• Latest
  • Trending
Singapore plans an underground future

Singapore plans an underground future

December 25, 2018
Athens Travel destination post Covid

Athens Travel destination post Covid

February 27, 2021
Enforcing Regulations for Forest Risk Commodities

Enforcing Regulations for Forest Risk Commodities

February 27, 2021
Police Scotland offered oil rig to train for protest-plagued North Sea

Police Scotland offered oil rig to train for protest-plagued North Sea

February 27, 2021
Young car enthusiasts spend $7.2 billion a year customizing vehicles

Young car enthusiasts spend $7.2 billion a year customizing vehicles

February 20, 2021
Indonesian billionaire family in the crosshairs of corruption reporting

Indonesian billionaire family in the crosshairs of corruption reporting

February 11, 2021
Greenpeace: A threat to national security?

Greenpeace: A threat to national security?

February 10, 2021
Myanmar’s military takes power detains Suu Kyi

Myanmar’s military takes power detains Suu Kyi

February 2, 2021
Top 20 Hottest African Women

Top 20 Hottest African Women

February 2, 2021
How Africa can benefit from the new commodity super cycle

How Africa can benefit from the new commodity super cycle

February 2, 2021
Moving Israel to CENTCOM: Another Step Into the Light

Moving Israel to CENTCOM: Another Step Into the Light

February 2, 2021
Did Donald Trump Successfully Realign U.S. Global Power and Interests?

Did Donald Trump Successfully Realign U.S. Global Power and Interests?

February 2, 2021
Trump gone, Biden here…and Indonesia?

Trump gone, Biden here…and Indonesia?

January 29, 2021
citizendaily
  • Asia News
    • Northeast Asia
      • China
      • Japan
    • North Korea
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • South Asia
      • Afghanistan
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Pakistan
    • Southeast Asia
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
    • Latin America
      • Cuba
      • Mexico
    • Middle East
      • Gulf States
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Syria
    • North America
      • Canada
      • United States
    • Russian Federation
  • Economy
    • Brexit
    • Free Market
  • Politics
    • ASEAN
    • Diplomacy
    • ISIS
    • National Defence & Security
  • Editorial
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Forests
    • Water & Oceans
    • Wildlife & Endangered Species
  • Lifestyle
    • Books & Literature
    • Entertainment
    • Food & Dining
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Tech
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Saturday, February 27, 2021
  • Asia News
    • Northeast Asia
      • China
      • Japan
    • North Korea
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • South Asia
      • Afghanistan
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Pakistan
    • Southeast Asia
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
    • Latin America
      • Cuba
      • Mexico
    • Middle East
      • Gulf States
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Syria
    • North America
      • Canada
      • United States
    • Russian Federation
  • Economy
    • Brexit
    • Free Market
  • Politics
    • ASEAN
    • Diplomacy
    • ISIS
    • National Defence & Security
  • Editorial
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Forests
    • Water & Oceans
    • Wildlife & Endangered Species
  • Lifestyle
    • Books & Literature
    • Entertainment
    • Food & Dining
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Tech
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
citizendaily
No Result
View All Result

Singapore plans an underground future

December 25, 2018
in Asia News, Business, Economy, Featured, Lifestyle, Singapore, Southeast Asia
0
Home Asia News

RelatedPosts

No Content Available
Post Views: 127

 

From its towering “supertree” vertical gardens to a Formula 1 night race, Singapore is known for many attractions; underground space is not one of them.

But that may soon change, as the city-state prepares to unveil an Underground Master Plan in 2019.

With some 5.6 million people in an area three-fifths the size of New York City – and with the population estimated to grow to 6.9 million by 2030 – the island nation is fast running out of space.

Singapore has been reclaiming land for decades, but that is increasingly unsustainable due to rising sea levels and other impacts of climate change. So the city is going underground.

Singapore has already moved some infrastructure and utilities below ground, including train lines, retail, pedestrian walkways, a five-lane highway and air-conditioning cooling pipes. It also stores fuel and ammunition underground.

Now, the city wants to go further. “Given Singapore’s limited land, we need to make better use of our surface land and systematically consider how to tap our underground space for future needs,” said Ler Seng Ann, a group director at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

“Currently, our focus is on using underground space for utility, transport, storage and industrial facilities to free up surface land for housing, offices, community uses and greenery, to enhance liveability,” he said.

The Underground Master Plan will feature pilot areas, with ideas including data centres, utility plants, bus depots, a deep-tunnel sewerage system, warehousing and water reservoirs.

There are no plans to move homes or offices below ground. Singapore joins only a handful of cities that are mapping their subterranean space, said Peter Stones, a senior engineer with the consultancy Arup, which did a study for URA comparing its use of underground space to other cities.

