Placemaking efforts in Singapore have gained momentum over the last few decades, evolving from the coordination of placemaking efforts at Marina Bay in the early 2000s, to a more sustainable stakeholder-led placemaking model that exists in multiple districts today. Here’s a look at our placemaking milestones through the years.
View a summary of the timeline here (JPG, 4.1MB).
Place management was brought to focus with the planning and development of Marina Bay, one of Singapore’s most exciting and ambitious urban transformation projects. Given the importance of Marina Bay, the government formally appointed URA in 2004 as the agency to champion and coordinate development efforts for the new precinct.
URA set up the Marina Bay Development Agency (MBDA) that same year to drive place management efforts in Marina Bay and achieve the vision of the area as a distinctive business and financial hub, a delightful home in the city and a dynamic playground brimming with round-the-clock energy and vibrant activities for people from all walks of life.
URA lined up a series of events in 2010 to mark the completion of key developments in Marina Bay and introduce the precinct as a new destination for all to explore, exchange and be entertained. Themed “Marina Bay Invitations 2010”, the exciting programmes featured two signature events, the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown and i Light Marina Bay (today known as i Light Singapore).
To better reflect its wider functions in implementing place management across precincts, the MBDA was renamed the Place Management Department (PMD) in 2011.
A business consultancy plan was also commissioned for Singapore River to guide its development in a structured and sustainable manner. This served to enhance business viability and social vibrancy of the area. Singapore River One (SRO), a private sector-led entity, was formally incorporated in 2012 with the mission of making Singapore River more vibrant and attractive to visitors.
2013 saw the formation of the Kampong Gelam Work Group consisting of key stakeholders in Kampong Glam, to discuss issues relating to the precinct. In 2014, the One Kampong Gelam (OKG) association was officially formed to enable businesses there to work more closely together, assist members in liaising with the respective agencies, and inject more vibrancy into Kampong Glam.
As part of the Draft Master Plan 2013, URA announced the launch of PubliCity, an initiative that aims to involve the community in enlivening public spaces through good design and programmes. It was later renamed “Our Favourite Place” and continued to support community-led activations of public spaces.
To showcase the possibilities of activating spaces normally reserved for cars, the first regular road closure was organised at Club Street in 2013. Following its success in bringing vibrancy to precincts, other regular road closures were also piloted at places such as Kampong Glam and Singapore River. These have generated positive outcomes such as additional footfall and bringing the community together.
In 2014, URA participated in PARK(ing) Day, a worldwide event where community members transform parking spots into vibrant public spaces (also known as “PARKs”). The Singapore edition saw a total of 52 participating PARKs that year.
In 2015, “Streets for People” was launched to support community-initiated projects which transform our streets into meaningful public spaces, such as through street closures. The following year, URA launched the inaugural Car-Free Sunday SG with other government agencies and with support from a host of community and interest groups to promote a car-lite vision and to enliven the streets.
The pilot Business Improvement District (BID) programme was launched in September 2017 to encourage stakeholders to take greater ownership in enlivening their precincts, by adopting a formalised place management framework through legislation. By 2018, nine new precincts had expressed their interest to become pilot BIDs, representing a good mix of precincts of different characteristics, from historic and civic districts to mixed-use precincts within and outside the city centre.
In 2019, the Tanjong Pagar pilot Business Improvement District (BID) was formed, the first out of the nine new precincts participating in the pilot BID programme to take off. Known as Discover Tanjong Pagar, the group has been working closely with government agencies to create an attractive destination and connect people and businesses.
That same year, URA and HDB’s public spaces programmes were consolidated into the Lively Places Programme, a one-stop application portal for anyone with good ideas to enliven public spaces across Singapore.
2020 saw the formation of the Marina Bay, Marina Central and Raffles Place pilot BIDs.
The role of placemaking in Singapore has become even more significant with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reinforced the importance of communities working closely together to actively shape our neighbourhoods and city. During this period, pilot BIDs undertook initiatives such as the introduction of new precinct vouchers and tie-ups with food & beverage outlets and delivery service providers to help businesses stay viable, while the launch of public space projects such as tree planting and safe distancing "hearts" at the Discover Tanjong Pagar Community Green allowed the community to enjoy the outdoors while being safely distanced.
As the world continues to adapt and evolve in light of the pandemic, it is crucial to remember the importance of communities and stakeholders collaborating to shape delightful destinations that can drive meaningful social interaction and economic resilience.