Turning civic district into a walkable park – minus cars

Cementing a bold vision laid out in an urban master plan last year, the authorities here said work has started to reclaim the city’s civic district from the car.

The area around the Padang – encompassing landmarks like Victoria Theatre, the National Gallery and Esplanade Park – will be turned into “a walkable park” within an “arts, culture and lifestyle precinct”, said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan.The area around the Padang – encompassing landmarks like Victoria Theatre, the National Gallery and Esplanade Park – will be turned into “a walkable park” within an “arts, culture and lifestyle precinct”, said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

“Our civic district is full of history, memories, monuments and beauties,” the minister wrote on his blog yesterday. “Over the years, huge assets have been assembled there, but their full potential is not being realised.”

To unleash this potential, traffic access to the area will be crimped, with roads like Empress Place paved over and Connaught Drive accessible only to buses and coaches. One side of the historic Anderson Bridge will be converted to a footpath.

Most of the reconstruction – which will cost $66 million – will be completed in phases next year, in time for the various SG50 celebrations. For instance, part of Fullerton Road will be realigned to free up more lawn space in front of the Asian Civilisations Museum. Likewise, a more spacious walkway will be built along St Andrew’s Road. These will be ready by next July.

Work has already started to remove kerbside parking spaces in Connaught Drive. The stretch will be paved and landscaped so people can walk, jog, cycle and skate there. Along the edge of the Singapore River, where Queen Elizabeth Walk sits, a stepped plaza will be built to bring the public closer to the water.

Harking back to the days when the area was a favourite haunt for courting couples, five Angsana trees will be planted in Esplanade Park near Anderson Bridge. They mark the spot where five such trees stood, up to 1990.

To mark SG50, an 8km Jubilee Walk will connect attractions in the area, with trail markers to tell stories of Singapore’s progress.

The transformation plan is reminiscent of similar moves by cities elsewhere to claw back road space.

San Francisco did away with the Embarcadero Freeway after it was damaged by an earthquake in 1989. In its place, a wide boardwalk now fronts the bay, frequented by joggers, cyclists and those who want respite from the city.

About 10 years ago, Seoul tore down a highway to uncover the Cheonggyecheon river and create an oasis in the city.

National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der Horng gave the plan the thumbs up. “It allows residents and visitors a greater opportunity to immerse in the city and to enjoy the city,” he said. “We should have more of this.”

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SG50 Jubilee Walk Trail

http://www.singapore50.sg/en/WhatsOn/2015/Launch%20of%20The%20Jubilee%20Walk.aspx

Singapore is entering its 50th of nation building in 2015. After celebrating its 49th birthday over the last weekend, more excitement is waiting for everybody in the coming year.

Period: November 2015

As a lasting physical legacy of our Jubilee year, a new Jubilee Walk that covers historic locations in the civic district and the Marina Bay area will be launched. It is a walking trail that incorporates a new pedestrian bridge that will stretch from the Merlion Park to Marina Promenade, in front of the Esplanade Theatres.

It will be marked by trail markers and four new public art works to commemorate SG50.

Spaces will be created along the Jubilee Walk for public events and performances, to draw Singaporeans and their families to the civic district regularly. The trail, together with the new bridge and artworks, will form part of the physical legacy of SG50.

To mark its launch, a mass walk is being planned, with groups starting the walk at different locations and converging at the Padang.

 

Central Area Masterplan

A video that summarises the development plans for the Central Area of Singapore!

Burlington Square

Address: 175 Bencoolen Street
Type of Development: Apartment / Commercial
Tenure: 99 years
District: 07
No. of Units: 179
Year of Completion: 1998
Developer: Wintrust Investment Pte Ltd (WingTai)
Unit sizes:
Studio: 667 sq ft
2 bedrooms: 861 – 990 sq ft
3 bedrooms: 1,119 – 1,350 sq ft
Penthouse: 3,035 sq ft

Burlington Square is primarily used for Office rental and sale. Burlington Square is close to Bugis MRT Station (EW12) and Bras Basah MRT Station (CC2). Upcoming new MRT station Rochor Station (DT13) will be less than 2 minutes walking distance from it.

It is near to several bus stops located opposite Burlington Square – 07517, after Sim Lim Square – 07531 and at Fortune Centre – 07518.

