News Releases

23 May 2008

URA launches Draft Master Plan 2008
where my future is: Great opportunities, good life

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announces the launch of the Draft Master Plan 2008 that focuses on sustaining economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for Singapore.

Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development unveiled the Draft Master Plan 2008 today at The URA Centre, attended by more than 200 developers, architects, industry players, community leaders and URA staff.

The Draft Master Plan 2008 is a detailed statutory land use plan that guides the physical development of Singapore over the medium term in the next 10 to 15 years.

Four key thrusts of Draft Master Plan 2008

The Draft Master Plan 2008 has four key thrusts, aiming to enhance Singapore as a home of choice, magnet for business, offering an exciting playground and continuing to focus on identity, creating Singapore as a home to cherish.

A home of choice

The Draft Master Plan 2008 aims to continue to enhance Singapore as a liveable city. There will be more quality living environments, with a wide choice of housing locations and types.

New towns like Punggol and Sengkang will be further developed to build up their critical mass, together with supporting facilities. There will be new housing choices for those who want to live in familiar places like Queenstown, Bukit Merah, Bedok, Clementi and Yishun. More city-living choices will be offered in the new mixed-use lifestyle precinct at Kallang Riverside.

A magnet for business

To strengthen Singapore as a distinctive global business hub, the Draft Master Plan 2008 will offer a choice of attractive business locations, supported by amenities and infrastructure to meet the different needs of business.

Marina Bay and the city centre will continue to be the key commercial centre in Singapore to meet demand for space for financial, business services and tourism sectors. Within the city centre, new growth areas in Tanjong Pagar, and the Beach Road / Ophir-Rochor corridor will be developed as strategic gateways to the city centre.

Commercial hubs will also be developed outside the city centre to offer attractive alternatives for businesses and provide jobs closer to homes as part of a decentralisation strategy adopted in the 1991 Concept Plan that started with the development of Tampines regional centre. Today, Tampines regional centre is a vibrant office, retail and entertainment cluster.

The Draft Master Plan 2008 will focus on building up three other commercial and mixed-use hubs at Jurong Lake District, Kallang Riverside and Paya Lebar Central.

Refer to Annex 1 for details of the Kallang Riverside plans and Annex 2 for Paya Lebar Central plans.

An exciting playground

To further enhance Singapore as a vibrant and exciting playground, a new island-wide Leisure Plan has been developed under the Draft Master Plan 2008. The leisure plan showcases a diverse range of leisure opportunities round-the-clock, island-wide, for people of all ages.

A place to cherish

The Draft Master Plan 2008 also recognises that identity and heritage are important elements that make Singapore home.

Through URA’s conservation efforts, more than 6,800 buildings have been conserved and 55 monuments protected island-wide to date.

In the Master Plan 2003, distinctive areas such as Balestier, Thomson Village and Jalan Leban were identified and recognised as part of the Identity Plan. Since the Master Plan 2003, URA has continued to bring plans to reality, with enhancement works carried out through the Environmental Improvement Projects for Upper Serangoon, Siglap Village, Woodlands waterfront and Punggol promenade.

Plans for five regions

The Draft Master Plan 2008 exhibits plans for five regions - North, North-East, East, West and Central.

Each of the region’s distinctive strengths and opportunities are capitalised on in drawing up plans to make each region more attractive. They will offer live, work, and play developments and opportunities for the next 10 to 15 years.

Refer to Annex 3 for the highlights of each region.

Exhibition details

The Draft Master Plan 2008 exhibition is now on at The URA Centre, ground floor atrium, 45 Maxwell Road from 23 May 2008 to 20 June 2008.

Opening hours are: Monday to Friday - 9.00am to 7.00pm; Saturday: 9.00am to 5.00pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays. Admission is free. Key highlights of the Draft Master Plan 2008 are also available on http://www.ura.gov.sg/DMP2008

The public can provide their feedback on the Draft Master Plan 2008 by filling up the feedback form available at the exhibition or online via the URA website. Objections or representations to the proposals, with supporting reasons, will have to be made in writing to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of National Development, Maxwell Road, Singapore 069110 on or before 20 June 2008.

About the Master Plan

Given Singapore’s limited land and growing needs, comprehensive, forward-looking and integrated planning through the Concept and Master Plans has been critical in planning for Singapore’s sustainability.

A 2006 mid-term review of the Concept Plan, Singapore’s long-term, strategic plan for the next 40 to 50 years, concluded that there is sufficient land to cater to Singapore’s future needs while maintaining a good quality living environment. The broad strategies from this review have then been translated into the Draft Master Plan 2008 which will continue to focus on sustaining economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for Singapore.

The Master Plan is the statutory land use plan that URA develops to guide Singapore’s development over the next 10 to 15 years. It is reviewed every five years. It details the land uses and development intensities for land parcels in Singapore. The last review was in 2003.

Through the Master Plan, sufficient land is safeguarded to meet land use needs over the next 10 to 15 years. This includes all land uses such as residential, industry, parks and supporting amenities. The actual pace at which development will take place will depend on market demand.

Refer to Annex 4 for a flow chart showing the overall planning process.

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