dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Social Links
  • zedreviews.com
  • citi.io
  • aster.cloud
  • liwaiwai.com
  • guzz.co.uk
  • atinatin.com
0 Likes
0 Followers
0 Subscribers
dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
  • Cities
  • Lah!

Masterplan Of Singapore’s Underground Spaces Ready By 2019

  • February 6, 2018
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

An underground masterplan that maps out Singapore’s underground spaces and their potential uses is set to be unveiled next year.

It will be released as part of the next Master Plan guiding Singapore’s development in the medium term, said Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) chief planner Hwang Yu-Ning.

This subterranean masterplan will provide the first comprehensive look at what lies tens and hundreds of metres underground.

A worker aligning a water pipe that will be installed underground in a photo taken on May 17, 2017. PHOTO: ST FILE

Ms Hwang said the URA is working towards having a more complete 3D map of the underground spaces and infrastructure here.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong told The Straits Times that the Government has to take stock of what is underground, including pipes and power grids.

“We have to take stock and have a good database of information, and are compiling it as a central repository so we have a good basis plan,” he said.

Then National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan had raised the idea of a plan for Singapore’s subterranean development in a blog post in September 2013.

Ms Hwang, who is also URA’s acting deputy chief executive, cited underground oil storage as a way to use underground space and free up surface land for other uses.

Already, the Government has made the necessary legislative changes empowering it to acquire stratas of underground space under private land in 2015, paving the way for a future underground metropolis.

The authorities also have to plan for new items at the district and national levels.

Government agencies are already actively pursuing some ideas, including relocating common utilities found above ground, such as refuse systems and electrical substations, underground.

National water agency PUB is studying if underground water storage is viable on a large scale.

On Jurong Island, hazardous petrochemical materials are stored in the 130m-deep Jurong Rock Caverns, freeing up more than 60ha, or 84 football fields, of development space on the island.

But Jurong Island consists mostly of reclaimed and island land managed under a single agency. Bringing that scale of project to the mainland has far more complications.

Currently, details of what lies underground are known only to each relevant agency.

The Energy Market Authority, for example, keeps track of where its power grids are laid around the country, while PUB manages its own database of its water pipes.

When a developer tries to build underground, it can be difficult to figure out whether there is scope to do so as the information is spread out, said Institute of Real Estate Studies director Sing Tien Foo.

Said the National University of Singapore associate professor: “With more emphasis in future on building our infrastructure underground, it is critical for the developer, building consultants and the public to know and have access to this information.”

While the URA intends for anyone to be able to see a complete map of what lies underneath, Ms Hwang noted that not everyone can access this information freely. This is due to security concerns.

“If we share too much, we are concerned about the security threat of having unsavoury people use this information. We are still thinking how precise and how much information we want to make available to the public,” she said.

Mr Tony Khoo, president of the Singapore chapter of the International Facility Management Association, hailed the emphasis on underground utilities to save space, though he noted that they will be far costlier than their terrestrial counterparts.

He also pointed out how an underground water pipe rupture today often leads to an entire stretch of road being dug up, disrupting traffic and residents. “This is why these facilities must be designed for easy maintainability, with ample access points above ground, to make sure that they are really sustainable in the long term,” said Mr Khoo.

 

This article originally appeared in Straits Times.

Total
0
Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
Related Topics
  • Singapore
  • Subterranean
  • Underground
majulah

Previous Article
  • Cities
  • Lah!

Know Your Tree – NParks Launches Interactive Map Of Trees Across Singapore

  • February 5, 2018
View Post
Next Article
  • Cities

What Smart-Nation Singapore Can Learn From Other Smart Cities

  • February 26, 2018
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Cities
  • Technology

Meralco PowerGen’s PacificLight starts up 100 MW fast-response plant in Singapore

  • dotlah.com
  • June 20, 2025
View Post
  • Cities

Renewable energy, carbon credits are priority areas of cooperation for Singapore, Philippines: Lawrence Wong

  • dotlah.com
  • June 4, 2025
View Post
  • Cities
  • Politics

Singapore businesses eye more investments in PH, says PM Wong

  • Dean Marc
  • June 4, 2025
View Post
  • Cities
  • Research

Mathematicians uncover the logic behind how people walk in crowds

  • dotlah.com
  • April 3, 2025
View Post
  • Lah!