 

Condo Facilities at Burlington Square

Facilities are full and include covered car park, 24 hours security, swimming pools, BBQ pits, gym, tennis courts, steam bath, and a multi-purpose hall. Some units have roof gardens and there is also a communal viewing terrace that offers residents an outstanding view of the city skyline.

 

Amenities Burlington Square

Reputable schools such as Laselle College of the Arts and Singapore Management University are both within walking distances.

Cinema, restaurants and eating establishments, supermarkets, and shops are located at the nearby Bugis Junction Shopping Centre. Residents can go to the neighboring Sim Lim Square for a range of computer and electronic products at competitive prices.

Numerous other restaurants and eating establishments are scattered around the development. In addition, there are numerous pubs and bars located at Selegie Road, which is a stone’s throw away. Burlington Square has several eateries located within its buildings such as Café Lyubi Menya and Burger King Fast Food Restaurant.

Attractions like Fort Canning Park and Little India are just around the corner and interested residents can scour through the huge collection of books and electronic media available at the nearby 7-storey Singapore National Library.

For vehicle owners, travelling to the business hub and the buzzing Orchard Road shopping belt takes about 5 minutes, via Victoria Street and Bukit Timah Road respectively.

Burlington Square is within reasonable distance to NTUC Fairprice Supermarket. It is also an array of amenities such as grocery, retail shopping, banks and more.

Burlington Square is accessible via Bencoolen Street, Rochor Road and Jalan Besar.

 

Bugis Arts district getting a fresh breath of life

TWIRLING ballerinas, martial arts students and guzheng players could soon take to the newly widened sidewalks of the Queen Street area to showcase their art, and bring life to an otherwise quiet stretch in the city.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is providing more room for the eclectic mix of arts organisations based there to stage activities along the street. Besides widening the sidewalks, it has installed benches and created coach drop-off points as well.

The renovations to make the street more pedestrian-friendly are expected to be completed by the middle of this year.

Arts groups say they have been eagerly waiting to use the outdoor space for activities to engage the public on a regular basis, since the authorities told them a few years ago that it was going to rejuvenate the quiet street.

Some tenants, such as 2902 Gallery, receive as few as 10 visitors a day on Saturdays and Sundays.

But successful street festivals such as the annual Singapore Night Festival, which drew more than 400,000 people to performances held in Waterloo Street, Queen Street and Armenian Street in August last year, have demonstrated the potential that the area has to host outdoor events.

Art Trove Gallery and Museum operations director Roy Quek said he moved his gallery to Waterloo Street four years ago because he had heard about the plans for the area.

He said: “The revitalisation effort has been a long time coming and will help shine the spotlight on the great concentration of arts organisations located in the district.”

Several national monuments and conserved buildings are located in the area, which is also home to arts groups such as Forte Musicademy, Art Bug and The Private Museum.

The Singapore Art Museum and arts facilities such as Dance Ensemble Singapore and Sculpture Square are also in the vicinity.

Despite the proximity, tenants say there is little synergy between the groups because they run their own classes behind closed doors.

With planning by a central coordinating body, they envision monthly parades and scheduled outdoor showcases, which could lead to an exponential growth in visitor numbers.

Singapore Ballet Academy principal Jeffrey Tan said: “Now that the sidewalks are wider, it will be safer for us to plan outdoor performances for our young pupils, who are mostly between five and 10 years old.”

Other groups say they will also save on publicity and rental costs of private indoor spaces like theatres.

But residents and business owners say the changes have aggravated the traffic congestion.

Waterloo Apartments resident Xu Yu Hua, 55, said: “The wider pavements eat into the road and it is just not feasible because the traffic here is already very bad.”

“The hotels bring in big tourists buses, which can cause 20-minute jams during peak hours, and we have to make a big detour to avoid the road,” added Ms Xu, who is a trader.

The URA said it has designated coach drop-off points to cater to the hotels and places of interest in the vicinity.

Some residents also fear that the quiet of the area will be disrupted. Student Margaret Aniela, 19, who also lives in Waterloo Apartments, hoped the events will take place in the day “as it might be hard to sleep at night if it’s too noisy”.

OM The Arts Centre coordinator Gim Lee thinks everyone will benefit from the new plans. The centre runs guzheng and erhu classes, among others.

“The area is teeming with talent and I look forward to a more lively place, where the public can mingle with musicians, calligraphers and dancers,” he said.

“Art, culture and heritage are meant to be shared.”

http://stcommunities.straitstimes.com/show/2014/03/04/breathing-new-life-arts-district-queens-street