Greenery

Check the guidelines relating to greenery for hotels

Last updated 9 June 2026

Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH)

LUSH is a comprehensive urban and skyrise greening programme comprising both Landscape Replacement Areas (LRA) requirements and incentives to provide greenery and communal spaces.

The LRA requirements are calibrated by location, GPR and development type. A development may count Sky Terraces, Communal Planter Boxes and Covered Communal Ground Gardens (see Greenery sub-tabs) amongst other features, towards meeting the LRA requirement.

Applicants may refer to the following self-help checklists for the applicable greenery requirements and information to be submitted for assessment:

Landscape Replacement Areas

Landscape Replacement Areas (LRA) Guidelines in Strategic Areas

Developments in identified Strategic Areas shall provide LRA that is minimally equivalent to the development’s gross site area, as shown in the table and diagram below. At least 40% of the LRA requirement shall be reserved for softscape (permanent planting) areas. The remaining LRA requirement may be provided as hardscape.

The Green Plot Ratio (GnPR) provides an objective measure of the density of greenery within a site. The formula for computing GnPR and the minimum GnPR requirement is as follows:

The Total Leaf Area shall be computed based on the Leaf Area Index (LAI) for each plant species, canopy area (for trees and palms) and the quantity planted. The plant species sub-categories and LAI values may be obtained online from NParks’ Flora Fauna Web by searching the common or scientific names of plants.

Table 1: LRA Requirements for Developments in Strategic Areas

Location	Developments in Strategic Areas	Developments in Strategic Areas Outside Central Area, with Height Control ≤80m¹
LRA (as a % of Site Area)	100%	70%
Minimum softscape requirement (as a % of Site Area)	40%	40%
Minimum GnPR requirement (Total Leaf Area/Site Area)	4.0	4.0

^{1 Building height is based on Singapore Height Datum (SHD).}

The Strategic Areas are as follows:

Within Central Area: Downtown Core (part), Straits View (part), Marina South, and Orchard (part) Planning Areas, as well as 2 mixed-use parcels along Orchard Boulevard in Paterson Hill Subzone (see Plan 1-1);
Outside of Central Area: Regional Centres and Growth Areas including the Jurong Lake District, Kallang Riverside, Woodlands Regional Centre, Punggol Creative Cluster, Tampines Regional Centre and Paya Lebar Central as well as commercial and commercial/residential developments within Town Centres (see Plans 1-2 to 1-26).

Table 2: List of Strategic Areas

Plan	Location
1-1	Downtown Core (part), Straits View (part), Marina South, and Orchard (part) Planning Areas, as well as 2 mixed-use parcels along Orchard Boulevard in Paterson Hill Subzone [PDF, 1.8 MB]
1-2	Ang Mo Kio Planning Area [PDF, 160 KB]
1-3	Bedok Planning Area [PDF, 170 KB]
1-4	Bishan Planning Area [PDF, 168 KB]
1-5	Boon Lay Planning Area [PDF, 408 KB]
1-6	Bukit Batok Planning Area [PDF, 158 KB]
1-7	Bukit Merah Planning Area [PDF, 153 KB]
1-8	Bukit Timah Planning Area [PDF, 152 KB]
1-9	Choa Chu Kang Planning Area [PDF, 278 KB]
1-10	Clementi Planning Area [PDF, 168 KB]
1-11	Geylang Planning Area (Paya Lebar Central) [PDF, 178 KB]
1-12	Hougang Planning Area [PDF, 176 KB]
1-13	Jurong East Planning Area [PDF, 312 KB]
1-14	Kallang Riverside [PDF, 1.8 MB]
1-15	Marine Parade Planning Area [PDF, 155 KB]
1-16	Novena Planning Area [PDF, 202 KB]
1-17	Pasir Ris Planning Area [PDF, 149 KB]
1-18	Punggol Planning Area (Punggol Creative Cluster & Learning Corridor) [PDF, 124 KB]
1-19	Punggol Planning Area [PDF, 162 KB]
1-20	Sembawang Planning Area [PDF, 150 KB]
1-21	Sengkang Planning Area [PDF, 194 KB]
1-22	Serangoon Planning Area [PDF, 226 KB]
1-23	Tampines Planning Area [PDF, 166 KB]
1-24	Toa Payoh Planning Area [PDF, 183 KB]
1-25	Woodlands Planning Area [PDF, 166 KB]
1-26	Yishun Planning Area [PDF, 167 KB]

The LRA requirement is not applicable to conserved buildings in historic conservation areas. URA may exercise flexibility on LRA requirements when evaluating individual developments affected by specific constraints.

