WITHIN THE next two decades, new parks, waterbodies and other green areas will spring up in urban Singapore.
Under the sustainable development blueprint, 900 ha of parkland will be added in the next 10 years, bringing the total area of parkland to 4,200 ha.
Upcoming parks include the Gardens by the Bay in the Marina Bay area, the Coney Island park and the expansion of the Sungei Buloh wetlands. Eventually, there would be 0.8ha of parkland for every 1,000 people.
Parks here will be more environmentally-friendly, with the recycling of horticultural waste and the using of less water, energy and chemical products.
One will find it easier getting from one park to another, when park connectors triple to 360km by 2020. This will complement a 150km round-island loop which will allow people to cycle, stroll or jog closer to the coast or greenery.
The Urban Redvelopment Authority (URA) will also develop areas like Changi and Punggol into nature-based leisure sites.
In addition, nature will extend upwards with another 50 ha of skyrise greenery planned by 2030, including 9ha of green roofs on top of multi-storey carparks in residential estates within the next three years.
Apart from creating the greenery, the government will also introduce initiatives to encourage developers to up their green spaces.
For a start, NParks will co-fund for up to half the cost of setting up a green roof in the Central Business District or Orchard Road area.
Buildings within the Central Area, such as Orchard Road and Downtown, can get bonus gross floor area from URA for creating rooftop outdoor refreshment areas if rooftop landscaping is done.
Read the full report in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.
