United Nations Public Service Awards Case Studies

Ranked amongst the world’s smallest countries, Singapore has a population of 4.9 million that is packed within a small land area of 710.2 sq km. With population density of 6,814 per sq km, catering to the need for recreational space and greenery is a challenging task.

Singapore’s vision in the area of greenery is to evolve into a City in a Garden – a bustling metropolis nestled in a lush mantle of tropical greenery, where gardens, parks and nature reserves are woven into a floral tapestry.

Against a backdrop of competing land use demands, the vision is an ambitious one for a small independent island nation. Land for various purposes such as airports, seaports, reservoirs, power stations and military training areas etc. have to be set aside for in addition to residential, commercial and industrial uses. Despite this, some 300 km of park connectors have been identified through innovative planning and programmed for development.

What is the initiative about? (the solution)
The Park Connector Network (PCN) was initiated to create a matrix of green corridors around the island, linking parks, nature reserves, natural open spaces and other places of interest. These urban greenways connect the population centres to major parks. They are also inter-connected via loops and links so that users can have a choice of landscapes and distances to enjoy around the island. Park connectors are ideal locations for jogging, cycling or roller-blading and other outdoor pursuits such as hiking, bird watching and photography. The target is to construct a total of 300 km of park connectors by 2015. When the entire network is completed, Singapore will have a green matrix of connected linear park space, making parklands extremely accessible to the public. The green corridors that make up the PCN do not only serve as venues for recreational activities. They have a secondary function as eco-links to enhance biodiversity. As greenery along the PCN matures it enables birdlife and other fauna to traverse such corridors from one refuge to another in their search for food and breeding sites. By having greenways connect major parks with the nature reserves, nature would ultimately be enhanced throughout the island.

Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
The proposal to form a park connector network was an idea mooted by the Ministry of National Development in the late 1980s and approved by the Garden City Action Committee in 1991. The Garden City Action Committee was formed in 1973 to spearhead the formulation of a greening policy as well as direct the Garden City Campaign in Singapore. It comprises ranking officials from key government agencies. The Park Connector Network programme is an important component of Singapore’s Parks and Waterbodies Plan (Urban Redevelopment Authority 2002). It was updated in the country’s Master Plan 2008. The implementing agency for the Park Connector Network programme is the National Parks Board (NParks), a statutory board established in 1990. The National Parks officers maintain regular contact with the local grassroots leaders of electoral precincts served by the park connectors. They work jointly with community leaders to launch and popularize each new section of the Park Connector Network. This engagement of the community and other stakeholders to introduce the new public space serves to engender a sense of public ownership of the Park Connector Network. Increasing usage and heightened awareness of the Park Connector Network have led to more support of the programme by the public. They also generate demand for additional tracks, better connectivity and additional recreational amenities like park furniture, exercise equipment, and resting areas. Regular park connector users have also come forward to become “PCN friends”, providing valuable feedback to NParks to improve the network and organizing events such as charity rides using the Park Connector Network.

Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
a. What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
The Park Connector Network programme is an innovative way to optimize land use potential. The programme aims to cater to recreational needs and to enhance the quality of living by making use of underutilized land such as Drainage Reserves and MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) viaducts. Land reserved as drainage buffers was specifically targeted for greenway development to make the “park connector” proposal more attractive to pragmatic decision makers. This land has already been accepted as having ‘low’ economic potential. Doubling as greenways, such spaces would provide a cost effective method for facilitating the use of existing recreational venues. They would come to play an increasingly critical role in sustaining the garden ambience of Singapore as ‘borrowed’ greenery in the environment progressively come under development in the name of progress.

b. What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
During planning stage, the National Parks Board identifies suitable green corridors and seeks the cooperation of relevant landowners and agencies to secure the land on which to implement the park connector. Land may be secured for park connector projects in two ways: a. Land is re-zoned as Parks & Gardens and allocated directly to the National Parks Board to carry out parks or parks-related development b. Land is ‘borrowed” by the National Parks Board to develop park connectors on land not owned by the Board The land status remains unchanged in the second scenario. Being long and linear, park connectors can often pass through a variety of land uses such as canals and viaducts, as well as residential areas. This process involves consultations with agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Land Transport Authority (LTA), Public Utilities Board (PUB), Housing and Development Board (HDB), Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), Jurong Town Corporation (JTC), Singapore Sports Council (SSC) and the various Town Councils. In order to ensure a smoother and seamless connectivity of park connectors for the public, cooperation among the various agencies to resolve land-use issues is essential. Regular internal and multi-agency meetings are conducted to discuss policies and issues concerning the implementation of future park connectors bordering waterfronts, the integration of the park connectors with intra-town cycling tracks (introduced by LTA and other agencies), as well as provision of alternative routes during service maintenance or canal and road widening projects. Once the land is secured for the Park Connector Network, design and development works are carried out to prepare the site for their numerous functions. As many of the park connectors run alongside the Drainage Reserves, NParks often works in close collaboration with the Public Utilities Board. The latter itself has an ongoing “Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters” (ABC) Programme which provides a good opportunity for integrated development of the water bodies with the surrounding parkland and park connectors. Another agency, the LTA, helps to provide signalized and zebra crossings across roads necessary to link the park connectors. As a leading authority in transportation structures, LTA also assists NParks in the design & construction of some of the overhead bridges and underpasses of the PCN. Where the footpaths at the LTA road reserves are required to serve as interim park connectors, LTA has consented to NParks floor marking of “street-prints” to distinguish the footpaths as part of the PCN. At locations where the park connector passes by an MRT / LRT station, collaborative efforts are made to ensure effective and safe passage by the public and the PCN user. Where the PCN runs through the housing estates, NParks works with HDB to integrate the park connectors with HDB’s existing footpaths. Links to the existing HDB network of footpaths and facilities are maintained and even improved to provide the residents with seamless connections to the neighbourhood. Where possible, the park connectors will also join to HDB’s neighbourhood parks to increase the “green” space. Upon completion of development, the launching of new park connectors continues to involve the participation and collaboration of various agencies and stakeholders.