“Globally, underground spaces are still back of mind; it’s a Wild West of development, with a first-come, first-served system,” he said.

“Singapore wants to look at it holistically and have a master plan so it can plan and manage the use of its underground space, and avoid potential conflicts,” he said.

From the catacombs of ancient Rome to step wells in medieval India and World War II bunkers, underground spaces have been used for a variety of reasons.

Helsinki and Montreal are considered leaders in underground urbanism, a movement focused on innovative ways to use underground spaces.

Arup’s study found Singapore’s underground rail density is slightly behind Tokyo’s, and that it has the lowest density for underground pedestrian links.

The study also found Singapore trailed Hong Kong and Tokyo in underground road density as of 2014.

Of 180 kilometres of urban rail, nearly half are located below ground, as is about 10 per cent of Singapore’s expressway network.

Besides the space crunch, the other driver for tapping underground space in Singapore is the weather, said Stones.

“You have rising heat and humidity, and increasingly heavy rainfall. People want to avoid that,” he said.

“Plus, utility networks are subject to more wear and tear in these conditions, so placing them underground is a viable option,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Advanced technologies and careful design also mean planners are able to alleviate the monotony and claustrophobia of underground spaces, he said.

But since building underground is generally more expensive and complex than on the surface, Singapore will only do so “where it is meaningful and practical”, URA’s Ler said.

“In many cases, it does make sense to build underground, considering benefits such as land saving, improving the quality of the environment and better connectivity,” he said.

“Our underground MRT (mass rapid transit) network and expressways in the city area are some examples where the benefits of going underground outweigh the higher construction cost and technical challenges.”

Storing fuel in rock caverns freed up more than 60 hectares, or 84 football fields, of space. The city’s reservoirs occupy about 5 per cent of Singapore’s land, so moving them underground could create more space.

“The space is there, it’s an asset, and we should use it. Having a detailed and rigorous plan is crucial,” said Stones.

Source :
Guardian News
Tags: Ler Seng Anunderground futureURAUrban Redevelopment Authority
Previous Post

Malaysia, Indonesia, Colombia to meet over France’s anti-palm oil vote

Next Post

Indonesia asks people to avoid coast near erupting volcano

Related Posts

Athens Travel destination post Covid
Europe

Athens Travel destination post Covid

February 27, 2021
Enforcing Regulations for Forest Risk Commodities
ASEAN

Enforcing Regulations for Forest Risk Commodities

February 27, 2021
Police Scotland offered oil rig to train for protest-plagued North Sea
ASEAN

Police Scotland offered oil rig to train for protest-plagued North Sea

February 27, 2021
Young car enthusiasts spend $7.2 billion a year customizing vehicles
Asia News

Young car enthusiasts spend $7.2 billion a year customizing vehicles

February 20, 2021
Indonesian billionaire family in the crosshairs of corruption reporting
Asia News

Indonesian billionaire family in the crosshairs of corruption reporting

February 11, 2021
Greenpeace: A threat to national security?
Climate Change

Greenpeace: A threat to national security?

February 10, 2021
Next Post
Indonesia asks people to avoid coast near erupting volcano

Indonesia asks people to avoid coast near erupting volcano

Translate

Subscription

Popular Post

Athens Travel destination post Covid
Europe

Athens Travel destination post Covid

February 27, 2021
0

  We left the pleasure of climbing the Acropolis for the end, like a cherry on top. The entrance to...

Read more

NGOs call for mass boycott of palm oil giant IOI

June 29, 2016
No peace for Greenpeace

No peace for Greenpeace

July 1, 2016

The Case Against Greenpeace

July 1, 2016
Children in ISIS Nusantara Media Outreach

Children in ISIS Nusantara Media Outreach

July 2, 2016
  • About Us
  • Creative Commons
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

Topics

Follow Us

About Us

citizendaily.news is part of the citizen Daily Media Group LLC, which delivers daily news around the globe. ​

© 2012 The Citizen Daily

No Result
View All Result
  • Asia News
    • Northeast Asia
      • China
      • Japan
    • North Korea
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • South Asia
      • Afghanistan
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Pakistan
    • Southeast Asia
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
    • Latin America
      • Cuba
      • Mexico
    • Middle East
      • Gulf States
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Syria
    • North America
      • Canada
      • United States
    • Russian Federation
  • Economy
    • Brexit
    • Free Market
  • Politics
    • ASEAN
    • Diplomacy
    • ISIS
    • National Defence & Security
  • Editorial
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Forests
    • Water & Oceans
    • Wildlife & Endangered Species
  • Lifestyle
    • Books & Literature
    • Entertainment
    • Food & Dining
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Tech
  • Sports

© 2012 The Citizen Daily