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THE Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will review its land-use policies and guidelines, and engage businesses for a clearer picture of their needs and operating considerations in today’s changing economic landscape. 

This was announced by Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How on Thursday (Oct 24), when he launched an exhibition on Singapore’s decentralisation journey at The URA Centre. The exhibition, “Engaging Sustainable Growth: Shaping the Future of Work”, shows how the redistribution of some economic activity to the suburbs – creating regional centres of office and commercial space in Woodlands, Tampines and Jurong East, for example – helps to sustain the city-state’s economy and create job opportunities and workplaces for Singaporeans. 

Tan said that, to support the country’s longer-term vision for the economy, “we must continue to take a long-term view for land planning and carefully steward our limited land and space to maximise opportunities for sustainable economic growth, while catering to other uses to create a quality living environment for Singaporeans”.

The authorities are also exploring the refinement of policies and plans to integrate more uses, such as residential and recreational spaces within industrial and commercial developments, to create more mixed-use districts, he said. 

The URA is reviewing the Central Business District (CBD) Incentive and the Strategic Development Incentive (SDI) schemes, and will give updates when ready, he said. 

Launched in 2019, the CBD Incentive scheme aims to liven up the CBD with a broader mix of uses, including residential and hotel components. The SDI scheme, launched the same year, encourages owners of existing commercial buildings to team up with their neighbours to undertake a comprehensive redevelopment that would transform the street or precinct. 

As at September 2024, URA had given in-principle approval to 13 of the 17 applications received for the CBD Incentive scheme; of the 13, three projects are under development. The agency has also given the in-principle nod to seven out of the nine applications received under the SDI scheme; of these, two are under development.

At the launch of the exhibition, Tan also disclosed that Phase 1 of the construction of the 11-km-long Sky Corridor in the Jurong Innovation District would be completed in 2025. This elevated car-free linkway will have dedicated lanes for pedestrians, cyclists and autonomous vehicles, connecting workplaces to transport hubs, amenities and community spaces within Singapore’s advanced manufacturing hub.

When Phase 1 of the corridor is completed, an underground district logistics network will be launched to make the movement of goods more efficient, and to reduce traffic on surface roads, said URA in a statement on Thursday.

And from 2030, cycling paths and park connectors will connect the district to Jurong Lake Gardens and green nodes islandwide.

Turning to the Tuas Port, Tan said its development is “well underway”. When done, it will be the world’s largest fully automated port in a single location. 

In another update, the minister said that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s Port Control Centre and other port-related companies will be housed in an integrated building, expected to be completed by 2027.