Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH) 2.0 Programme: Landscape Replacement Requirements for Non-Landed Private Residential and Commercial/Mixed-Use/Hotel Developments outside Identified Strategic Areas

Circular No : URA/PB/2014/13-DCG
Our Ref : DC/ADMIN/CIRCULAR/PB_14
Fax : 6227 4792

CIRCULAR TO PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES

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

Effective Date:
With effect from 12 June 2014 till 9 November 2020

1. Under the landscape replacement policy, developers must replace greenery displaced by buildings and lost from the site due to development with greenery in other areas within the development¹. As part of LUSH 2.0, a new set of landscape replacement requirements has been introduced for non-landed private residential and commercial/mixed-use²/hotel developments outside the strategic areas.

2. Under the new requirements, new and redevelopments must provide communal green spaces. These spaces must be softscape, i.e. comprise green and living elements such as plants, shrubs and trees.

3. More intensive developments are required to provide more communal green spaces. Generally, developments with higher intensities – as determined by their Gross Plot Ratios (GPR) – also have scope to provide more greenery at the ground and skyrise levels. For instance, such developments can introduce communal landscaped areas at the ground level, sky terraces on intermediate floors, and gardens at the rooftop within their permissible height.

4. Table 1 sets out the landscape replacement requirements according to development intensity:

5. There will be a sub-control for minimum ground greening requirement only for non-landed private residential developments, as set out in Table 2 below. This is because ground level greenery is more physically accessible and visible from the street level:

6. The sub-control on minimum ground greenery will not apply to commercial, mixed-use and hotel developments as the ground level space in these developments is generally safeguarded for covered linkways to facilitate pedestrian connectivity between developments.

7. To enhance the quality of the environment, the landscaped areas should include a suitable variety of plants in permanent and preferably sunken planting beds. These communal landscaped areas should be easily accessible to the public and/or building users during the development’s operating hours.

8. Only softscape areas will count towards meeting the landscape replacement requirements. These areas must either be open-to-sky, or if covered, to be open sided, naturally ventilated (e.g. Sky Terraces, Covered Communal Ground Gardens, and Communal Planter Boxes) and to qualify for GFA exemption under the LUSH 2.0 guidelines. See Appendix 1 [PDF, 125.54 KB] ↗ (opens in new tab) for more details.

Exemptions

9. URA will exercise flexibility on the above requirements when evaluating individual developments with specific constraints (e.g. developments with conserved buildings, party wall developments, developments subject to specific urban design requirements, and developments subjected to severe technical height controls). Conserved buildings in historic districts will also be exempted from the above requirements.

Implementation

10. The revised guidelines will apply to all new applications submitted on or after 12 September 2014³. Only formal development applications (excluding Outline Applications) submitted before the effective date of 12 September 2014 which have already been granted Provisional Permission or which will result in a Provisional Permission, will not be subject to the revised guidelines.

11. Submissions must include a landscape plan, perspectives and relevant sections showing the proposed landscaping scheme for the ground and upper levels (both the covered garden and the open to sky areas). See Appendix 2 [PDF, 550.92 KB] ↗ (opens in new tab) for an example of a Landscape Plan.

12. 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 call our Development Control Group (DCG) Enquiry Line at Tel: 6223 4811 or email us at ura_dcd@ura.gov.sg ↗ (opens in new tab). For your information, past circulars and guidelines are available at our website http://www.ura.gov.sg ↗ (opens in new tab).

Thank You.

HAN YONG HOE
GROUP DIRECTOR (DEVELOPMENT CONTROL)
for CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

^{1 For more details on the Landscape Replacement Policy, please refer to the circular on Landscape Replacement Policy for Strategic Areas.}

^{2 Mixed-use refers to commercial/residential, residential with 1st storey commercial and white sites.}

^{3 Development applications submitted before the effective date 12 September 2014 resulting in an Advice or Refusal of Written Permission (RWP) will be evaluated based on the revised guidelines upon resubmission after the Advice or RWP.}