IndexIntroductionThe success of the Singapore Land Use Plan 2030Increased mobility through alternative transportation methodsCurrent approachesCriticisms of this approachComparison with the Seoul 2030 PlanConclusionIntroductionThe Land Use Plan Singapore 2030 is a conceptual plan that serves to define the broad development direction for Singapore over the next 40-50 years. The Concept Plan review, carried out in 2011, included discussions undertaken by the National Division of Population and Talent (NPTD) on population issues. The formulation of the land use plan, detailed in a 69-page document, complements the Population White Paper which seeks to provide and sustain a high quality living environment for a possible population of between 6.5 and 6, 9 million by 2030. 1 Beyond this, the Land Use Plan takes into account potential national needs beyond 2030 by reserving land and space for future growth and opportunities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe success of the Singapore Land Use Plan 2030The success of the Singapore Land Use Plan 2030 is far-reaching. The following section will address two positive aspects. Addressing limited space for population growth In a time-pressed article dated 4 February 2013, "White Paper All About Future Planning", Minister Lim Swee Say had suggested that many of today's infrastructure bottlenecks could have been avoided if Singapore had, 10 years ago, discussed the possibility of having a population of 5.4 million. The White Paper, complemented by the Land Use Plan, therefore serves as a “good exercise” to help Singapore identify and allocate space for a potential growing population. Land reclamation carried out mainly around Tuas and Pulau Tekong has been identified as a key element in ensuring quality of life in a context of growth. Beyond that, the Land Use Plan 2030 seeks to look within existing urbanized spaces. By recycling and maximizing the potential of these plots of land, underutilized spaces can be further urbanized, intensified or repurposed for more optimal land use. For example, existing farmland and golf courses deemed less productive are repurposed and zoned for intensified uses. The 2030 Land Use Plan has also succeeded in optimizing various industries through clustering and centralization efforts, particularly in the maritime and industrial sectors. The plan to decant existing container port facilities at the western end of Singapore, Tuas, opens up valuable land for further redevelopment at the southern end of Singapore. Recently, the announcement of the relocation of Paya Lebar Air Base in 2030 will also free up at least 800 hectares of land and remove existing height restrictions in the eastern belt of Singapore, thus providing redevelopment opportunities nearby. Improving our biodiversity network Contrary to the belief that Singapore is a small country with no natural resources, but with a well-tended garden The city, its forests, green areas and coastal strips are teeming with life, even if it is not immediately obvious or easily identifiable. Singapore is home to a rich variety of biodiversity despite its small land mass. There are at least 2,000 species of native vascular plants, approximately 57 species of mammals, 98 species of reptiles and 25 different species ofamphibians recorded to date throughout the island. Approximately 355 species of birds fly in the nation's skies, along with more than 282 species of butterflies. The Land Use Plan 2030 aims to further expand its Green & Blue network. This provides relief to the highly densified urban landscape and serves to connect coastal and inland environments, while providing a purifying aquatic environment and diverse recreational and decorative urban spaces. More importantly, this provides more educational opportunities for its citizens to interact with nature in their own backyard, further spreading awareness of biodiversity conservation and protection efforts. Approximately 900 hectares of reservoir and 100 km of waterways will be opened for recreational activities and more than 60 km of “nature trails” will act as an ecological highway to connect green spaces for birds, butterflies and small animals. Singapore's conservation efforts have been successful so far, and otter sightings are now a common sight. These animals are a testament to the clean water and habitat its natural areas provide. Inadequacies of the Singapore Land Use Plan 2030 While the Land Use Plan 2030 succeeded in mapping out a bright future for Singapore, there were several shortcomings. The following section will identify and provide possibilities for two areas of improvement. 1) Potential for a more resource-resilient Singapore Singapore remains a vulnerable society, no matter how sophisticated we become, if it does not address the security of our water, food and energy resources. Looking ahead, it is important that Singapore continually reconsiders and addresses how it can be more resilient to unexpected shocks and increase its self-sufficiency. The provisions of the Singapore Land Use Plan 2030 for the agriculture and agricultural sector were miniscule, taking up only 0.9% of the land area compared to the other land requirements listed in the table below. Land use allocated for the agricultural sector has been color coded collectively with open and recreational spaces in the illustrative diagram of land use allocation beyond 2030. In addition to this, the Land Use Plan seeks to consolidate activities that require large tracts of land (agriculture) to free up more land for other uses. While this suggests an approach towards intensified production using less land, the emphasis on increasing resilience and self-sufficiency in our food supplies is still lacking; a necessity that is arguably of equal importance to water, another scarce resource of this small island nation. While it may be unrealistic today to imagine a Singapore that is completely self-sufficient in terms of food production, local production serves as a “critical buffer against global supply shocks of key food commodities”. “I think we've almost given up on the idea that we can produce a lot of food ourselves,” said Cheng Hsing Yao, chief executive of GuocoLand Singapore, who has also held leadership positions at the Center for Liveable Cities and the URA. have been said about the national narrative on water. One of Singapore's biggest challenges has been the lack of potable water. However, through heavy investment in water technology and research and development, Singapore has developed new efficient technology in the sector and is now at the forefront of the water reclamation industry. As well as being able to quench the thirst of its growing population, it is on track to meet 85% of Singapore's future water demand by 2060. More than a resource, it is now an asset waiting to be exploited. 