Picnic tables, painted pianos, 3-D play sets and yarn installations – these are some of the pop-up installations set to welcome the public to the June edition of Car-Free Sunday SG on 26 June. Brought in by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and community groups, the installations will be placed at various public spaces within the Civic District as a dedicated showcase of URA’s Our Favourite Place initiatives.
Members of the public can look forward to the very first breakfast concert at Empress Lawn organised by the National Arts Council (NAC), as well as a strong line-up of exhibitions and performances at the museums and cultural institutions around the Civic District.
Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong will flag off the event at 8.00am on 26 June. Roads will continue to be closed from 7.30am.
Held every last Sunday of the month from February to July 2016, Car-Free Sunday SG is an initiative in which roads within the Civic District and parts of the Central Business District (CBD) are closed to traffic, transforming the area into a walkable, cyclist-friendly, and activity-filled precinct for families and friends.
Our Favourite Place initiatives Besides the showcase of Our Favourite Place initiatives, this edition of Car-Free Sunday SG will also see two new initiatives supported under Our Favourite Place programme take place at the Civic District.
#SgEatWithUs, a local movement to promote togetherness through sharing home-cooked dishes with the community, will hold a public picnic at picnic tables set up at Empress Lawn. Car-Free Sunday SG participants are welcomed to try the dishes and interact with the home chefs.
The other programme is a yarnbomb initiative by a local knit artist, Ms Kelly Lim. She will dress four large pebble structures in front of National Gallery Singapore with bright-coloured yarn, injecting a dash of colourful vibrancy to the grand dame of Civic District. In conjunction with Car-Free Sunday SG, she will also dress up a bicycle in colourful yarn, providing photo opportunities for participants.
Please refer to Annex A [PDF, 419kb] for more information about Our Favourite Place programme and the full list of pop-up installations at the fifth edition of Car-Free Sunday SG.
#OurFavePlaceSG
Arts @ Civic District – Breakfast Concert at the Lawn For the first time, NAC will be holding a breakfast concert at Empress Lawn, featuring live music performances and a pop-up breakfast bar. Music and food lovers can enjoy a special concert by the Philharmonic Winds and Community Drumming Network, participate in a dance workout with live music, and indulge in delicious café bites from the breakfast bar. Visitors can also participate in a wide range of art activities, from silkscreen printing their own tote bags, to postcard painting and knitting on a giant loom.
Other new activities Other new activities include the “Kids Imagination Playground” for children to build their own playground, “Connaught Drive Playstreet: Under the Rain Trees” where participants can learn about rain trees through games, as well as baseball try-outs. The galleries and theatres around the Civic District will also feature a variety of exhibitions and performances.
Please refer to Annex B [PDF, 440kb] for the full list of activities at the fifth edition of Car-Free Sunday SG.
St Andrew’s Road, Stamford Road and Esplanade Drive (the loop within the Civic District) will be closed to traffic from 7.30am to 12noon, and Shenton Way, Robinson Road and Fullerton Road (the loop within the CBD) will have lanes closed from 7.30am to 10.00am. Together, these will form a 5km-long car-free route for the public to enjoy and engage in activities. Connaught Drive will be closed from 7.30am to 7.00pm to host a variety of community sporting events and activities. See table below for details of road closures and Annex C [PDF, 143kb] for the road closure map.
Members of the public are encouraged to take public transport or cycle to the event venue. They can refer to ura.sg/carfreetocity for information on the cycling routes and public transport options to the venue. Participants can bring their own bicycles or rent one on site from one of Car-Free Sunday SG’s partner bicycle rental companies. Rentals can be made on the day (subject to availability) or booked prior to the event via http://ura.sg/carfreesundaysg and collected on site.
Personal mobility devices, including motorised ones, such as hoverboards, are allowed at Car-Free Sunday SG. To ensure a pleasant experience for all, participants are reminded to be considerate towards other users while using the shared spaces.
Visit http://ura.sg/carfreesundaysg and the Facebook page http://bit.ly/carfreesundayjune to find out more about the event.
#CarFreeSundaySG Presented by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Land Transport Authority (LTA), National Parks Board (NParks), National Arts Council (NAC), Health Promotion Board (HPB) and Sport Singapore (SportSG), Car-Free Sunday SG will take place on every last Sunday of the month for six months from February to July 2016.