URA wins international award

The URA has received the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Global Awards for Excellence 2010 for the development and transformation of the 9-km-long Southern Ridges.

Widely recognised as one of  the most prestigious recognition programme in land use industry, the ULI Global Awards for Excellence recognises projects that represent the world’s best cross-regional lessons in land use practices. Aside from being strong in urban design quality, the winning projects must also be unique and contribute to a liveable, sustainable and workable model of development.

So far, the URA is the only organisation in the world to receive the award twice since its launch in 2005. In 2006, URA was conferred the Global Awards for its major role in pushing Singapore’s Conservation Programme.

The Southern Ridges project, a chain of green, open spaces that span the rolling hills of Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, Kent Ridge Park, before ending at the West Coast Park, has been commended for its success with the local community.

The jury said the project “creates a rare contiguous recreational space in densely populated Singapore”. They also touted the project as “a pinnacle in models for design and quality”, noting that it is “a very seductive project that is done with both elegance and beauty”, as well as a “first-rate example of how to connect open space in order to create continuity between other opportunities for redevelopment”.

Commenting on the award, Mr. Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development, said: “Singapore may be highly urbanised, but through innovative land use strategies, we can preserve the liveability of the city. At the Southern Ridges, the URA has made innovative use of existing spaces and joined them up via pedestrian linkages to allow people to come up close and enjoy the greenery. Through projects such as this that integrate greenery into the cityscape, we will multiply green spaces in Singapore many times and make Singapore truly a “City in a Garden”.