8 There is immense potential forthis small nation to similarly create a food narrative that goes hand in hand with its “water narrative.” The local food production sector has an important national duty and continues to play an important role in ensuring Singapore's food security. Food production can be part of Singapore's future and will play a vital role in strengthening the resilience of Singapore's food supply. As an urbanized nation, Singapore can be at the forefront of promoting the development of urban farming solutions and progressive agricultural technologies. A new-looking agricultural sector can occur, transformed through the implementation of technology. No longer a low-skilled job shunned by future generations, the future of food production is a high-tech, innovative, highly intensive and productive future, with the ability to do more with less. Greater mobility through alternative transport methods Singapore's Land Use Plan 2030 has succeeded in highlighting the shift towards a public transport-centric system. Given the severe land constraints, limiting the use of private transport, particularly the use of private cars, is crucial to preventing further congestion. The approach adopted by the 2030 Master Plan aims to expand the existing public transport system in an attempt to increase its coverage. This is further complemented by infrastructure measures (e.g. cycle paths and pedestrian crossings) to complete the last mile pedestrian route. However, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, the backbone of the public transport system, has been in operation since 1987 and has been plagued by train disruption problems due to improvement works. Despite being an indispensable part of their daily journey, many commuters are finding the experience on the MRT increasingly arduous, with dense crowds gathering on train platforms, unable to squeeze into overcrowded carriages. The Land Use Plan 2030's approach towards greater reliance on public transport is laudable, however, it highlights the sole reliance on the backbone of the public transport system, the MRT network. While the MRT network is the most space-efficient way to transport large numbers of people, alternative travel options could be considered to further support such a crucial network and, in failure situations, provide redundancy options. With personal mobility devices (PMDs) growing in popularity among Singaporeans, the need for safer and more dedicated PMD routes becomes more evident. The 2030 Land Use Plan identified cycling as an alternative transportation mode and proposed intracity networks of off-road trails away from vehicular routes to make it a safer option for users of all ability levels. Going forward, the provision of amenities such as parking and pit showers may be considered to further enhance this alternative and clean private mode of transportation. As disruptive technology improves, shareable transportation such as zero-emission autonomous vehicles and car-sharing platforms can also be considered alternative travel modes to complement the public transportation network. The public transport network should not be a single linear chain of transport options (walk-bus-MRT), but rather a tiered series of public transport services, to ensure freedom of choice and redundancy. The success of Singapore's urban planning has largely hinged on a planned and rigorously controlled land development approach by the government ofSingapore. Planning remains mainly in the hands of experts rather than citizens and actual users. However, with the public's growing desire to have a say in the country's development, planners find themselves looking for various methods to facilitate these voices to be heard. Current ApproachesWhen reviewing the Concept Plan 2030, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) considered taking into account land needs in collaboration with various government agencies. Furthermore, the URA attempted to encourage citizen participation through a public consultation exercise. Initiatives such as traveling exhibitions, public forums and focus group discussions have served as various channels for stakeholders and the public to address their concerns and any future plans. The Concept Plan review has taken a two-pronged approach to ensure a broad spectrum of societies are represented, with people from all walks of life involved and represented in the Concept Plan review. First, two focus groups, each made up of 35 members, were formed to ask the public for feedback on ideas related to providing a good quality of life, aging in place, growing sustainably and maintaining our identity. Members have been purposively selected from a broad segment of the population, ranging from professional bodies, non-governmental organisations, community groups, businesses, academia, young people, etc. In-depth focus group discussions took place over a four-month period, during which preliminary findings were presented in two public forums for further public input. The ideas that emerged from the focus group discussion were ultimately studied and incorporated, where appropriate, into the conceptual plan. The ideas were also forwarded to various government agencies for reference in formulating future policies. Secondly, the public consultation exercise offered a variety of platforms for the general public to provide feedback and ideas in the form of surveys (e.g. lifestyle survey, online survey) and traveling exhibitions where preliminary results have been presented. Feedback from the surveys served as additional discussion considerations for the two focus groups. Criticism of this approach With growing demand for greater involvement and for opinions to be listened to and considered, some have argued that leaders should do more to ensure adequate citizen input into urban planning. efforts taken in the revision of the Concept Plan not to go beyond an effective public consultation, but rather a mere communication of the plans. The general public wanted more involvement and transparency in decision-making. Public participation comes in many and varied forms, with at least eight different academic models highlighting different methods and structures by which the public is involved in a planning process. On Arnstein's scale of participation, the Concept Plan's review approach to public participation fell into the corresponding degree of tokenism, where participants can actually hear as well as be heard but do not have the power to ensure that their opinions are heard. Citizens in this case were only indirectly involved in urban planning. Comparison with the Seoul Plan 2030 The Seoul Plan 2030 serves as a positive example to emulate. In the process of participating in the Seoul 2030 Plan, a conscious effort has been made to facilitate more input from the public, simplifying the master plan for easier understanding and giving people the opportunity to,.