HUIXIAN

DESMOND NG and Infographics journalist LEE HUO KHENG gaze into the future after the Government outlines plans in Parliament to build HDB flats in condo-like garden settings

YOUR home is in a park, your city is in a garden.
Greenery rules.

There'll be sky gardens, water features, lush greenery and landscaping - not unlike private condominiums.

Car parks will be built beneath the blocks to give more room to greenery and to make more open spaces available at ground level.


This is the colour and shape of things to come - a new generation HDB flats true to a concept called 'Housing in a Park', where residents will live in park-live surroundings.

It is part of the larger Singaporean dream of a 'City in a Garden', a vision mentioned briefly by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his Budget Speech last year.

More than $700 million will go towards building up our 'greenery capital'.

This includes developing new parks and enhancing existing ones, such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the East Coast Park and the Horticulture Park, said Minister of National Developer Mah Bow Tan yesterday in Parliament.

The construction of three world-class gardens at the heart of Marina Bay will start this year and will open in phases starting from 2010.

Park connectors will be increased from 70km to 200km by the year 2012.

That'll take you roughly halfway from here to Kuala Lumpur.

Our waterways will also be transformed into attractive recreational zones.

This includes the creation of two new lakes at Punggol, a river to run through Bishan Park and a park to be built over the Singapore River near Zion Riverside food centre.

This remarkable 'park' atop a canal will have gurgling water fountains using water pumped up from below.

To complement the garden theme, the Government will encourage vertical and high-rise greenery in public and private apartments.

Upcoming new-generation HDB estates will be a showcase of this theme.

The Dawson area of Queenstown will be the pioneer for this project, which is expected to commence within three to four years.

In addition to the promise of lush greenery, there will be covered linkways in a barrier-free environment within the estate.

There will also be environmentally-friendly features to save water and energy, and recycling will be made easier with centralised chutes.

Each estate will retain some of its heritage and identity associated with the area.

INPUT FROM RESIDENTS

Another good thing - everyone may decide collectively on what communal facilities to have.

All in favour of a putting green?

There will be a public exhibition later this year by the HDB to showcase the new concepts and invite public feedback.

The multi-billion dollar programme to transform older estates like never before was elaborated on in Parliament yesterday.

With the age of some of HDB flats set to reach 40 to 50 years in coming years, it's time to redevelop the HDB heartlands, said the Minister of State (National Development) Grace Fu.

She added: 'In this new-generation estate, not only will we adopt ideas on sustainable development, we will incorporate features that enhance our living experience.

'Given the scale and scope of such a programme, it is estimated to cost the Government about $1 billion a year when the programme is in full swing.'

But rest assured, public housing will still be affordable, said the ministry.

bigbigbird

i tihnk there would be alot of bugs!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fool

i think its pretty nice of an idea. i believe trees and plants and better than roads and cars surrounding HDB blocks right? the air will be fresher and i think it will have a certain positive impact on residents both physically and mentally

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MamaRos

Can request for swimming pool on the roofs? :biggrin4:

It is not the place, nor the condition, but the mind alone that can make anyone happy or miserable.
Roger L'Estrange

BlurDreamx

ooOo i like tis idea~ especially mini park on rooftop ;p or mayb like wat mama request swimming pool on rooftop~~~~~~~~can suntan :devil2:

ryoichi

what i a nice idea... but the house must equip with lots of insect repellent

•♥• 【 Ryoichi 】 •♥• 我要发愤图强 - 开跑车,穿名牌,住豪宅
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finaldust

cool lol we can breathe in more fresh air haha and it will look nice

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