road has earned a name for being a premier shopping
and entertainment belt, bustling with shoppers, events
and activities. Singapore River is lined with a variety
of entertainment and dining options housed in charming
shophouses, with our impressive skyline as backdrop.
The Civic District, historical seat of the government,
is home to conserved buildings and monuments, many of
which now house arts and cultural facilities. Soon,
the City Hall and Supreme Court will be converted to
a world-class art gallery showcasing Southeast Asian
works. Together with Esplanade – Theatres on the
Bay, they will put Singapore on the global arts map.
The journey continues: where we are heading
6 We have come a long way from the days
when Singapore was a crowded, colonial outpost. But,
the process of making a global city is a continuous
journey, and one that is especially challenging for
a small city-state like Singapore. Great cities of the
world like London, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, have been built
over centuries. History is not on our side. Neither
do we have the luxury of time to evolve slowly. We have
revitalised various parts of Singapore in double quick
time, for example, Singapore River, and Tanjong Rhu.
7 We need to do more. We cannot stand
still. We need to constantly build on our strengths
and create new ones to distinguish ourselves. Even established
world cities like New York and London are constantly
remaking and reinventing themselves. In this world where
competition is not regional but global, Singapore needs
to work doubly hard to do the same.
How
to get there – hardware development
8 The issue is “how”. The
way forward is to nurture both the hardware and software
in Singapore’s development. The Urban Redevelopment
Authority (URA), with other agencies, will continue
to develop key strategic areas in the city. One such
area is the Downtown at Marina Bay, which will be a
24/7, live-work-play city, a city in the gardens. Another
is the rejuvenation of Orchard Road, for which a package
of measures has been announced recently.
9 The Bras/Basah-Bugis area will be
see a vibrant and eclectic mix of arts, cultural and
community activities. Singaporeans can also look forward
to new recreational facilities such as the recently
completed tree-top walk at the Central Water Catchment
and the bridges at the Southern Ridges.
10
Another element of a distinctive city is innovative,
cutting-edge architecture and urban design. In recent
years, many cities around the world have looked to design
excellence to create a unique identity and branding
for themselves. The so-called Bilbao effect has been
well documented. There are the sceptics and cynics,
including among architects. But there is no doubt that
properly applied, it has been immensely successful and
beneficial to the community. Apart from the aesthetics,
innovative design generates a creative buzz and excitement
which in turn attracts investment, talents and tourists.
In the next stage of our physical development, we need
to pay more attention to architecture and urban design
excellence.
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Urban
design programme open for application today with new
website
11 I announced in Parliament last month
that URA will kickstart a $3-million Architecture +
Urban Design (A+UD) Promotion Programme this year. URA
will co-fund up to 50% of the total expenditure of urban
design promotion activities by the private sector. The
A+UD Promotion Programme is open for application from
today. I sincerely hope that design professionals in
Singapore will work with URA to foster an active design
culture among designers, promote local creative talent,
and educate the public on architecture and urban design
issues.
12 But architecture and urban design
excellence does not mean filling our city with iconic
and fanciful buildings alone. We should aim towards
having more landmark buildings in Singapore at key sites.
Singapore is our home. Like house-proud homeowners,
we want to beautify our homes with some outstanding
art pieces, well-landscaped gardens and special spaces
in different parts of the house.
13
However, we need to resist behaving like the typical
nouveau riche who, when they finally own their own dream
house, are eager to flaunt it. The last thing we want
to do is to emphasise ostentatious display and impractical
functionality in buildings. Architecture and urban design
excellence is about the pursuit of quality developments
and facilities that are not only aesthetically pleasing,
but also add value to the community and provide good
value for money in the long run. These include quality
buildings, a distinctive skyline, user-friendly and
comfortable public spaces, accessible and pleasant waterfronts,
parks and roadside greenery, excellent infrastructure,
and well-connected pedestrian networks. Each of these
developments, designed and built with flair and quality,
will cumulatively create a quality environment that
will distinguish Singapore from other cities.
Building
up ‘software’
14 Beyond “hard” amenities,
“soft” and intangible amenities such as
a cosmopolitan atmosphere, cultural diversity and “urban
buzz” are also indispensable in making a distinctive
city. Given our unique ethnic mix and geographical location
as a key Asia-Pacific hub, there is no doubt that we
are one of the most diverse and cosmopolitan cities
in the world.
15 But one factor that has always been
highlighted is the urban buzz. This may be another element
of the X factor that we need to nurture. We must capitalise
on our strengths, build on what we have. Over the years,
Singapore has become an increasingly exciting place.
Along Orchard Road, Clark and Boat Quay, there is no
lack of activities, life and diversity. Our cultural
diversity is nowhere more apparent than in the three
Historic Districts of Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little
India. Each area exudes its own charm and colour that
reflect the character and life of its ethnic group.
They will no doubt evolve over time on their own. Lately,
there is talk that Little India might become Singapore’s
SOHO as arts and theatre groups as well as individual
artists have been setting up their studios and galleries
there. The promenade at Marina Bay, when developed,
will be yet another “happening” place where
both Singaporeans and foreigners will congregate.
