Singapore: Land-use Planning/Zoning to Integrate Environmental Concerns into Economic Development Framework

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Title:	Land-use Planning/Zoning to Integrate Environmental Concerns into Economic Development Framework
Keywords:	Land use planning, Development, Policies and measures, Awareness
Location:	Singapore
Time Frame:	Since 1958
Relevant items:	- Awareness and visions - Policies and measures
	(other topics and examples)

Problem overview:

Awareness and visions: The requirement for land use planning/zoning has become a necessity, as it is apparent that urban growth is leading to problems, such as, clustered settlements and traffic disorder. Land planning has been or is currently being developed and controlled in most Asian countries. Singapore is one example of a well-managed land use system.

Policies and measures: Singapore has established the Master Plan and later on the Revised Concept Plan has guidelines for land use management and control at present time and in the future.

Background in summary:

Integration of environment and economic in land use planning: Singapore uses the techniques of land use planning and zoning to optimize the varying competing land uses and also to attempt to integrate environment and development. This is done through a combination of her Master Plan/Concept Plan/Zoning, and Development Guide Plans which form part of the Master Plan.

The following were some of the concerns under the Master Plan:

Identification of development constraints and major land uses that affect the environment
Protection of land needs for environmental infrastructure
Identification of possible areas for major utility installations and infrastructural needs that are pollution-prone
Identification of possible areas for nature conservation.
Continued protection of water-catchement areas

The general principles adopted to integrate environment and development under the Concept Plan are:

Grouping of pollutive uses to minimise land for buffer zones.
Land within airfields and noise zones are designated for industrial and warehouse developments.
Land within buffer zones of sewage treatment plants and power stations for proposed industries and warehousing.
Segregation of major pollutive uses from population centres.

See document in full

Peer Review Committee

Good practice rating:

(1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)

Sustainability

Efficiency

Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other.

Cost efficient.

Sustainable over time (not one-off)

Process

Adaptability

Participation of the community

Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?)

Participation of resource owners/users

Socio-cultural adaptability.

Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private)

Level of development adaptability.

Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments.

Style of government adaptability.

Ability to attract political interest/support

Degree of decentralization adaptability.

Procedures for feedback and review.

Comments on this example:

In some cases, communities need to be relocated according to the land use plans. This could cause a conflict between the community and the government because the community is sacrificing their personal conveniences for the benefit of the whole. It would be fair for the government to provide some form of compensation, apart from money, such as, a guarantee for equivalent living standards or occupational opportunities in the new living area. If the government is unable to compensate, zoning communities into newly allocated areas might be a problem.

Sustainability of the project:

Awareness and visions: In some countries there is a move to carry out physical spatial planning that would over ride the land use planning exercise. The currently imposed industrial estate system is also aimed at concentrating pollution away from population centres and provision of common treatment and management systems aimed at cost reduction etc. Land use planning is not only important in terms of pollution management from industries, but also in order to maximize the returns from land, prevention/reduction of change of land use in cases of sensitive areas. In most countries natural forest areas are being converted to agriculture or settlement areas, causing severe environmental stress.

Adaptability of the project to other situations:

To keep the country organized, land use planning is required, especially in major cities where many actions, such as, businesses, transportation, settlements, are going on. Particularly in the case of Singapore, where available area is limited, land use planning is needed to efficiently utilize every inch of land possible. However, there is a difference between Singapore and other countries in Asia, Singapore has only the urban area, while other countries have large rural areas. Therefore, with large geographical boundaries, there is still plenty of space left to be used. Therefore, the need of other countries for land use planning, is not as desperate as of Singapores.

Process of decision making and implementation:

Policies and measures: One very significant factor that made land use planning work well in Singapore is the ability of the Singaporean government to effectively enforce its policies and measures. Many countries in Asia have equivalently good land use plans, but are unable to enforce it because of many factors, for example, budget constraint, low commitment, objections from the public, etc.

Cost efficiency:

Documentation:	Literature or other written project review references
Source of Information:	Ministry of National Development 5 Maxwell Road, #21-00 & #22-00 Tower Block MND Complex Singapore 069110 Tel: 3257250 / Fax: 3257254 Website: http://www.gov.sg/mnd/ndhq/index.html
Contacts:
Submitted by:	Ms Koh Kheng-Lian, Director, Asia Pacific Centre for Environmental Law, the National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260

Problem overview:

Background in summary:

Peer Review Committee

Good practice rating:

Comments on this example:

Documentation:

Source of Information:

Contacts:

Submitted by: