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What stands out in the URA's latest Draft Masterplan? How else can Singapore become an even more liveable and productive business city?Pauline GohManaging DirectorCB Richard Ellis SingaporeTHE blueprint is a well-considered plan that shows firm commitment to unlock more land for the future growth of Singapore, and to unlock more value in land that has already been developed, particularly in the older mature estates.儲存 This is not just for housing but for offices too. Despite Singapore's land scarcity, the Masterplan has managed to identify new pockets of land across all parts of the island to meet commercial and residential demand. The plan provides for a wide range of housing choices - be it city living or living within the established estates of Dawson and Bedok. The proposed plans for the retail belt at Marina Bay as well as the projected 9,000 residential units also reinforces the live, work and play concept long envisioned for the downtown Central Business District (CBD).Most importantly, this Draft Masterplan reads like a people's plan, being less technical and more holistic. It is gratifying that the plan is not just about maximising economic value of land. Rather, it is geared towards the development of communities and at the same time concerned about preserving heritage and unique attributes of certain estates.Hugues DelcourtCountry Executive, ABN AMRO Bank NV Singapore and CEO of ABN AMRO Private Banking Asia and Middle EastTHE Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) ambitious and all-encompassing Draft Masterplan will certainly reinforce Singapore's position as one of the most, if not the most, liveable city in Asia. As a business and finance professional, what stands out for me, naturally, are the plans to rejuvenate the CBD and to heighten the buzz in the Marina Bay area. Coupled with initiatives to improve connectivity and sustainability, I believe Singapore's status as a global business and financial hub will be strengthened in the long run.ABN AMRO's offices are located in the heart of the business district and we look forward to more initiatives to bring affordable cultural as well as art spaces, in addition to the residential, hotel and retail uses, to bring out the soul of the city. For the live, work and play concept to succeed, it is important to focus not only on building the ''hardware'' but also on enhancing the ''software'' by integrating and giving voice and artistic expression to the myriad of cultures living, working and playing in this area.Marc MathenzSenior Vice President, Head of APACFirst Data CorporationTHE URA's Masterplan is an important step toward Singapore becoming an even greater place to live, work and play. I particularly support the focus on recreation and green corridors. Having lived much of my life in Germany and the United Kingdom, I miss cycling through the forest and walking in the countryside. In Singapore, we all work too long and spend too much time on our mobile devices. The URA's plans will encourage more people, including children, to embrace the outdoors and appreciate the year-round sunshine that Europeans only dream about. Every week I cycle along the Ulu Pandan park connector network with my Singaporean wife. We are looking forward to exploring more areas by bicycle and seeing our kids play sports in the great outdoors rather than inside air-conditioned facilities. I hope that in time, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists can co-exist happily and safely on Singapore's designated paths. My wish, though, would be to have water coolers along the way and cashless dispensers (for which First Data can facilitate electronic payments) so I can reward myself with an ice-cold weissbeer.Janet AngManaging DirectorIBM SingaporeSINGAPORE, like many cities, is moving to a smarter municipal infrastructure for traffic systems, water systems and public safety. It is changing the way we live, because digital intelligence is being injected into our physical systems through pervasive instrumentation and global interconnectivity. Last year, Jurong Lake District was named a recipient of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant and we are honoured to work with the Economic Development Board, the URA and other partner agencies to explore what it would take to transform Jurong Lake District into a smart district. We look forward to contributing our expertise to cement Singapore's position as a Smarter City.Chris ComerCEO and Property DeveloperCastlewood GroupTHE URA Masterplan illustrates Singapore's desire to continue to be a global ambassador of never-ending improvement.Extending the CBD and reducing commuting times with new eco-friendly industrial areas while maintaining focus on quality living put Singapore on a pedestal as a world model. Every home within 400 metres of a park is one of the best advertisements for our little island.To become better in the future, we must capitalise on the fact that the fastest-developing economies in the world are our immediate neighbours. We provide a perfectly positioned gateway to the Far East and we must deliver that message universally at every opportunity.Russell ColeSingapore Office LeaderArupAS Singapore continues to evolve as a global, sustainable and successful city, it is heartening to see that there is a strong, underlying focus on creating an urban landscape that preserves and strengthens Singaporean identity. A city's urban landscape is very much a part of its social fabric and increasingly, Singaporeans want to maintain buildings and spaces that are familiar to them. The urban landscape is the backdrop of peoples' lives and, as they relate their experiences in these spaces, it forms a common history and a sense of community. The Masterplan's focus on key districts is