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.