16
Our annual arts calendar has been gradually built up
over the years, with notable events like the Singapore
Arts Festival, Singapore International Film Festival
and Singapore River Buskers’ Festival. Other major
celebrations that draw throngs of Singaporeans and tourists
to the streets year after year include the Chingay parade
and National Day celebrations. There are also the local
street carnivals and festival celebrations of the different
ethnic groups, like Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and
Christmas, even the Hungry Ghost Festival with its “getais”
and noisy auctions. These mark the “seasons”
in our calendar.
17 To further enhance the buzz, we need
the support, response and investment from the private
sector as well as involvement of the general public.
The “buzz” in a city is often a reflection
of the passion, liveliness and character of the people.
People must want to come to the places and public spaces
in the city and participate in the life and activities
there. Developers and business operators must seek to
enable interaction and activities. Regulators must loosen
up and allow greater flexibility. Together, these will
generate activity and variety.
Capturing
social memory amid development
18 While we actively create our future
through planning, a distinctive global city is also
about capturing memory and retaining identity in our
physical environment. This is very much part of the
“software” that adds character and soul
to a city.
Besides developing new areas, URA will continue to preserve
local neighbourhoods, the nooks and crannies in our
cityscape that have evolved their own intrinsic character
over time.
19
After focusing on conserving Singapore’s pre-war
built heritage, URA has moved on to review the merits
of conserving significant post-war buildings. These
buildings are the works of our pioneering batches of
local architects, capturing the spirit of our young
nation. They stand out today as important landmarks
to many Singaporeans.
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Nurturing
creativity through pro-business processes and policies
20 But building a global city is not
just about great visions and plans, buildings, and events.
It is also about the policies and processes through
which we realise our visions, and make great buildings
and places happen. As society evolves and competition
heightens, our traditional way of doing things –with
orderliness, regulation and incremental changes - needs
to be modified in some circumstances. For the next lap,
we should move with greater boldness to allow more experimentation
and nurture greater creativity.
21 The formation of the inter-agency
Orchard Road Development Commission (ORDEC) is an example
of Government’s willingness to allow greater experimentation.
The ORDEC is set up to enable innovative projects that
will contribute to a distinctive Orchard Road. Deserving
projects will get development incentives, and be allowed
to deviate from current planning parameters. We have
also relaxed guidelines and provided incentives for
façade and party-wall developments in Orchard
Road. I am glad to note that such incentives are beginning
to take effect, with some redevelopments already announced.
22 We have introduced more innovative
methods to sell land. In the sale of the Business Financial
Centre site, the government moved away from the standard
approach of offering sites of limited sizes. Instead,
it offered a large site for the development of a state-of-the-art
financial centre by a master developer. To provide him
with flexibility to build the development in phases
and to manage his risks, we introduced the use of options
on land purchase.
23 Another experiment is the sale of
land through new approaches such as the two-envelope
system, and the Request-for-Proposals approach. The
government has been selling sites in the Government
Land Sales programme through an open tender system,
where the site is awarded to the highest bidder. This
process is suitable for most sites for conventional
uses. However, this approach may not be suitable for
sites where the `right concept’ is paramount to
create wider economic benefit and achieve specific planning
objectives.
24
Underlying these new approaches is the concept of using
land as a source of value and wealth creation. With
the right concepts, development of land can be used
to create wider economic benefits for Singapore and
enhance the overall value and potential for an area.
Continuing
the journey together
25 Measures to develop our hardware
and software are being put in place. The environment
is set, and the buttons pushed, for Singapore to move
into the next stage of growth. We need the participation
of public and private partners to make things happen.
I urge the private sector to capitalise on these opportunities,
push boundaries and exercise their creativity.
26 Our journey towards our aspiration
to be a global city began soon after independence 40
years ago. It is still work-in-progress, Singapore has
now arrived at this critical juncture in our urban development
where we need to ask ourselves where we are heading,
how we can get there, and what is stopping us from getting
there. If things are not moving, we have to ask ourselves
why.
27 Are our building rules and guidelines
too stringent that they hinder creativity? URA has tested
its guidelines against 100 well-designed buildings around
the world and come to the conclusion that they can all
be supported here. So why have they not happened in
Singapore?
Are there other factors which constrain developers and
architects’ efforts to achieve more quality developments?
How can we overcome these? These challenges call for
consolidated effort and creative solutions.
28 It is for this purpose that the URA
has organised this public forum today. The building
of this city requires many creative minds and willing
hands. Through open discussion and sharing, we can together
to come up with ideas to enable Singapore achieve the
goal of becoming a distinctive city.
29 Most certainly, the government cannot do this alone.
I call upon our partners in the private sector –
building owners, engineers, developers, architects –
to be bold and creative, to lend their support and join
us in our efforts. I also encourage the general public
to play their part by demanding good design, actively
organising activities and participating in the life
of our vibrant city. Together, over time, we can push
Singapore to the next level, to make Singapore a truly
global city of distinction - exciting, dynamic, and
vibrant.
30 I wish URA success in their corporate
planning, and look forward to a fruitful discussion
at the seminar. Thank you.
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