Richard H (Urban Red Dot)

The best part of this exhibition is that...you can also view it online, at www.uradraftmasterplan.gov.sg. All of the stuff in the exhibition is in there! And its nice to see a more vibrant, mixed use, walkable and inclusive SG and i hope all of these plans come into fruition

And finally, the Kallang River, we learn about the commitment to building lots of riverside developments, and upstream, theres amazing new plans for Bishan, such as new commercial, mixed-use and office space.

And of course I won't forget the world renowned Central Area. There is an increase in mixed-use in the downtown. And north of the river is increasingly pushed as a district for arts, culture and education. Kudos to the Paterson TOD plan above Orchard TEL station

With climate change going to ruin Singapore further, of course they also talk about heat mitigation, such as designing for hot (and rising) temperatures.

Next, transport, my favourite part. Its nice how we always try to build and expand our networks, and make it more inclusive. But i dont like how they brag about the cycling paths since they introduced the new "pedestrians only" laws.

Here, they talk about inclusion and accessibility, necessary for an ageing population. Its nice how we have amenities really close to home.

Next, we learn about SG's commitment to decentralising jobs since the 1990s. Despite this, from the survey (done by rope), the vast majority of the people go to the CBD for work, we hope to see more progress (PDD, Paya Lebar are quite good)

Next, East. We learn about the reuse of Changi Depot and its viaducts, as the EWL depot shifts to the upcoming ECID. Its nice how the public is able to contribute to what would happen. Other than that, we can see a model for Bayshore Estate and plans for housing in Defu and Paya Lebar Air Base

Moving West, we catch a glimpse of Tuas Port, which will be the world's largest automated port. There are also fascinating plans for Jurong Hill and former Bird Park by members of the public, and a model of the upcoming Science Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects

Other than that, there are also plans to convert the Kranji Racecourse to a vibrant housing estate (that horse game didnt save it unfortunately), and to revitalise Woodlands Regional Centre as the RTS is coming up

Being a Northie, i first went to the North Region. I like the plans to convert Sembawang Shipyard to a new housing estate, while keeping its heritage (when it was first opened in the 1930s, it has the largest dry dock in the world)

When you step in, you can see the original urban plans from the past, such as the 1971 concept map (pic 1, look at that MRT shape), late 60s ring maps (pic 2), mid 90s plans for the never built Simpang estate (pic 3) and the early 80s central area plan (pic 4)

Last week, I went to Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)'s exhibition on the 2025 Draft Master Plan. Here are my thoughts, in a thread so please read it all 🧵

Finally, King Albert Park. KAP is another interchange, with the smaller Downtown Line. It will be SG's deepest train station (50m), overtaking DTL's Bencoolen (47m). There is a lot of nature in the area so the project had to avoid disturbing them.

Clementi: Clementi currently is an overcrowded station with just the EWL. Whats gonna happen with the CRL interchange? The CRL will link the proposed SG-KL High Speed Rail at Jurong Lake to this station, where people can change to go downtown. Thankfully, they're planning to expand it drastically...

The Tunnel Boring Machine: One of the biggest controversies faced by the CRL was the tunnel crossing under one of SG's last primary rainforests. Nature groups were calling to divert it, but the final plan was to build a tunnel 70m below and minimise damage, the B1M called it "construction hell"...

Today, I visited the Cross Island Line Project Information Centre to learn about Singapore's newest MRT Line. The Cross Island Line is a massive S$40B+ endeavour with lots worth talking about, with 6-8 car trains and an east-west route bypassing the city.🧵

Took a visit to the Cross Island Line Phase 2 Project Information Centre, got to see a model of the Tunnel Boring Machine, and what Clementi Station would look like (lots of rebuilding imminent)

The site however, is currently put for sale, due September. So it's likely this mall will be gone and rebuilt soon. Even if it's nothing, it's fun to explore places like this and appreciate them, and probably spot some hidden gems.

Yep, the death of USSC happened before the North-East MRT Line and Nex started popping up. Despite this, USSC seemed to have formed fond memories with Gen-X SGeans, for its video games, and other shops sadly gone. Local Youtubers even visited it, finding hidden gems

Answer, competition closer to major HDB estates/population centres. Malls like Heartland Mall (1985), Hougang Mall (1996) started springing up in more dense HDB estates, bringing more retail options closer to residents, instead of having to go down to USSC by bus

In the 1980s, USSC was actually popular and hyped, to the point Oriental Emporium (former large department store chain) opened an outlet there. Big banks like POSB and Tat Lee have branches there. Guardian opened their sixth ever branch there. But...why did it flop?

The atrium is pretty nice and standard for a 70s-80s mall, albeit plain. The escalators are ofc broken so I had to take the stairs and lift. You can see a single, seemingly popular dinner restaurant at ground level taking up most of the atrium space for big family tables.

Well, at least there is a bit of business going on with the restaurants. With Union Gas branded kopitiam style tables conquering much of the atrium corridors, meant ofc for the two small restaurants in the stretch of around ten shops

The main mall consists of a mix of maid agencies, massage parlours and restaurants, many right beside each other, a common sight among older, more neglected strata malls, but for this mall, most of them are closed (granted it was Monday at 11am)

But that isnt the main mall, its just the annexe that faces the busier Upp Sgn Road. There is a bridge linking the annexe to the main mall, over a service road for the mall itself, and you can see how the annexe is less maintained than the mall from the mildew on the walls

The moment i stepped inside, i can smell the old mall smell (mould in the vents), but its much stronger. And I looked around, the escalators are dead, and the shoplots are either vacant, or closed. The walls are ofc covered in mould

First thing I noticed was, It has an overhead bridge with Level 2 access, with a sheltered link to the bus stop across the road, since Upp Serangoon Road is notoriously wide and stroad-y here, at the 5th Milestone, which has its own stories, such as the former market...

Went to the Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre (USSC). Built in 1982 by Hong Huat Timber, it was envisioned as a vibrant retail hub serving as many as 500k, but now, it's a ghost town on its last legs.

(🧵, read in full)

The retail selection at Punggol Coast Mall is actually rather solid, with a good amount of local brands, like Swee Heng, Valu$ and HUGGS COFFEE!!! (3/3)