The table below shows the guidelines for computation of LRAs in Strategic Areas. LRA in Strategic Areas is the sum of:

Horizontal surface area of the softscape eg permanent planting beds;
Horizontal surface area of the hardscape eg communal facilities, urban farm; and
Vertical surface area of green walls and extensive green roofs (if any).

The table below shows the guidelines for computation of LRAs in Strategic Areas. LRA in Strategic Areas is the sum of:

Horizontal surface area of the softscape e.g. permanent planting beds;
Horizontal surface area of the hardscape e.g. communal facilities, urban farm; and
Vertical surface area of green walls and extensive green roofs (if any).

Table 3: Guidelines for LRAs in Strategic Areas

LRA in Strategic Areas	Definition/Guidelines
General Guidelines	To qualify as LRA, all horizontal areas shall be: unenclosed and open-to-sky, or If covered, open sided, naturally ventilated, and qualify for GFA exemption under a LUSH incentive scheme (e.g. Communal Planter Boxes, Covered Communal Ground Gardens and/or, Sky Terraces). Rooftop urban farms counted as GFA may be counted as LRA subject to the guidelines under the Hardscape Area section below. All LRA shall be designed taking into account safety and maintenance considerations.
Softscape Areas	These are permanent, sunken planting areas which shall be designed with sufficient soil depth to accommodate a variety of plant types. A minimum soil depth of 1000mm shall be provided for trees and palms, 500mm for shrubs and climbers, and 300mm for ground covers. Potted plants do not count as softscape.
Hardscape Areas	These are communal facilities (e.g. event plazas, playgrounds and water features), surrounded by lush landscaping. Fire engine accessways may be considered as hardscape areas if they are communally accessible in times of non-emergency and are surrounded by lush landscaping. Covered Rooftop Urban Farms may count towards hardscape under the LRA requirement, up to 10% of site area and subject to the merits of the proposal. For crop protection, covers over rooftop urban farms may be allowed. Such covered urban farm area may be allowed on Temporary Permission and counted as Gross Floor Area, subject to SLA levying Land Betterment Charge, where applicable. URA may consider allowing additional GFA for farms over and above the maximum permissible GFA under the Master Plan. Prevailing building height controls shall continue to apply to any structures and equipment proposed at the roofs. Proposals within areas subject to Urban Design guidelines or Conservation requirements shall be evaluated according to prevailing controls.
Vertical Greenery & Extensive Green Roofs	May count towards either softscape or hardscape under the LRA requirement, up to 10% of site area. The following guidelines shall apply: Vertical greenery shall be publicly visible, e.g. placed at external building facade fronting key pedestrian thoroughfares, major public spaces, and main entrance areas, etc. Vertical greenery for sites in Urban Design areas e.g. Central Area and Key Growth areas (see the Urban Design Guidelines on URA SPACE) may be subject to additional urban design requirements². Extensive green roofs shall be of a substantial size to contribute to green cover and support biodiversity. Apart from maintenance purposes, extensive green roofs shall not be accessible for other users. Horizontal trellis-based greenery shall not qualify as extensive green roofs. ^{2 For vertical green proposing support systems, planter boxes of minimum 500mm depth are encouraged to be provided at every storey for dense plant growth.}
Areas that do not qualify as LRA	Service facilities, e.g. vehicular drop-offs, driveways, etc, and its ancillary greenery. Circulation areas, e.g. stairs, ramps, walkways, etc. and its ancillary greenery.
Ownership	In strata subdivided developments, the LRAs shall be part of common property. Building owners shall retain the required LRAs.
Clearance Process and Requirements	URA’s clearance of the completed Landscape Replacement Areas provided by developments within Strategic 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). In your submission, please 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. 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).