vital but may need to extend to all areas.A significant element of the Masterplan is the creation of spaces for pedestrians and cyclists. A holistic approach that ties living, work and leisure spaces together by combining walking, cycling and public transport commutes is needed. These need to be convenient and enjoyable so that cars and taxis become unattractive in comparison. To help people make the mindset shifts that will lead to behavioural changes, everyone's personal experience and comfort during the journey has to be considered regardless of age, mobility and attire from front door to destination. All links such as walkways, road crossings and frequency of bus and train services need to meet the travellers' needs, thus changing the design of buildings, roads, paths and districts.Raman SinghRegional Managing Director - Asia, Latin America, Middle East and AfricaMundipharmaOVER the years, Singapore has succeeded in establishing itself as a vibrant global business hub. Singapore's landscape is a constant reflection of its pace, changing frequently to provide world-class facilities. The CBD continues to grow from strength to strength with its Canary Wharf-type flagship areas such as the Marina Bay Financial Centre and Asia Square. A big part of the URA's plan is to balance this by building commercial spaces outside of the existing CBD so as to decentralise jobs and also bring workplaces closer to homes. This also allows for dedicated spaces tailored for specialised industries such as the pharmaceutical sector. This gives global companies like Mundipharma the opportunity to streamline operations in one centralised location while still providing a dynamic and attractive working space to attract top talent. It's a great move in Singapore's race for space, once again demonstrating how this island nation does not allow itself to be limited by its size.Tim MoylanPresident, Asia-PacificInforAS one of Asia's iconic smart cities, the decision to establish our regional headquarters in Singapore was easy. An important component of any innovative city is having smart infrastructure that meets the needs of global businesses that use Singapore as a springboard to the Asia-Pacific. The new Draft Masterplan will provide rapidly growing businesses in Singapore best-in-class support to help them achieve greater operational efficiency. While Singapore continues to push the envelope in modernising its physical landscape, it is Singapore's focus on social innovation which has earned it its reputation of being a liveable city.Chia Wee BoonChief Executive OfficerNCSTHE focus on strengthening connectivity and community interaction is key to building a sustainable, productive and safe township. This can be achieved through smart utilisation of social media, Big Data analytics, mobility and machine-to-machine technologies. Integrating data from a citywide network of sensors to achieve full situational awareness can enhance a city's community collaboration, urban safety and transport management. An intelligence-led approach can be taken by connecting disparate data and analysing it to predict and prioritise actions towards law enforcement. Use of analytics can also help streamline and manage traffic situations in real time. This, coupled with mobile apps and effective leveraging of social media, can help facilitate a delightful travelling experience for the commuters.NCS' solutions to enhance liveability and productivity will be showcased at the World Cities Summit next year.Lim Soon HockManaging DirectorPLAN-B ICAG Pte LtdTHE URA's latest Draft Masterplan is a step in the right direction to develop an inclusive Singapore. While I am confident that the Masterplan will help address the needs at a ''facilities'' or ''infrastructural'' level, through the provision of adequate spaces for everyone to live, work and play, I believe more needs to be done at a ''societal'' level, in terms of enabling an environment that supports communities to come together. In other words, the hardware should be encapsulated with a strong flavour of heartware and software.Many Singaporeans often end up sacrificing family time for work. The newly created gathering spaces under the Masterplan hopefully can be a big draw for busy Singaporeans to set aside time for their families and friends. Singaporeans can now work hard and play hard more often, in addition to the regular escapades or vacations overseas. When we are able to accomplish this, Singapore can truly become an even more livable, vibrant and productive global city. The new Masterplan can facilitate this and help promote a culture of working hard and playing hard, which will benefit the family, society and nation.Toby KohGroup Managing DirectorAdemco Security GroupTHE draft URA Masterplan 2013 has a few standouts and concerns for me. I applaud the extension of the identity nodes concept. It is absolutely vital that the flavour of Old Singapore be retained for future generations. Having links to the past is nostalgic and preserves the Singaporean identity and bonding.The Great Southern Waterfront project and the Marina South district concepts are fabulous. But transportation into and across the southern side of Singapore is going to be a massive challenge. I am highly curious how the URA and the Land Transport Authority intend to tackle this. The plan also states that by 2030, 80 per cent of homes will be within a 10-minute walk to a MRT station.Cycling-friendly initiatives continue to be mooted in this plan. Achieving that would greatly increase the livability of Singapore. And the plan to decentralise the CBD is possibly one of the most important points in the Masterplan. Bringing the employment hubs closer to the heartlands is going to ease traffic and resource wastage. The promotion of work-life balance starts with a smooth commute, freeing