AN EVALUATION STUDY ON THE PLAN PROPOSALS FOR THE NEW DOWNTOWN OF SINGAPORE

Abstract

Clearly, the Singapore government is now orientating its approach to satisfying not only physical requirements, but also the social, psychological, emotional and aesthetic needs of Singaporeans. In order to achieve this aspiration, many interesting plans have been formulated to transform the built environment into a "tropical island of excellence". If successfully implemented, Singapore will definitely attain a high quality built environment by the Year X, when its population reaches 4 million. Singaporeans will then have an exciting modern new downtown, a historically rich Central Area, a choice of different housing types with varied densities and more recreational facilities. Among the many projects being planned, the most challenging for planners, architects, developers, investors, businessmen and in fact, Singaporeans from all walks of life, would be the development of a new downtown on 690 hectares of reclaimed land. A new downtown core will be created as a logical extension of the present "Golden Shoe", the core of the Central Business District. The new downtown is conceived to be an international center for business and commerce and an entertainment hub. The Development Guide Plans (DGPs) for the Downtown Core and Portview were completed and exhibited in August 1992 to obtain feedback from the public. It was gazetted as part of the new Master Plan 1998 on the 22nd January 1999. The development of the built environment is a continuous and dynamic process, dependent on the country's economic, political and social health. Since planners are often labeled as dreamers, it is imperative that the plans laid down are constantly reviewed. In this way, the plans are in tandem with the dynamic forces of reality and the probability of them being realized is greatly enhanced. In times of economic uncertainties and changing standards of living, one may be dubious of the feasibility of the proposals stated in the DGP of the New Downtown. The research is aimed at evaluating the various plan proposals outlined in the DGP of the New Downtown. The assessment of the plan proposals will give planners a greater sense of awareness of how their vision can be realized. The dissertation examined the various plan proposals set out in the DGP of the New Downtown, from the users' perspectives. From the various surveys conducted, the concern to whether the plans are feasible for implementation remains valid to a certain degree.