LRA Guidelines outside the Strategic Areas

Outside of the Strategic Areas, all sites zoned Commercial, Residential with Commercial at 1^st storey, Commercial and Residential, Hotel and White shall be required to meet minimum greening standards, tiered according to the development’s GPR as shown in the table below.

Table 4: LRA Requirements for Developments Outside Strategic Areas

LRA Requirements	GPR ≤ 1.4	1.4 < GPR < 2.8	GPR ≥ 2.8
Overall Greenery Provision (as % of Site Area)	30	35	40
Green Plot Ratio (Total Leaf Area/Site Area)	3	3.5	4

The Green Plot Ratio provides an objective measure of the density of greenery within a site. The formula for computing GnPR and the minimum GnPR requirement is as follows:

The general guidelines of LRA are shown in the table below. The computation of the LRAs outside the Strategic Areas is the sum of:

Horizontal surface area of the softscape eg permanent planting beds; and
Vertical surface area of green walls (if any).

Table 5: Guidelines for LRAs in Outside Strategic Areas

LRA Outside Strategic Areas	Definition/Guidelines
General Guidelines	To qualify as LRA, all horizontal areas shall be: unenclosed and open-to-sky, or If covered, open sided, naturally ventilated, and qualify for GFA exemption under a LUSH incentive scheme (e.g. Communal Planter Boxes, Covered Communal Ground Gardens and/or, Sky Terraces). The LRA may be located on any storey of the development, and shall be accessible to the public and building occupants during normal operating hours. All LRA shall be designed taking into account safety and maintenance considerations.
Softscape Areas	These are permanent, sunken planting areas which shall be designed with sufficient soil depth to accommodate a variety of plant types. A minimum soil depth of 1000mm shall be provided for trees and palms, 500mm for shrubs and climbers, and 300mm for ground covers. Potted plants do not count as softscape.
Vertical Greenery & Extensive Green Roofs	May count towards either softscape or hardscape under the LRA requirement, up to 10% of site area. The following guidelines shall apply: Vertical greenery³ shall be publicly visible, e.g. placed at external building facade fronting key pedestrian thoroughfares, major public spaces, and main entrance areas, etc. Vertical greenery for sites in Urban Design areas e.g. Central Area and Key Growth areas (see the Urban Design Guidelines on URA SPACE) may be subject to additional urban design requirements. Extensive green roofs shall be of a substantial size to contribute to green cover and support biodiversity. Apart from maintenance purposes, extensive green roofs shall not be accessible for other users. Horizontal trellis-based greenery shall not qualify as extensive green roofs. ^{3 For vertical green proposing support systems, planter boxes of minimum 500mm depth are encouraged to be provided at every storey for dense plant growth.}
Areas that do not qualify as LRA	Service facilities, e.g. vehicular drop-offs, driveways, etc. and its ancillary greenery. Circulation areas, e.g. stairs, ramps, walkways, etc, and its ancillary greenery.
Ownership	In strata subdivided developments, the LRAs shall be part of common property. LRAs for hotels within mixed-use developments, however, may be attributed to the hotel strata should they be contiguous to other hotel uses and be adequately segregated from other uses. Building owners shall retain the required LRAs.

Plan Presentation Requirements for Landscape Replacement Areas

A Landscape Plan for all Landscape Replacement Areas shall be submitted together with the Development Application, as illustrated below.

Landscape Plan template

The plans shall include:

Relevant plans, cross sections and perspectives with layouts of the softscape and hardscape areas. The softscape and hardscape areas shall be visually differentiated on plans with the following details:
- Computations of the overall LRA, softscape areas and Green Plot Ratio;
- Proposed schedule and annotation of plant species and paving materials;
- Where relevant, annotations of ancillary uses e.g. Swimming Pool, BBQ Area, etc.;
- Where relevant, annotations of the 45-degree line;
- Short statement on the proposed maintenance and irrigation methods for the planting.

Label and package the landscape plans and sections separately from the rest of the floor plans, and separate the softscape and hardscape areas into different layers.

URA’s approval is required if there are changes to the softscape areas (e.g. planting and structure of the planting beds) and hardscape areas that result in an overall reduction in area for the required LRAs.

