Singapore launches tall buildings Green initiative

Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Parks Board (NParks) have introduced a series of initiatives to promote "skyrise greenery" for a "lusher, greener Singapore."

The Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH) programme supports the Government blueprint for sustainable development, launched on 27 April, and contribute toward the island-state's Sustainable Development Blueprint target of an additional 50 ha of "skyrise greenery" by 2030, according to a joint statement by the URA and NParks.

In a statement, the URA and NParks said, "These initiatives encourage the greening of our urban high-rises and contribute to the vision of Singapore as a City in a Garden. They will also reinforce Singapore's image as a tropical ‘Garden City', an image which distinguishes us from many other cities. This image will be built upon and reinforced in the future."

Under the URA's Concept Plan and Master Plan, said the statement, land has been set aside for parks and nature areas. "We are also extending our park connector network and aim to eventually link up the whole island in a 150 km round island route," said the statement.

Under the scheme developers will be encouraged to incorporate both ground greenery and sky rise greenery in the form of sky terraces and rooftop gardens. This is seen as increasingly important, by the island's government, as Singapore becomes, "more built up with higher intensity of development,", said the joint statement.

Land earmarked for construction would therefore be replaced with greenery and landscape areas equivalent to the area of the development site either at the ground level or vertically, added the statement.