Forum: Open-air sports fields and courts not an efficient use of land
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The review of vertical zoning has to be more rapidly adopted to maximise the use of scarce land resources in Singapore (SG60: Reading between the lines of the Draft Master Plan 2025, Aug 13).
One bane of sports enthusiasts in Singapore has been the lack of, and cost of, sporting facilities in Singapore.
A review of how sheltered sports facilities are zoned, especially the way gross floor area is calculated – where shelters are prohibitively penalised – will improve the supply of sports facilities.
It will also maximise land use as sports facilities can be used throughout the day, provide much-needed shelter from the weather to protect players, and improve training quality for sports.
It can also reduce noise and lighting pollution through having confined or walled sheltered facilities.
Open-air courts and fields are not an efficient use of land. More multi-storey sheltered public and private sports facilities should be constructed in Singapore.
I urge the authorities to adopt a holistic view of creating vertical zoning plans for sports facilities to encourage the building of more sheltered, confined sports facilities for the health of Singaporeans and the improvement of sports excellence in Singapore.
Chen Huixing