c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
A key challenge in implementing the Park Connector Network is to ensure connectivity between stretches of greenways. At times, due to over-riding needs of different agencies, the alignment of park connectors may need to be modified or even abandoned. With continued development of the city-state, connectivity and land use constraints intensify over time, as competing uses increase within the limited spaces available. Such competition causes more restrictions on connectivity and required space for recreational activities, often at the expense of greenery. For example, park connectors may have to skirt around obstructions such as bus stops, covered linkways and MRT stations. Hence, there may be a need to identify an alternative route. This exemplifies the complexity of multi-agency coordination and agreement in resolving planning issues and making a park connector possible. To facilitate smooth implementation of the Park Connector Network programme, a working group comprising representatives from key government agencies involved in land management and enforcement such as the Land Transport Authority, the Traffic Police, the Housing and Development Board, town councils, Urban Redevelopment Authority and Singapore Land Authority is formed to coordinate and formulate guidelines for the development of greenways on lands under their jurisdiction. The Garden City Action Committee (GCAC) steps in to resolve any potential conflict.

d. What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The development cost is supported by government grant. Land cost is not a significant factor as the programme makes use of space that are of low economic potential. In terms of human resources, the programme currently involves a total of some thirty National Parks Board officers working in Policy & Planning, Parks Development Management and Parks divisions. They oversee the various aspects of work to realize the programme from the planning and securing of land, development management to the subsequent management and day-to-day operation of the Park Connector Network. Contractors are appointed through a public tendering process to carry out the construction and maintenance of the Park Connector Network. Cleansing and horticultural maintenance of the park connectors are carried out under performance-based contracts. Government operating grants supports operation of the Park Connector Network.

Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
Financially, the Park Connector Network programme is a sustainable and attractive proposition as it makes use of under-utilised land with low economic potential to create useful recreational space. As linear spaces with basic amenities, park connectors do not incur substantial developmental nor operational cost relative to its benefits. Parks and the Park Connector Network contribute tremendously to the high quality of living in Singapore. Wherever feasible, green features have been incorporated in the park connectors e.g. the use of energy-saving lighting (and for some of the signboards, solar power). The planting of numerous trees and shrubs along park connectors supports a greater biodiversity of flora and fauna. It contributes to a cooler environment and environmental sustainability. Activities along the Park Connector Network such as cycling and jogging are also very environmentally friendly and promote love of the outdoors and nature. Socially, the benefits and opportunities that the Park Connector Network creates for active lifestyle, healthy living, community bonding and social cohesion, education etc. ensures the continual support of the public and decision makers for the programme.

What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The Singapore experience in greenway planning and implementation can serve as a model for other rapidly urbanizing cities that recognize the various human and ecological benefits of urban greenways. Strategic planning targeting low-utilization space, forging strategic partnerships with community leaders, net-working with key land management and enforcement agencies, and securing the support of city planners are some of the initiative that facilitate a successful outcome. Garnering of feedback for enhancing the greenways inform future greenways development. The application of lessons learned from the earlier projects allows the greenways concept to evolve. In fact, the success of the Park Connector Network has spawned another new idea – the extension of the concept to create a seamless 150 km Round-Island Route to further enhance the recreational opportunities in Singapore. Residents in this small island nation certainly have something exciting to look forward to in the next few years.


Institution Name:		National Parks Board
Institution Type:		Government Agency
Contact Person:		Koh Poo Kiong
Title:		Assistant Director / PCN
Telephone/ Fax:		65-64653341
Institution's / Project's Website:		65-67621383
E-mail:		koh_poo_kiong@nparks.gov.sg
Address:		1 Cluny Road
Postal Code:		259569
City:
State/Province:
Country:		Singapore

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

Actors and Stakeholders

(a) Strategies

(b) Implementation

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

(d) Use of Resources

Sustainability and Transferability

Lessons Learned

Contact Information