When it comes to land use, Singapore keeps some options open
The goal is not to postpone development indefinitely, but to prevent today’s choices from unnecessarily closing off tomorrow’s possibilities.
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Sites like Marina Barrage perform several functions – from controlling floods to providing recreational space. This means options can be kept open for other scarce parcels, says the writer.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Tan-Soo Jie-Sheng
At the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong made an unusual but important point about land planning. Of the additional land to be created on Pulau Tekong, about 500ha will be reserved for future civilian use – even though the Government has not decided what it will eventually be used for.
The proposed western island reflects the same logic. Rather than committing the reclaimed land to a single predetermined use, Singapore would create space that could support different combinations of industry, power generation and defence as future needs evolve. Its value therefore lies not only in the additional land created, but also in the choices it preserves. This is what PM Wong meant by planning 50, 70 or even 100 years ahead for generations not yet born.