How do we free up more land for living and community activities? Can more underground space be unlocked? URA’s latest exhibition, “Underground: Singapore’s Next Frontier”, unveils innovative ideas for the planning and development of underground space, while also showcasing key milestones in Singapore’s underground journey.

Launched by Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance Mr Lawrence Wong on 30 May 2018, the exhibition highlights key underground projects that have made innovative use of technology, examining how Singapore can learn from best practices in other cities for underground development. The exhibition aims to generate more discussions between government, industry, and other stakeholders on using underground space, thus helping to spark ideas on new ways to apply technology to future developments.

Minister Lawrence Wong given an overview of how the Rectangular Tunnel Boring Machine was used for the construction of the underpasses at the Havelock and Stevens Thomson-East Coast Line stations. The machine allowed construction at a shallower depth with minimal road disruptions.

Members of the public who visited the exhibition were offered free guided tours conducted by the URA volunteers. The tours provided the community with a deeper understanding and appreciation of URA’s role in shaping Singapore, as well as how innovations in planning contribute to shaping a more liveable and distinctive city for our future generations.

Cities around the world face an increasing need for land as they grow. The pressure to expand a city’s space is especially acute for a city-state like Singapore, which has to provide for the needs of both a city and a country.

Industry partners, collaborators, and visitors explore different sections of the exhibition.

Singapore has been using different methods to expand our land area and to free up more space, including co-locating developments, reclamation, and using underground space. Going underground makes better use of land and space, improving the quality of our environment by freeing up surface land for more liveable uses such as housing, parks, and community activities.

“Underground: Singapore’s Next Frontier” is organised by URA in collaboration with agencies and industry partners. It is the latest in the Urban Lab series of exhibitions, which aims to bring research out of the labs and into the community.

  

URA Volunteers conducting guided tours of the exhibition.

Visit https://ura.sg/underground for more information on unlocking the potential of underground space and stay informed of other URA initiatives at https://ura.sg/subscribe.