URA’s approval is not required for changes to the planting species as long as the softscape and Green Plot Ratio requirements are complied with.

The table for GnPR computation [PDF, 200 KB] shall be filled in and submitted together with the landscape plans.

Good Practices to Adopt in Landscape Design

Beyond the various LUSH requirements, building owners and developers are strongly encouraged to adopt the following good practices in their landscape designs to further integrate nature into the urban environment:

Table 6: Good Practices to Adopt in Landscape Design

Provide more softscape than minimum standards

More greenery in the urban environment brings benefits, such as cooling of surroundings, improving air quality, etc. With more softscape provision, a larger variety of greenery (e.g. on-ground greenery, vertical greenery, rooftop greenery) can also be provided to benefit building occupants.

Select planting palette with at least 50% of species native to the South-east Asia region

Native planting helps increase populations of native plants within the urban environment. This also reduces the risk of introducing invasive species that may compete with native species in our ecosystems.

For greater diversity, it is recommended that a variety of trees representing the emergent, canopy and understorey layers be selected. This replicates that of natural settings and provides shelter and habitats for biodiversity. The selected planting palette can also incorporate similar types of plant species that are planted around the development site as this creates a seamless multi-tiered landscape that is integrated with the surrounding streetscapes.

Reference can be taken from NParks’ common planting palettes for Nature Ways and Streetscapes [PDF, 1.1 MB]. Further information on plant species can also be found on via NParks’ Flora & Fauna Web⁵.

_{5 The “advanced search function” can be used to refine search options for possible species to be included, such as by their native regions, eventual sizes, etc.}

Provide contiguous, multi-tiered planting⁴ within the green buffer and peripheral planting verge

^{4 Minimally trees, an understorey or shrub layer, and ground cover}

Building owners and developers should also continue to exercise care in their landscaping design, including the curation of the planting palette. For example, selection of specific plant species that minimises attraction of pests.

LUSH Incentives

The following incentive schemes can be used throughout the development to provide greenery and communal spaces.

Sky Terraces

Sky terraces are communal garden spaces provided at the intermediate storeys of a building.

To qualify for GFA exemption, sky terraces shall comply with the criteria in the following table.

Table 7: GFA Exemption Criteria for Sky Terraces

Item	Sky Terrace	Predominant Sky Terrace
Sky terrace area as % of floor plate	Not applicable	The sky terrace area within the 45-degree line occupies equal to or more than 60% of the floor plate.
Perimeter openness	At least 40% of the perimeter of the sky terrace is to remain open⁶ and unenclosed.	At least 60% of the perimeter of the sky terrace is open⁶ and unenclosed.
Perimeter openness	^{6 Parapet walls shall not exceed 1.3m in height to be considered open.}
Depth of sky terrace	The proposed depth of the sky terrace shall be minimally 5.0m throughout.
Landscaping	Plants shall be incorporated on permanent and preferably sunken planting, planned with sufficient soil depth based on the types of plants proposed. The planting shall be well externalized. Some space shall be set aside for the provision of communal facilities and furniture to enhance the usage of the sky terrace. The sky terraces shall be designed with safety and maintainability provisions in mind.
Accessibility and ownership	The sky terrace shall be accessible to all occupants of the building and there shall be at least one set of communal access via a lift or staircase serving the sky terrace. Secondary access to the sky terrace from strata units can be supported. The layout of sky terrace floors shall be subject to evaluation to ensure that the sky terrace space is meant for communal use and is not treated as a privatised space. For sky terraces in residential developments that occupy less than 60% of the floor plates, the sky terraces shall serve a minimum of 2 strata units to ensure that they remain as communal space. They shall remain as common property in strata subdivided developments.
Drop panels	Where proposed, drop panels at the perimeter shall be visually transparent and may be in the form of louvers, fins, transparent glass, or other sun shading/weather protective devices. The panel shall not exceed one third of the height of the external opening. The area of GFA exemption⁷ as defined by a 45-degree line shall be taken from the underside of any permanent or opaque structure, and not from the underside of a drop panel. ^{7 The 45-degree GFA exemption area may be taken from all external parapet walls (including recessed external parapet walls) surrounding the sky terrace.}
Additional height	Not eligible	Refer to Additional Height for Predominant Sky Terrace Storey sub-section.
GFA exemption	For sky terraces occupying less than 60% of the floor plate, the maximum area for GFA exemption of sky is defined by the area covered by a 45-degree line taken from the edge of the overhead projection.	URA may grant additional GFA exemption for residual areas beyond the 45-degree line (capped at 20% of the floor plate area), if such areas form an integral part of the sky terrace or are part of the barrier-free/fire escape corridors.
GFA exemption	Unenclosed BFA and fire escape corridors may be exempted from GFA computation for all sky terraces regardless of size subject to the following criteria: The corridor lies within the 45-degree exemption area; The corridor serves the sky terrace; and At least 40% of the perimeter of the sky terrace is to remain open⁸ and unenclosed. ^{8 Parapet walls shall not exceed 1.3m in height to be considered open.}
Submission requirements	A Landscape Plan [PDF, 395 KB] and relevant sections for the sky terrace showing the proposed landscaping scheme, planting palette, soil depth and communal facilities shall be submitted as part of the Development Application.

