Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at the Launch of "My City, My Home" Exhibition
Nov 3, 2023
Introduction
1. Good morning, I am delighted to be here for the launch of the exhibition entitled ‘My City, My Home’.
2. The exhibition showcases conceptual plans for some of the upcoming neighbourhoods within the Central Region, as part of the ongoing review of our Master Plan.
a. Over the course of the Long-Term Plan Review (LTPR) which concluded last year, we had reached out to over 15,000 people and featured our long-term strategies and plans for the next 50 years and beyond.
b. These strategies will be translated into detailed land use plans in the Draft Master Plan 2025 (DMP2025), as we seek to develop safe, walkable and future-ready towns, bring a variety of jobs closer to our homes, and redevelop brownfield sites.
c. At the same time, we are exploring ways to strengthen ecological connectivity between our core biodiversity areas, and enhance our heritage and identity in our land use plans.
d. Today’s exhibition will showcase how we are “Shaping a Happy, Healthy City”, starting off with our plans for several districts in the Central Region of Singapore.
3. As a small city-state without a large hinterland, we need to plan, optimise and carefully consider how we can meet the needs of both the current as well as future generations of Singaporeans.
a. By planning for the long-term, it allows us to better steward our very limited land, and pave the way for Singapore to continue to thrive for many generations.
b. We put up our land-use plans for public exhibition at each major planning milestone, to actively encourage members of the public to step forward, view the exhibition, and provide feedback and share their ideas with us.
c. The exhibition, ‘My City, My Home’ that is launched today is one such example of this. I encourage you to participate in the various exhibitions and engagements across Singapore, leading up to the DMP2025 exhibition.
Impetus for Housing in Central Locations
4. Let me talk a little bit about the impetus for putting housing in central locations in Singapore. To meet the needs of Singaporeans, we are planning to launch a variety of homes and amenities in more central parts of Singapore.
a. During our conversations with Singaporeans under the Long-Term Plan Review and Forward Singapore, Singaporeans from all walks of life have shared with us their views on what they think is needed to strengthen the social compact for the next bound of our nation building.
5. There are growing aspirations among Singaporeans. Many want to to live closer to their workplaces in the city and be nearer to amenities, such as transport nodes. Or they want to stay closer to their parents – some of their families may live in central parts of Singapore.
a. We also need to ensure that Singaporeans from different walks of life have the opportunity to stay in these central locations – we want to have a good social mix that reflects our diverse society.
b. Singaporeans have also told us that they want to see more greenery and heritage protected throughout our island.
c. At the same time, as our city develops, we will have fewer large tracts of undeveloped land to build new towns and estates.
d. We will therefore have to redevelop and rejuvenate existing developed areas, many of which are in central locations, to provide new housing opportunities.
6. Given these diverse aspirations and our limited land, we need to take a careful approach when making choices for our land use, in order to meet a variety of needs, including housing.
7. We will be adopting several key strategies when developing these new residential neighbourhoods.
a. First, we will introduce a variety of housing types, both private as well as public, catering to households of different sizes, budgets and needs. We will build public spaces and amenities so that residents will be able to mix with one another and participate actively in the community.
b. Second, these neighbourhoods will have pedestrian-friendly streets and cycling connections which promote active lifestyles, by providing residents with additional ways to get to work and for recreation.
c. Third, each neighbourhood will have unique identities, capitalising on the nature and heritage there.
8. Developing these new neighbourhoods and launching more HDB flats in central locations, including with our generous market discounts and grants, will require Government to spend more.
a. This is in line with our commitment to keep areas in Singapore diverse and inclusive, and public housing affordable and accessible for Singaporeans.
b. In preparation for this, we will be introducing the new HDB framework of Standard flats, Plus flats, and Prime flats, from the second half of next year, where the Plus and Prime flats with additional subsidies on top of the Standard market discount will be accompanied by tighter restrictions on resale and rental.
c. This way, we can keep homeownership affordable, maintain a good social mix across different parts of Singapore, and keep the system of allocating subsidies and support fair in these attractive and central locations.
Plans for Pearl’s Hill and Bukit Timah Turf City
9. Today’s exhibition will feature our plans for upcoming residential neighbourhoods, including those at Pearl’s Hill as well as Bukit Timah Turf City. I will use these two areas to illustrate how we will be adopting the three strategies that I had set out earlier.
