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Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
Circulars

Guidelines For Landscape Replacement Areas Within New Developments in (Part) Downtown Core, (Part) Straits View, (Part) Kallang and (Part) Jurong East Planning Areas

Tags

Development Control

Urban Planning and Design

29 April 2009

This circular is superseded by LUSH 2.0: Landscape Replacement Policy for Strategic Areas (URA/PB/2014/12-CUDG) and Landscape Replacement Requirements for Non-Landed Private Residential and Commercial/Mixed-use/Hotel Development outside Identified Strategic Areas (URA/PB/2014/13-DCG) dated 12 June 2014.

Circular No : URA/PB/2009/09-CUDG

Our Ref : DC/ADMIN/CIRCULAR/PB_09

Fax : 6220 3201

CIRCULAR TO PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES

Who Should Know:
Architects, landscape architects, developers, building owners and property managers.

Effective Date:
With effect from 1 December 2009

Objectives of Guidelines

  1. As part of URA’s ‘LUSH’ (Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High Rises) programme to provide everyone with a green and lush living and working environment, URA is pleased to release a set of guidelines on the provision of Landscape Replacement Areas

  2. As more and more of our land is taken up by buildings, we need to ensure the greenery lost on the ground is replaced vertically. This will enable people to continue to access communal spaces well landscaped with greenery even as our environment becomes more built up. The Landscape Replacement Areas guidelines will guide developments to provide greenery and landscape areas, either on the 1st storey or upper levels, within their developments. These landscape areas in total should at least be equivalent in size to the development site area.

  3. The Landscape Replacement Areas guidelines are set out to achieve the following objectives:

    • Enhance the quality of life in our urban areas by providing spaces of relief and greenery closer to users;

    • Create a distinctive image of the city in the tropical climate through extensive greenery at the ground and sky-rise levels, and;

    • Bring about environmental benefits such as mitigating the urban island heat effect and improving the air quality through the plants’ transpiration and dust particles filtration.

Detailed Guidelines

  1. All new developments as well as redevelopment projects in the Downtown Core (part), Straits View (part) Kallang (part) and Jurong East (part) Planning Areas (see Appendix 1 below) are required to provide Landscape Replacement Areas which in total is at least equivalent in size to the development site area.

  2. The Landscape Replacement Areas are to be provided on the 1st storey or upper levels of the development and can be covered and be exempted from GFA computation, subject to compliance with the prevailing guidelines for Planter Boxes, Sky Terraces and Communal Landscaped Areas on the 1st Storey. Developers and building owners are advised that the landscape design should be incorporated early in the design stage to ensure that the structural, spatial and functional requirements for permanent planting in these spaces are considered upfront.

  3. As a guide, at least 40% of the overall required Landscape Replacement Areas should be for permanent planting, planned with sufficient soil depth to accommodate the proposed types of plants. A combination of trees, palms, shrubs and ground cover is encouraged to make the landscaping more attractive. Please refer to Appendix 2 below for the detailed guidelines.

 Implementation

  1. The guidelines on Landscape Replacement Areas will take effect from 1 December 2009 and will apply to all new development applications for new erection and redevelopment received on or after the effective date. The guidelines will not apply to formal Development Applications (excluding Outline Applications) with a valid PP issued prior to the effective date.

Submission Requirements

  1. Development Applications for new erections or redevelopment within the areas shown in Appendix 1 below are required to include a landscape proposal and declaration on the Landscape Replacement Areas provided. The Landscape Replacement Areas shall be implemented according to the approved plans and verified and endorsed by URA. URA’s Clearance of the completed Landscape Replacement Areas is required before the Commissioner of Building Control issues the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP), or Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC) (when TOP is not required). See Appendix 3 below for details of submission requirements and process for seeking Provisional/Written Permission and the Clearance for completed works under the Landscape Replacement Areas Guidelines.

  2. I would appreciate it if you could convey the contents of this Circular to the relevant members of your organisation. If you or your members have any queries concerning this Circular, please contact Ms Lim You Ling at 6329 3268 (email: LIM_You_Ling@ura.gov.sg). For your information, the past Circulars to the professional institutes are available from our website http://www.ura.gov.sg.

Thank You.

FUN SIEW LENG (MS)
GROUP DIRECTOR (URBAN PLANNING & DESIGN)
for CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Appendix 1

LOCATIONS WHERE LANDSCAPE REPLACEMENT AREAS ARE REQUIRED WITHIN NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Fig A - Location Plan for Downtown Core, Straits View and Kallang Planning Areas

Fig A - Location Plan for Downtown Core, Straits View and Kallang Planning Areas

Fig B - Location Plan for Jurong East Planning Area

Fig B - Location Plan for Jurong East Planning Area

Appendix 2

Table 1

PARAMETERS

DETAILS

1

Definition

Landscape Replacement Areas are landscape areas provided on the 1st storey or upper levels of the development and in total minimally equivalent in size to the development site area (see Fig. A).

2

Computation Requirements

The computation of the Landscape Replacement Areas will be determined by the horizontal surface area of the landscape areas.

To be computed as part of the Landscape Replacement Areas within developments, these landscape areas have to be:

  1. Uncovered and exposed to the sky;

    OR

  2. If covered, to be open sided, naturally ventilated and qualify for GFA exemption under the prevailing development control guidelines for Planter Boxes, Sky Terraces and Communal Landscaped Areas on the 1st Storey;

    AND

  3. Communal and accessible by the public or occupants of the building.

As a guide, at least 40% of the overall required Landscape Replacement Areas should be for permanent planting, ie. softscape.

