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feature | National development
Leading
the Way
in Urban
Planning
Urban Redevelopment Authority
iang lar
K
e
e
W
Lau
Scho
Eugene ergraduate
Und
URA -Term)
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and
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and
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ig
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(
D
rts
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a
B
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Stud
Mas sity of Sin
er
Univ
The Urban
Redevelopment
Authority (URA) is
the architect of our
vibrant city-state. From
the iconic Singapore
skyline to the layout
of the bustling Central
Business District (CBD),
the URA has played a
key role in creating a
brilliant and sustainable
city of distinction where
Singaporeans can live,
work and play.
By Koh Wanzi
T
he Singapore of the early 1960s was vastly different from the well-planned metropolis and
first-rate urban infrastructure that we enjoy today. A look at our glistening skyscrapers or
a trip down to the Marina Barrage – where the Marina Reservoir also serves as a choice
location for a variety of water sports – will hardly reveal any hint of the struggles with land limitations
and poor infrastructure that characterised Singapore’s early years of nationhood.
Singapore’s remarkable transformation into an environmentally sustainable business hub is a
result of proactive and farsighted planning by URA. Over the years, URA’s vision to make Singapore
a vibrant and distinct global city has seen it expand its roles in areas such as land-use planning,
land sales, place management, conservation, urban design and even the promotion of architectural
excellence.
In order to adapt and stay ahead in these rapidly changing times, URA employs new and innovative
technologies and solutions such as 3D-modelling to help it plan for and improve Singapore’s urban
landscape. URA scholars Eugene Lau, 30, and Ng Yi Wen, 25, tell us about their roles in helping URA
ensure a balance between economic growth, a good quality of life and a stellar built environment.
Planning for a Future-Ready Global City
Eugene is an Executive Architect in the Conservation and Urban Design Group, where he deals with
various aspects in architecture and urban design, project management and Information Technology
(IT) systems. He explains, “I am part of the team that conceptualised the master planning and urban
design for Jurong Lake District (JLD) – a key part of URA’s decentralisation efforts. JLD has been
envisioned as a smart, sustainable and connected mixed-use urban area and the largest regional
centre outside our Central Business District.”
And as part of URA’s efforts to realise Singapore’s sustainable development aspirations and
leverage on technology and smart planning, Eugene is also part of the team which utilises 3D-modelling
to improve their planning workflow. “Together with our Information Systems department, we
explore innovative ways to use technology smartly to enhance the way we plan, manage our urban
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feature | National development
environment and infrastructure and improve the
quality of life for residents. We also engage and
educate the public using 3D digital models,” he
tells us.
“URA has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with Esri, one of the world’s
leading suppliers of 3D Geographic Information
System (GIS) software. I work closely with GIS
experts from Esri to translate our planning
guidelines into procedural modelling rules.
This brings our planning to a whole new level
as architects and planners can now design
quick simulations of a development parcel, thus
facilitating our work process and enabling us to
further improve our plans.”
On Yi Wen’s end, she is a Planner in the
Strategic Planning Group, where she oversees
land-planning policies related to climate change,
nature areas and waste management. She
shares, “I take a broad overview of upcoming
plans for Singapore and am currently involved
in several inter-agency studies that look into the
potential impacts of new developments on the
environment, in addition to studies on how to
better optimise land-use.”
She adds, “I work closely with agencies and
researchers to better understand the effects
of rising temperatures in a highly urbanised
environment like Singapore and identify
possible measures to ameliorate these effects
to create a cooler and more comfortable living
environment. For instance, we are looking into
how building massing could improve wind flow
and how different types of ground and building
surfaces could reduce urban temperatures.
“I also cooperate with agencies and nature
groups to enhance and safeguard Singapore’s
green spaces by identifying areas that can
be retained for public enjoyment. In addition,
I facilitate environmental-related studies to
ensure that developments are carried out in a
sensitive manner that minimises impacts on
the environment.”
Opportunities Abound
URA also dedicates considerable resources
to support its staff in their career development
and pursuit of upgrading. For URA staff, URA is
indeed the place to work, develop and grow.
As a URA Mid-Term Undergraduate Scholar,
Eugene has had the opportunity to intern at
URA before he graduated from the National
University of Singapore. He shares, “My
internship allowed me to interact with my
future colleagues and even meet members of
URA’s senior management. I was able to gain
experience in the process of drafting policies
and contribute urban design ideas to enliven the
Bras Basah Bugis district.
“Furthermore, URA has in place a robust
mentorship programme that pairs scholars
with a mentor in university and when they join
URA. We can arrange to meet our mentors and
consult them on things like module selection or
even our thesis topics.”
And in his role as Executive Architect, Eugene
had the opportunity to co-lead the Draft Master
Plan Exhibition in 2013, where URA hosted a
public exhibition and engaged the community
to gather feedback on its plans. He recalls, “I
worked closely with contractors to develop
the exhibition content for the Central Area. In
order to add flair to the exhibition and bring in
new technological elements, we introduced
an interactive augmented reality app on iPads
that allowed visitors to trigger digital 3D models
embedded with information to complement the
rest of the exhibits.”
Eugene’s work with Esri’s 3D GIS also led him
and his team to be invited to present URA’s work
at the Esri User Conference Plenary Session in
San Diego, US, to a crowd of more than 15,000
professionals and enthusiasts. He enthuses,
“This was a rare opportunity that I was very
privileged to have!”
For Yi Wen, the Cornell University graduate
has enjoyed her fair share of enlightening
experiences. She recounts, “My eight-week
internship at URA exposed me to its various
planning departments. It really gave me a headstart in my career as I could draw links between
URA’s work and my studies and think about how
I could apply my knowledge in my future career.”
Yi Wen has also had the opportunity to work
with innovative technological solutions as
part of URA’s endeavours to tackle urban heat
island effects. Yi Wen enthuses, “Like Eugene, I
have benefitted from 3D-modelling technology,
as well as computational fluid dynamics
techniques, in modelling the effects of various
urban plans and designs on urban wind flow and
air temperature.”
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She adds, “I also got to accompany our
Minister of State for National Development
Desmond Lee and Emeritus Senior Minister
Goh Chok Tong to India to discuss Singapore’s
involvement in India’s plan to build ‘100 Smart
Cities’.”
Serving the Public
For Eugene, the idea of playing a role in
improving the public realm appealed to him
greatly. He shares, “Being an architect in URA is
very different from working in the private sector
as our main purpose is to serve the public. As a
mid-term scholar, I had more time to understand
what architecture was about in my early years
in NUS, and ascertain that this was the path I
wanted to take.
“In fact, I was not your typical straight ‘A’s
scholar. Grades are not everything when it
comes to a URA scholarship and URA is instead
looking for holistic, well-rounded individuals
who want to contribute!”
Yi Wen chimes in, “I was always interested in
the built environment and cities. Furthermore,
I knew that I wanted to create liveable and
sustainable spaces for people to live in.
“Aspiring scholars should bear in mind that
a scholarship is not a ticket to a free university
education. They must be certain of their choice
and make an effort to do their research and
speak to the relevant people to find out more.
Above all, they must know themselves well in
order to make an informed choice!”