i Light Singapore 2025 launched on May 29
New city blueprint to be launched at URA Draft Master Plan exhibition on June 25
SINGAPORE – Singapore will have a new blueprint to guide the city's development over the coming years when the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) launches its Draft Master Plan on June 25.
Announcing the launch date at an event on May 29, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said visitors to the exhibition of the masterplan will see 'how we are planning for a liveable, inclusive and endearing home. A home that all of us can be proud of'.
Mr Chee was speaking at the opening of the art festival i Light Singapore, which is in its 11th edition and features 17 light installations in Marina Bay, Raffles Place, the Singapore River and South Beach.
The URA Master Plan – one of two major development blueprints by Singapore's planning authority – is a statutory document that guides Singapore's development for the next 10 to 15 years and is reviewed once every five years.
It translates broader strategies from the other development blueprint – the Long-Term Plan – into detailed plans that guide how land and properties are used.
The Long-Term Plan, which guides plans for the next 50 years and beyond, is reviewed once every decade, with the last edition unveiled at an exhibition in 2022.
Public consultations for the upcoming masterplan began in October 2023, and conversations have been shaped around four themes: Shaping A Happy Healthy City, Enabling Sustainable Growth, Strengthening Urban Resilience and Stewarding Our Nature And Heritage .
Current developments are guided by the URA Master Plan 2019, which came into force in November that year after it was exhibited for a few months.
The Guardians by Matthew Aberline and The Beautiful and Useful Studio (Australia), located at Raffles Place Park.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Highlights from the 2019 masterplan include the Rail Corridor, Punggol Digital District and the Greater Southern Waterfront. Some of these projects are still in development.
Speaking at Marina Bay, Mr Chee said the transformation of the bay area is a testament to Singapore's long-term planning and meticulous implementation.
He noted that plans for the bay were developed in the 1970s, when pioneer leaders and planners saw the need to expand Singapore's city centre to support the country's growth as a global business and financial hub.
Reclamation of 360ha of land to form the bay took place between the 1970s and 1990s, with landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay's Bay South Garden built entirely on reclaimed land later.
The area's transformation 'is the story of the foresight of those who came before us, who dared to dream and who have laid the foundations for a better Singapore', Mr Chee said.
He said the bay is part of Singapore's skyline, which is recognised globally, and that the area is 'a people's bay', with community spaces for all to enjoy.
Initiatives such as i Light Singapore gather people from all walks of life and help to bring these community spaces to life, said Mr Chee, who added that the festival celebrates aspirations for a sustainable, shared future.
He cited the Bridge Of 1,000 Dreams, an installation that features a thousand illuminated bamboo sticks on Cavenagh Bridge, each of which was decorated by a child and reflects 'the dreams and visions of Singaporeans'.
Mr Chee interacting with guests at the launch of i Light Singapore 2025, with the art installation Bridge Of 1,000 Dreams in the background.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
The work is by Studio Toer, a multidisciplinary design studio from The Netherlands, and features Singapore motifs created by local design studio Binary Style.
Mr Castor Bours, Studio Toer's co-founder, said having children work on the bamboo sticks 'may be the most important part of the installation'.
He added: 'At the end, the sticks are put on a beautiful bridge, but the whole process of helping people think about what they want for their city, what they want for their future in a creative way – that's what makes this installation different from others.'
He said having public art installations in the city helps break the monotony of daily life.
'People have their rituals, they walk to work and return from their workplace, and somehow, with an installation, this breaks the ritual a bit,' Mr Bours said.
'They take a few seconds or maybe minutes to get off that rhythm, and be inspired again by their own city. It's a way to be distracted from reality.'
Ng Keng Gene is a correspondent at The Straits Times, reporting on issues relating to land use, urban planning and heritage.
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