3

Performance Requirements

The Landscape Replacement Areas are also to meet the following performance requirements:

  1. To be designed to be safe (e.g. to take into consideration wind / structural loading issues associated with upper storey landscape areas) and easily maintained (e.g. with irrigation and maintenance systems); and,

  2. To be well designed, lushly landscaped and integrated with the overall form and architectural treatment of the building.

4

Softscape Requirements

The following are requirements for the 40% softscape areas:

  1. As a guide, a minimum soil depth of 1000mm is required for trees and palms, 500mm for shrubs and climbers and 300mm for ground covers;

  2. The softscape area will be determined by the horizontal area of the permanent planting bed;

  3. A combination of trees, palms, shrubs, ground covers and creepers is highly encouraged; and,

  4. Potted plants will not be counted as part of the softscape area as they can be easily removed.

5

Planting References

Please refer to the following publications by NParks or PUB for more detailed planting references:

  1. Handbook on Skyrise Greening in Singapore (2002), NParks;

  2. A Selection of Plants for Green Roofs in Singapore 2nd Edition (2008), NParks;

  3. Trees of our Garden City, 2nd edition (2009), NParks; and,

  4. ABC Waters Design Guidelines, PUB.

6

Hardscape Areas

The remaining Landscape Replacement Areas can be designed as hardscape areas, including:

  1. Footpaths;

  2. Seating;

  3. BBQ pits;

  4. Events plazas;

  5. Water features;

  6. Playgrounds;

  7. Recreational facilities e.g. tennis courts and swimming pools; and

  8. Vehicular drop-offs and drive-ways, provided they are well designed, paved with appropriate material and integrated with lush landscaping comprising trees and shrubs.

Service facilities such as vehicular ramps and surface car parks will not be computed as part of the required Landscape Replacement Areas.

7

Exemption

The building footprints of conserved buildings are exempted from the computation of the development site area required for Landscape Replacement Areas.

URA will exercise flexibility on the requirements for Landscape Replacement Areas when evaluating developments with technical constraints, e.g. height constraints, on a case by case basis.

8

Maintenance

Building owners are to retain the required Landscape Replacement Areas, which will form part of the common property for strata subdivided developments

9

Alterations to the required Landscape Replacement Areas

No formal submission is required for changes to the planting species subject to compliance with the softscape requirements.

Any changes to the softscape areas (e.g. planting and structure of the planting beds) and hardscape areas resulting in an overall reduction in area for the required Landscape Replacement Areas will require URA’s approval.

Fig. A. Diagram showing the various types of Landscape Replacement Areas that could be incorporated within a development

Fig. A. Diagram showing the various types of Landscape Replacement Areas that could be incorporated within a development

Appendix 3

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

For Provisional Permission / Written Permission

  1. Development Application submission for Provisional Permission / Written Permission is to include the submission of a landscape proposal in the form of landscape plans (See Appendix 3-1 below for example of a Landscape Plan) indicating the following:

  2. Declaration of the overall Landscape Replacement Areas and softscape areas for the entire development and for each landscape plan

  3. Layout of the softscape and hardscape areas

  4. Schedule of proposed planting species and paving materials

  5. Annotations in the landscape plans to show the proposed planting species and paving materials corresponding to the schedule and the proposed uses e.g. Swimming Pool, BBQ Area etc

  6. Sections showing the depth of all the proposed planting beds for Landscape Replacement Areas

  7. Short statement explaining the proposed irrigation and maintenance for the permanent planting

  8. Please label and package the landscape plans and sections separately from the rest of the plans; and

  9. Please refer to the DC Handbook on Gross Floor Area for the submission requirements to facilitate the evaluation of the GFA exemption for Planter Boxes, Sky Terraces and Communal Landscaped Areas on the 1st Storey and other relevant guidelines.

 For Clearance of Completed Works

  1. The Landscape Replacement Areas shall be implemented according to the approved plans and verified and endorsed by URA. URA’s Clearance of the completed Landscape Replacement Areas is required before the Commissioner of Building Control issues the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP), or Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC) (when TOP is not required). The building owner is to submit confirmation of the completed works to URA to seek Clearance of the completed Landscape Replacement Areas*. The standard processing time to evaluate and approve a complete and compliant submission will require up to 4 weeks. Please note that a longer processing time may be required if the submission is incomplete or not in order. The Applicant is to ensure sufficient lead time is allowed to secure the Clearance prior to applying to the Commissioner of Building Control for TOP/CSC.

  2. Your submission is required to include accurately labelled photographs (in pdf file format) showing the completed Landscape Replacement Areas. URA will evaluate the photographs submitted and, if necessary, arrange for a site inspection before issuing the Clearance for the completed works.

  3. Applicants are also required to declare upfront to the Commissioner of Building Control at the point of application for TOP or CSC (when TOP is not required), that URA’s Clearance is required for Landscape Replacement Areas before issuance of TOP, or CSC (when TOP is not required).

*Please refer to Circular No: URA/PB/2009/19-CUDG for more details.


APPENDIX 3-1

EXAMPLE OF LANDSCAPE PLAN AND INFORMATION REQUIRED

(In this simulated example, the development provided Landscape Replacement Areas on the 1st, 5th and 15th Storeys. The plans below are the sample landscape plans for the 5th storey landscape replacement area.)

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