Tariffs, Trump, and Other Things That Start With T – They’re Not The Problem, It’s How We Use Them

  • John Francis
  • March 25, 2025
View Post
  • Lah!

Canonical announces 12 year Kubernetes LTS

  • John Francis
  • March 4, 2025
“Toyota Woven City,” a Test Course for Mobility, Completes Phase 1 Construction and Prepares for Launch
View Post
  • Cities
  • Technology

“Toyota Woven City,” a Test Course for Mobility, Completes Phase 1 Construction and Prepares for Launch

  • John Francis
  • January 6, 2025
dotlah-smartnation-singapore-lawrence-wong
View Post
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Featured
  • Features
  • Lah!
  • Machine Learning
  • Technology

Growth, community and trust the ‘building blocks’ as Singapore refreshes Smart Nation strategies: PM Wong

  • Dean Marc
  • October 9, 2024


Trending
  • Forest fire 1
    • Environment
    • People
    A changing climate, growing human populations and widespread fires contributed to the last major extinction event − can we prevent another?
    • August 19, 2023
  • 2
    • Technology
    VIETSTAR And Singapore Management University Join Hands To Build Capabilities Of Corporate Leaders In Digital Transformation And Corporate Governance
    • February 28, 2022
  • united-nations-covid-19-response-avt0TnE_NS0-unsplash 3
    • People
    Watch: Simple Test Shows Masks Reduce Droplet Spray
    • March 5, 2021
  • 4
    • Society
    • Technology
    Jobs Of Tomorrow: Mapping Opportunity In The New Economy
    • February 19, 2020
  • Atomic energy 5
    • Featured
    • Science
    • Technology
    Nuclear Energy. Super Big Energy Hiding In Super Small Spaces.
    • July 6, 2023
  • 6
    • People
    The Countries Hosting The Most Refugees
    • July 2, 2020
  • driver-car-dog-cdc-A82PSKGx9cI-unsplash 7
    • Cities
    4 Tips To Help You Prepare For Your Driver’s License Test
    • October 30, 2021
  • 8
    • Lah!
    • Technology
    Singapore Fighting Covid-19 With Fortitude
    • March 26, 2020
  • 9
    • People
    Has The World Gone Far Enough In Women’s Rights?
    • April 1, 2020
  • Artificial Intelligence 10
    • Cities
    • Technology
    AI: The World Is Finally Starting To Regulate Artificial Intelligence – What To Expect From US, EU And China’s New Laws
    • November 15, 2023
  • 11
    • People
    • Politics
    ‘A much bigger step forward’: Lawrence Wong on his journey to becoming Singapore’s fourth PM
    • May 15, 2024
  • 12
    • Lah!
    Singapore Supports Innovative Enterprises To Go Global
    • August 28, 2019
Trending
  • Camping 1
    The Summer Adventures : Camping Essentials
    • June 28, 2025
  • 2
    Meralco PowerGen’s PacificLight starts up 100 MW fast-response plant in Singapore
    • June 20, 2025
  • 3
    A Father’s Day Gift for Every Pop and Papa
    • June 14, 2025
  • 4
    Apple services deliver powerful features and intelligent updates to users this autumn
    • June 12, 2025
  • 5
    Apple supercharges its tools and technologies for developers to foster creativity, innovation, and design
    • June 11, 2025
  • 6
    It’s time to stop debating whether AI is genuinely intelligent and focus on making it work for society
    • June 8, 2025
  • 7
    PBBM asks Singapore to invest more in PH renewable energy projects
    • June 6, 2025
  • 8
    Singapore PM Wong arrives in Malacañang
    • June 4, 2025
  • 9
    Renewable energy, carbon credits are priority areas of cooperation for Singapore, Philippines: Lawrence Wong
    • June 4, 2025
  • 10
    Singapore businesses eye more investments in PH, says PM Wong
    • June 4, 2025
Social Links
dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Connecting Dots Across Asia's Tech and Urban Landscape

Input your search keywords and press Enter.