10. Let’s start with Bukit Timah Turf City. Bukit Timah Turf City was Singapore’s second racecourse from 1933 to 1999 until the Turf Club was relocated to Kranji. It is a place that holds memories for some Singaporeans, when it was used first as racecourse, and later after we adapted it for lifestyle and recreational uses.
a. In view of its rich history, URA has called for a heritage study and will incorporate its recommendations into the Master Plan to retain the unique identity of the area. For example, significant heritage elements will be sensitively integrated with future developments, and some heritage buildings will be adapted for new uses.
b. URA also commissioned an environmental study to understand the existing flora, fauna, hydrology and topography of the area, given the greenery on the site. While the study is still ongoing, we are exploring the retention of selected green areas at Eng Neo Woods and Bukit Tinggi and creating a network of green landscapes. This will ensure continued ecological connectivity which will help to protect biodiversity, while also creating parks and green spaces for Singaporeans to enjoy.
11. We are studying the possibility of introducing good quality housing, through a good mix of both public and private housing at Bukit Timah Turf City. More details will be released after these studies have concluded.
a. Zoned ‘Residential’ since Master Plan 1998, Bukit Timah Turf City is currently served by the existing Sixth Avenue MRT station, and accessibility will be further improved with the upcoming Turf City MRT station on the Cross-Island Line.
b. There will of course be other additional amenities, public transport options and road improvements, as we aim to develop the area as a car-lite and pedestrian-friendly area.
c. Future residents, as well as those living nearby, will be able to benefit from these transport infrastructure and connectivity to the city, and around the island, as well as the additional amenities built there.
12. Let me move on to Pearl’s Hill. Pearl’s Hill is another area rich in history, which we will develop sensitively in the coming years.
a. To meet diverse housing needs, there will be a variety of public and private housing options within the neighbourhood. This will be the first time in 40 years that we are introducing HDB flats in the Pearl’s Hill area, affirming our commitment to make our neighbourhoods more inclusive and homes accessible to more people.
b. Beyond the typical residential units for homebuyers, short-term housing options such as rental flats will also be provided, to cater to families with different needs.
c. Integrated with Outram Park MRT station, a new mixed-use development in the pipeline will offer future residents access to a variety of amenities.
d. As part of the Police Heritage Trail, the conserved former police barracks at Pearl’s Hill offers opportunities for adaptive reuse, such as lifestyle offerings and a more open, accessible community space at the forecourt of the Lower Barracks.
13. Residents and visitors can also look forward to an improved Pearl’s Hill City Park, with new facilities and contemplative landscapes that support the physical and mental well-being of park users.
a. Pearl’s Hill will be a car-lite district, well-served by public transport connectivity such as the Outram Park and Chinatown MRT stations, that will provide residents with convenient access to surrounding destinations such as Chinatown, Robertson Quay and a Hill-to-Hill connection to Fort Canning Park. Connectivity enhancements will also be introduced to facilitate access and appreciation of the area’s heritage.
b. Nestled against the lush backdrop of the City Park, Pearl’s Hill is planned as an estate with a lush, mixed-use neighbourhood offering hillside living in the city.
c. Developments at Pearl’s Hill will be guided to adopt stepped building heights, sky terraces and rooftop gardens that will offer residents and visitors opportunities to enjoy views to and from the hill.
Draft Master Plan 2025 Conversations
14. Our plans for these new residential neighbourhoods will be exhibited until February next year. This is one of many exhibitions that have been planned, as we engage Singaporeans on our proposals under the Draft Master Plan 2025. The Long-Term Plan Review is on broad conceptual strategies, how we live, work, play, conserve, protect, prepare for climate change in the long term, and they’re distilled into a detailed Master Plan for the different parts of Singapore. There will be a big exhibition for the Draft Master Plan, but also smaller, more intimate, and focussed ones like the one today.
15. I encourage everyone to visit the various exhibitions across our island and actively participate in the Draft Master Plan 2025 engagements, so that we can better understand your interests and aspirations, as we plan to make our island a more liveable, inclusive and endearing home.
Conclusion
16. On that note, I hope that the exhibition of these new residential neighbourhoods will excite you on what’s to come for the Central Region, and look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas.
17. Thank you.