up precious time for family life.Low Lee YongCEO 迷你倉nd founderMHC Medical NetworkI AM glad the URA is taking active steps to preserve our heritage by designating more ''identity nodes'' for our future generations. But traffic congestion remains a real problem. Singapore is one of the most wired-up cities globally. We should capitalise on this and allow more people to work from home. This reduces traffic congestion and saves precious time otherwise wasted in travelling. Having more dedicated cycling tracks will also help lessen congestion. And cycling leads to a healthier population. For our ageing population, we need more garden spaces and parks that are wheelchair-friendly. Such green belts allow both young and old to recharge and rejuvenate from our dense concrete landscape.Dhirendra ShantilalBoard Director and Head, Asia-PacificFircroftGIVEN that we have limited land in Singapore, what stands out in the URA's latest Draft Masterplan is the creative use of land to create commercial hubs outside the city centre, especially for small and medium enterprises. Developments such as the North Coast Innovation Corridor and new industrial clusters will allow residents to live closer to their jobs, hence reducing their commutes and also congestion on the roads. At the same time, businesses in these areas will be able to enjoy lower rents. In addition, with land set aside for more open spaces and recreational facilities, Singaporeans can continue to have a quality of life in a liveable and productive business city.Zaheer K MerchantRegional Director (Singapore and Europe)Qi Group of CompaniesTHE URA Draft Masterplan's ''ecological-business-friendly'' concept stands out quite brilliantly. The concept of decentralising the CBD to provide jobs closer to homes juxtaposes commuting to work and a vibrant economy neatly. The ''business and greening concept'' evident, for instance, in Changi Business Park is a prime example of a coterminous relationship outside of the CBD, though the 2013 Plan goes further in maintaining the special characteristics of the various areas for development. Individuals may commute longer distances if compensated by an intrinsically or financially rewarding job. Or they may prefer a pleasant work-life environment and short commute time. Overall, the Plan may just be the productivity and liveability boost for Singapore as a city-state.Riaz MehtaPresident and FounderImagine GroupSINGAPORE has a fantastic reputation for diversity, both culturally and architecturally. Take, for example, Cantonment Road in Tanjong Pagar - an area full of character and heritage yet with easy access to the CBD. From our perspective what stands out is how much thought has gone into planning for the wellbeing of future generations, with housing incorporating green spaces and transportation soon to reach all corners of the island and amenities accessible to almost all of the island's population. There is definitely scope to do more with our well-established international branding as a Garden City, continuing to build on sustainable building construction, expanded recycling facilities, and advanced waste management, and it is heartening to see us as a prime example of a city that is green despite our urbanisation. The URA's Masterplan strikes a fine balance between social and economic needs. As a Singapore-based company, we have seen first-hand the benefits that maintaining a disciplined approach towards striking a balance between productivity and comfort provides as the city continues to assert itself on the global stage.Sam YapGroup Executive ChairmanHTwo Investment Holdings Pte LtdFOR me as a business entrepreneur, the new waterfront city and new housing estates stand out in the Draft Masterplan. The potential development of the large piece of coastal land freed up upon the move of the ports to Tuas is tremendous and can serve as a source of new business opportunity for emerging businesses. Development of new housing estates in areas like Holland Village and other iconic places also means a ready market of ''settlers'' in these areas for the services offered by our company.Singapore's urban planning is driven by the vision of a highly liveable city. The URA has done well to ensure a well-balanced environment for our city-state within our space constraints. We just have to continue to be innovative and creative in creating space for our growing population by adopting and adapting environment-friendly and exemplary practices proven elsewhere.Steve MelhuishCo-Founder and Group Chief Executive OfficerPropertyGuruTWO key aspects stand out for me: Population redistribution, and new living and working corridors. One trend we see emerging from the Masterplan is to develop future growth corridors to redistribute employment areas around the island such as Jurong, Woodlands and Paya Lebar. This decentralisation will continue to entrench Singapore as a business-friendly environment. It will thin out the density of transportation into the CBD and free up traffic load while at the same time, create investment incentives and carve out potential commercial space for businesses.One consideration, though, is that emphasis must be placed on how to achieve a balance in the composition of properties within each area earmarked for development, so as to ensure that there is a sufficient, and holistic, mix of commercial and residential real estate.Also, critical to the Masterplan is the ''MRT Effect'' which looks to 80 per cent of the population living or working within walking distance to an MRT station. Examining the property market, and being a business owner myself, I understand that one of the key factors which affects employment or property decisions is access to transport networks and shorter commuting times. It is heartening to know that with greater focus on improving