Partnering the community to shape a city that citizens love also defined our work in the year. From enlivening public spaces, conserving built heritage to promoting planning and architectural excellence, we aim to cultivate stronger community stewardship in building a distinctive city that is rich in identity, which every Singaporean has a stake in and feels proud of.
Empowering citizens to take ownership in shaping spaces and places is a key ingredient in building a great city. Last year, we facilitated several initiatives which saw citizens and stakeholders step forward to enliven streets, public places and entire precincts.
On PARK(ing) Day, community groups transformed more than 100 car park lots into 69 interactive public PARKs. The Streets for People programme had 14 community-led initiatives last year that turned roads into car-free spaces buzzing with activities. The latest Re:Bench project saw talented young designers fabricate 14 new benches from the wooden planks of the former National Stadium, which were installed at Marina Bay, Singapore Sports Hub and The URA Centre. In the inaugural URA-REDAS SPARK Challenge, the public submitted innovative prototypes that enhance public health and wellness in our urban environment. The second run of the challenge was also launched with more participating malls offering spaces for new ideas to connect people in the city.
The creatively-designed benches not only serve as rest areas, but spice up public spaces
"Peace and Power", the winner of the first URA-REDAS SPARK Challenge, invites the public to recharge their minds, bodies and mobile devices
[WATCH]: Parking lots around Bugis and Kampong Glam were transformed into fun public spaces for PARK(ing) Day 2018, while “Peace and Power”, winner of the inaugural URA-REDAS SPARK Challenge, provided an innovative solution to improving health and wellness in shopping malls
2018 concluded on a high with the inaugural Celebrate in the City, which hosted a festive line-up of events and dazzling light projections around the iconic Bay. The signature Marina Bay Singapore Countdown ushered in the new year, while i Light Singapore – Bicentennial Edition, attracted an unprecedented turnout. The special edition enlivened the Marina Bay waterfront, the Civic District and Singapore River, with sustainable light art installations, round-the-clock entertainment and spirited performances by our volunteers from Republic Polytechnic.
Breathtaking fireworks from the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown lit up the precinct
Revellers from all walks of life ushered in the new year
i Light Singapore – Bicentennial Edition, radiated the nightscape and took visitors through a journey of light, space and time
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Nine new precincts were selected for the pilot Business Improvement District (BID) programme, to drive greater stakeholder-led place management. With more local stakeholders taking on an active role, the public can look forward to more vibrant and attractive precincts, with exciting programmes and activities for all visitors.
Kampong Glam is one of nine distinctive precincts participating in the pilot BID programme
With support from building owners and the community, we conserved 32 shophouses at Jalan Besar, the Parish of Christ Church at Dorset Road and the former Bukit Timah Fire Station and Station Master’s Quarters at the Rail Corridor. While some have been adapted for modern uses and others remain home to long-established communities, these historical landmarks forge a sense of belonging and contribute to a well-loved cityscape.
The newly conserved Art Deco-style shophouses add to the rich character and history of the Jalan Besar area
Deep history, unique architecture and strong community bonds characterise the Parish of Christ Church building
The site of the former Bukit Timah Fire Station will become a gateway node for the surrounding nature and heritage attractions
[WATCH]: Exploring the Jalan Besar Conservation Area and the newly-conserved Parish of Christ Church
We conferred the 24th Architectural Heritage Awards, which includes a new award category, on four heritage buildings that demonstrated highest standards in sensitive restoration and innovative design. Together with stakeholders, we organised the month-long Architectural Heritage Season – culminating in the inaugural Kampong Glam Day Out – to drive greater community involvement in appreciating and shaping Singapore’s rich heritage landscape. We also formed the Heritage and Identity Partnership to strengthen engagement efforts to protect, sustain and promote built heritage.
Housed in a block of meticulously refurbished pre-war Singapore Improvement Trust flats, boutique hotel The Great Madras clinched last year’s Award for Restoration – © Studio Periphery, courtesy of FARM Architects
Members of the Heritage and Identity Partnership contribute ideas to strengthen Singapore’s heritage and identity
[WATCH]: The Asian Civilisations Museum was the inaugural winner of the Architectural Heritage Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts
From professionals and students to members of the public, we reached out widely to promote the importance of good urban planning and architecture in building liveable cities. Through new platforms and URA’s Volunteer Programme, we also facilitated sharing of best practices among the industry, and drove greater interest and participation in city planning among Singaporeans and visitors.
Our passionate volunteers stepped up efforts to grow awareness in our work. They led regular tours of the Singapore City Gallery and heritage trails, and took on the role of guides at the Draft Master Plan exhibition, helping Singaporeans to better understand our city’s needs and future plans, and inspiring more to come on board to collectively shape our city. As part of outreach efforts to nurture interest in planning among youths, the third Urban Planning Festival saw students from more than 35 schools contributing ideas to make our city better, through a series of experiential learning journeys.
URA volunteers took Singaporeans through our city’s upcoming development plans at the Draft Master Plan exhibition
Student participants showcase their projects from the Challenge for the Urban & Built Environment Workshop and Competition
[WATCH]: The many ways our volunteers have got involved in making Singapore a great city to live, work and play in
The World Cities Summit 2018 saw leaders from over 128 cities come together to discuss urban challenges, forge partnerships for innovative solutions and to celebrate sustainable cities. A highlight was the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Laureate 2018, conferred to Seoul, South Korea. Together with DesignSingapore Council, we also recognised nine Designs of the Year and two Designers of the Year at the President’s Design Award – Singapore’s highest accolade for transformative design that positively impacts lives and our urban environment. In addition, we jointly commissioned the Singapore Pavilion at the International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, to honour innovative designs that create meaningful and delightful spaces.
The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize was conferred to Seoul for its transformation into an inclusive, socially stable and highly innovative city
Oasia Hotel Downtown was one of the recipients of the President’s Design Award
At the La Biennale di Venezia, Singapore showcased how it has creatively found ways to create delightful spaces despite limited land
We opened the revamped Singapore City Gallery with more interactive and immersive exhibits that take visitors through a discovery of Singapore’s journey in urban planning, with a call to action to get more involved in shaping our city. We also launched AUDE Space, a dedicated exhibition area for local architectural firms to showcase their works and share design ideas that improve the built environment.
The revamped Singapore City Gallery helps visitors understand Singapore’s urban planning story and approach in a more experiential manner
AUDE Space showcases a variety of works that have contributed to the design of our environment