Communal Planter Boxes

To qualify for GFA exemption, communal planter boxes shall comply with the following criteria:

Maximum width of 1m;
Minimum depth of 500mm (for planting purpose);
To be sufficiently externalized.

Communal planter boxes which are more than 1.0m wide may be allowed if the wider planter boxes are part of an overall scheme with design merit.

Details of the communal planter boxes, including planting palette, spot sections showing soil depth, and dimensions shall be provided as part of the storey plans.

Communal planter boxes shall be designed with safety and maintainability provisions in mind.

Covered Communal Ground Gardens

Covered Communal Ground Gardens (C2G2) are on-ground greenery spaces at the 1^st storey. The garden should flow seamlessly between the covered and uncovered spaces of the 1^st storey and designed to be bright and airy with quality landscaping. There are two types of C2G2:

Predominant C2G2s shall occupy at least 50% of the first storey building footprint. Within the covered garden area, a minimum of 60% shall be lushly landscaped, while the remaining 40% can be set aside for meaningful communal gathering and activity spaces, and unenclosed communal facilities. These spaces may include garden paths, playgrounds, and covered pools. Covered drop-off points may be considered as part of the C2G2 if well-integrated, paved with appropriate material and integrated with lush landscaping.
Secondary C2G2 are communal landscaped areas on the 1^st storey which are shaded by a structure or a floor or overhang above. These may be exempted from GFA computation up to a maximum area defined by a 45-degree line taken from the edge of the overhead projection. The GFA-exempted communal areas within the 45-degree line shall contain quality lush landscaping with a variety of vegetation.

All areas of C2G2 spaces shall be easily accessible to the public and/or building users during normal opening hours for the development. The communal ground garden shall not be easily enclosed and converted to any other uses in the future.

For GFA exemption for C2G2, refer to the GFA handbook. URA will assess the C2G2’s design, spatial quality and overall integration with the wider landscaping scheme in considering the proposal’s eligibility for GFA exemption.

A landscape plan shall be submitted as part of the Development Application for the predominant covered ground garden proposal, showing the proposed landscaping scheme.

Communal Pavilions

Communal pavilions are small-scale, ancillary landscaping features that function as sheltered, open-sided resting points. Access to the pavilions shall be from the common areas only.

In addition to being sited within lushly landscaped areas, they shall satisfy the criteria below to qualify for GFA exemption:

Table 8: Guidelines for Communal Pavilions

Location	Guidelines
Ground Level	Maximum 50sqm per pavilion⁹. The pavilion coverage shall be counted towards the 40% (maximum) overall site coverage control.
Rooftop	Rooftops shall remain open-to-sky unless otherwise approved by URA. Where rooftop pavilions are allowed, they shall comply with the following requirements: Maximum 500sqm⁹ or 50% of roof coverage, whichever is lower. For developments which have reached the allowable storey height control, the pavilions shall remain open-sided when viewed externally. This is to ensure that the pavilions do not form an additional storey. For developments which have not reached the allowable storey height or are not located within areas subject to storey height control, maximum 50% perimeter enclosure of the rooftop pavilions may be allowed. Greenery on the rooftop shall be both enjoyable by the building users and visible from the surroundings. Plants shall be incorporated on permanent and preferably sunken planting, planned with sufficient soil depth based on the types of plants proposed. Some space shall be set aside for the provision of communal facilities and furniture to enhance the rooftop.
^{9 The area is defined as the area of pavilion measured up to the roof eaves line.}

Location

Guidelines

Ground Level

Maximum 50sqm per pavilion⁹.
The pavilion coverage shall be counted towards the 40% (maximum) overall site coverage control.

