Singapore readying for remake of city-state
Singapore readying for remake of city-state
For the 478-year-old Jakarta, Singapore -- which began as a
British colonial trading port in 1819 -- might seem like a
teenager in search of an identity. But the truth is that the
young city-state has a strong vision of itself and its future.
The Jakarta Post's Damar Harsanto took a look at how Singapore's
government is working to improve the country during a recent trip
to the city-state, which he visited at the invitation of the Far
East Organization Singapore Pte. Ltd.
"We have to remake Singapore. Our economy, our education, our
mind-set, our city. It must be a totally different Singapore.
Because if its the same Singapore today, we're dead," said Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the annual National Day Rally in
August.
Lee advised the country to look toward freewheeling Las Vegas
for new direction.
"Out of nothing in a desert, they have built a city that forty
million people visit every year," said Lee, 53. "We don't want to
become Las Vegas but we should learn from their spirit."
His administration had just approved the construction of two
casinos in the resource-poor city-state by 2009.
A board of 3-D miniatures of the city master plan at
Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) shows all of the
ongoing development projects in the city-state, and which spaces
are designed for public facilities, green spaces and water
reservoirs.
Touch-screen monitors are also available for visitors who want
to explore certain projects.
"Singaporeans can always be well-informed about what is
happening in city developments. They can even take part in the
projects on offer through an open-tender process," said Pudjo
Wirawan, a marketing executive with Singapore's largest private
developer, the Far East Organization.
He said most developers also enjoyed a feeling of security in
their business thanks to a guarantee by the government that every
development project will be seen through to the end.
The URA, which is open to the public during the week free of
charge, also displays tenders and notices for interested
developers.
Aside from development projects, the center also provides
detailed guidelines for developers in the restoration of heritage
buildings in the city-state.
The center has been actively involved since the early 1970s in
the conservation of at least 71 areas throughout the island
involving historic buildings.
The Post also noted that a tender announcement was also made
public by the URA at a site on Somerset Road, where a board has
been placed to notify passers-by about the tender process for the
planned Somerset Commercial Development.
"Site area: 0.66 hectare + 0.23 hectare (subterranean space),"
it read, while informing interested parties to immediately file
their applications with the URA.
"Though it would be challenging, if the Jakarta administration
made public the information regarding developments in the city it
would be a great way to get residents involved in building a
better city," said Jakarta resident Dahlia Sardjono, who visited
Singapore recently.