Throughout
its efforts to seek a high level of living in a green environment, Singapore
has achieved the 15th world livable city in the
Monocle livable city index. Developing its transportation infrastructure along
with land use, several aspects took wide studies in its 2001 plan for
Singapore’s future for the coming 40 to 50 years. This master plan was recently
reviewed in 2013 where the focus was mainly on the land use development and
high mobility goals to be achieved by 2030.
Residential land use had 30% along
with an increase in transportation development expressed in adding 5 new
MRT lines with a total of 180 km which will increase its capacity more
than 70% than its now. SMRT-Bus services had their share with 40 new hubs to be
extended by that time.
Depending
on private cars as a way of transport won’t achieve a sustainable development
as Singapore see it. The increase in population to 6.9 million by 2030 paired
with the demand of more vehicles to own would be more effective if replaced by
public transportation which was mentioned in the previous plan in Jan 2013, its
aiming to develop the transportation infrastructure so that eight of ten houses
in Singapore will be within ten minutes’ walk a way of the nearest MRT station
with a well connected urban green environment. Additionally, walkable and
cycling paths will be designed to cover these areas to connect the entire city
with greater accessible way to serve people of Singapore.
One
of the nearest and important MRT network that will be opened between 2013-2017
is the downtown line, which will be the longest underground train line in
Singapore will help the people who live in the northwest and east to travel
with a great ease to the city center,500,000 commuters will be served daily and the time will be reduced to one third of its
time used to take before.
Another new
MRT line will be finished by 2021, The Thomson Line connects the north west to
south communities with a capacity of 400,000 commuters and reduce the time
taken to travel between these communities with half the time it took before.
Despite
being second most densely populated State in the world, Singapore is one of the
top Livable cities in the world. Since the independent rule Singapore
governance has set up ambitious goals of sustainable urban developments and
continues to do the same. The present Master Plan (2013) sets equally ambitious
plans to be achieved by 2030 mainly considering increasing population growth
and restricted land area. The importance has been given on expanding or
increasing rail network so that 8 in 10 homes will be within a 10 minute walk
of an MRT station. Expansion of the rail is mainly in terms of underground
rails so that no extra land area will be consumed for the development. First
and last mile connectivity is also under consideration to make public transport
faster.
Refrences:
http://sgthinker.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/there-wont-be-overcrowding-in-2030/http://mitsueki.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/6-9-million-people-in-singapore-by-2030-serious-ah/
http://lifebesiderunning.blogspot.com/2013/02/69m-dont-worry-be-happy.html
http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/05/29/singapores-circle-line-next-step-for-a-network-of-automatic-metros/
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