Rooftop

Rooftops shall remain open-to-sky unless otherwise approved by URA.

Where rooftop pavilions are allowed, they shall comply with the following requirements:

Maximum 500sqm⁹ or 50% of roof coverage, whichever is lower.
For developments which have reached the allowable storey height control, the pavilions shall remain open-sided when viewed externally. This is to ensure that the pavilions do not form an additional storey.
For developments which have not reached the allowable storey height or are not located within areas subject to storey height control, maximum 50% perimeter enclosure of the rooftop pavilions may be allowed.
Greenery on the rooftop shall be both enjoyable by the building users and visible from the surroundings.
Plants shall be incorporated on permanent and preferably sunken planting, planned with sufficient soil depth based on the types of plants proposed. Some space shall be set aside for the provision of communal facilities and furniture to enhance the rooftop.

^{9 The area is defined as the area of pavilion measured up to the roof eaves line.}

A Landscape Plan and relevant sections for ground/rooftop spaces containing communal pavilions, showing the proposed landscaping scheme, pavilion dimensions, planting palette, soil depth, communal facilities, shall be submitted with the Development Application.

Bonus GFA for Rooftop ORA on Landscaped Roofs

Table 9: Guidelines for Bonus GFA for Rooftop ORA on Landscaped Roof

Eligible Developments	Applicable to existing as well as new developments and redevelopment proposals approved for commercial and mixed use.
Locational Criteria	Applies to developments in Downtown Core, as well as parts of Orchard and Singapore River Planning Areas as shown here [PDF, 962 KB]. Applications from developments in commercial nodes outside the above areas shall be assessed depending on merits, in view of potential amenity concerns.
Landscaping Provision and Extent of ORA	The rooftop garden shall occupy a significant portion of the roof space, supported by small scale ORA activities. Physical demarcation for the ORA spaces (e.g. in the form of planting beds, differences in levels, etc) is required to ensure that the ORA uses are kept within approved areas.
Bonus GFA for ORAs allowed over and above Master Plan Gross Plot Ratio	Rooftop ORAs shall not take up more than 50% of the overall roof space or 200sqm, whichever is lower. The ORA may be allowed on a per roof basis where all the available roof space in a development that are designed as roof gardens can include ORAs (e.g. podium roof and tower roof). The cumulative bonus GFA shall be kept within the overall budget of 10% above the Master Plan Gross Plot Ratio (GPR). The bonus GFA for ORA use only and allowed over and above the MP permissible GPR shall be placed on Temporary Permission (TP). It shall not form the future development potential of the site upon redevelopment.
Allowable Structures and Extent of Enclosure	Not more than 50% of the bonus GFA shall be enclosed (e.g. kitchen, serving areas) while the remaining bonus GFA areas shall be retained for ORA. These enclosed structures shall be set back from the edge of the building following the 45-degree line taken from the edge of the roof and kept to a height of not more than 5m. If ORAs are proposed on multiple roofs, the extent of enclosed spaces shall be kept to 50% of the bonus GFA for each rooftop ORA.
Submission Requirements	A Landscape Plan and relevant sections showing the proposed landscaping scheme, pavilion dimensions, planting palette, and soil depth shall be submitted with the Development Application. The plan shall also include: The defined area of the landscaped areas and the outdoor refreshment areas (ORA) proposed on the roof top. Layout of the permanent planting areas and plant species, and the uses within the landscaped areas e.g. seating, water feature, planting trough etc to give an indication of how the landscaped area is planned as an area serving the public or building occupants. Refer to the Landscape Plan example in the Sky Terrace section.

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