transportation, Singaporeans can get to live and work in areas conveniently and with lesser travel time.Haider RashidCountry President Singapore and Region President South AsiaABBSINGAPORE is recognised the world over for being a city that has attracted investment and talent and it now has the chance to bring that up a notch and show the world how it can balance growth and its externalities, such as pollution and over-crowding, in an innovative way. For example, we already see the strains on infrastructure, and here, technology and vision must work hand in hand. What worked in the past may not hold for the future.So, how does Singapore harness renewables and how do we use energy more efficiently in our homes and buildings? In other cities, electric vehicles, buses and even ships are revolutionising the way people move around. Collaboration and understanding on all different levels, across strategic partners, authorities, investors and communities, will put the right infrastructure and services in place.In the end, technology is just the means - the real enabler is the people, when decision makers and citizens devise new and bold solutions. After all, what makes a city liveable if not the people who live in it?Jessica TanManaging DirectorMicrosoft SingaporeA KEY takeaway from the URA's Masterplan is the people-centric approach for a liveable Singapore for everyone. At Microsoft, we also believe that cities should take a people-first approach to innovation. This means developing infrastructures that will simplify everyday matters by enabling everyone to access personalised information anytime and anywhere. We also believe technology can empower citizens and businesses with insights that can be used to make faster and better decisions. Having access to real-time traffic information, coupled with information on the best route or transportation option based on your location, is one of the many examples of services that help cities be more liveable.Ronald LeeManaging DirectorPrimeStaff Management Services Pte LtdTHE URA's Masterplan is on the mark in addressing the pertinent issues that Singapore is facing at its crossroads. The six key areas identified - housing, transport, economy, identity, recreation and public space - are certainly key to raising the quality of life for its citizens.I believe public transport is the area that currently requires the most urgent improvement. The plans outlined in the Land Transport Masterplan 2013 to improve reliability, comfort and convenience of public transport are crucial. The plan to decentralise the business hub is another good move, as it will help to ease congestion in the city centre. In terms of the ''soft'' areas, I welcome the proposals to develop more green spaces, waterways and other recreational options to provide relief from the dense urban environment and ease the stress of city living.Richard HongCEOT?V S?D PSB AseanWE fully support the URA's vision to green more community spaces and incorporate more eco-friendly features into our buildings and environment. To this end we cannot forget the importance of green building certifications and standards such as BCA Green Mark, ISO 14000, ISO 150001, LEED etc. These measures offer independent, third-party validations to a structure's green features. Benchmarking will identify our shortcomings and advocate improvements.We hope the government will consider setting measures for indoor air quality. A superior level of indoor air quality is crucial to residents' health and workers' productivity. Green building measures can lead to substantial cost savings and make our country a healthier and greener place to live in.Tan Tiong ChengExecutive ChairmanKnight Frank Pte LtdTHE latest Draft Masterplan suggests a paradigm shift in Singapore's urban planning focus. It embodies various community-focused and eco-friendly initiatives through placemaking and environmentally sustainable strategies. The emphasis on building 500,000 new residential units in existing and new townships, with many precincts close to amenities, parks and waterbodies, prepares Singapore for the next phase of population growth and creates pleasant living environments. Future residential developments such as at Kampong Bugis, Matilda and the current Keppel Club parcel would showcase waterfront living, while the proposed urban village at Marina South would be a key archetype to integrate various land uses with social and environmental elements.We need to prepare our built environment for the next ''leap'' of economic growth. Could our physical planning strategies create adaptive and complementary business spaces that would help carve out economic niches to differentiate our economy from its competitors? Going forward, implementation of current and future urban plans ought to facilitate economic specialisation and nurture a culture of knowledge and innovation, which would strengthen our ''global literacy'' and augment our position as a world-class city in future.David LowCEOFuturistic Store Fixtures Pte LtdAN integral plan that unites the whole island while developing individual clusters as self-contained regions makes the city expansive despite scarce land. Building communities without boundaries narrows the gap of society levels in terms of infrastructure access and social facilities. The Draft Masterplan reinforces our direction to create a Singapore that is ideal to work, live and play. From an economics perspective, it boosts confidence levels and draw investors here for higher value job creation. Current initiatives are encouraging. What we could do next is to cultivate talent from within by focusing on specialised education platforms in line with global market conditions and industry demands, thereby enhancing employability with specialised skills to meet high-value jobs we continuously attract to the shore.儲存倉