All work and no play makes a dull city. After spending the last 60 years focused on transforming the country from mudflats to a prosperous metropolis, pragmatic Singapore is championing recreation. And it wants to hear from Singaporeans on how best to utilise areas within and across neighbourhoods for this purpose.
On Apr 14, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee launched a roving exhibition for the Recreation Master Plan. Part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) Draft Master Plan 2025, the Recreation Master Plan aims to create more spaces for residents to engage in leisurely and recreational activities.
Such efforts are certainly not new in Singapore. For instance, the 1991 Concept Plan had included plans for expanding green and blue spaces - referring to greenery as well as water bodies, while a 2008 Leisure Plan included the development of recreational spaces such as the Round Island Route, Southern Ridges and enhancements to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reservoirs.
However, if one were to look beyond the shores of Singapore, it will quickly become clear that very few cities have taken such an intentional approach to developing recreational spaces at the national level.
Why has Singapore placed so much emphasis and expended so much effort in planning its recreational spaces? Why are such spaces important in the first place?
PLAYING WITH SPACE CONSTRAINTS
The Recreation Master Plan emphasises three key strategies: Enhancing recreational potential of green and blue spaces, activating underutilised spaces for recreation, and making recreation inclusive for all.
The
importance of green and blue spaces had gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, with National Parks studies showing that the demand for green spaces increased significantly during the pandemic. NParks also found that residents who visited parks or therapeutic gardens experienced lower levels of mental stress and even experienced positive neuro-psycho-physiological benefits.
An article published in the interdisciplinary journal Leisure Studies (yes, there is an entire journal dedicated to the study of leisure) has found that outdoor leisure activities such as walking can prevent both physical and mental ailments. The same study also found that having more green features and natural elements along walking routes can give rise to more positive mental health outcomes.
However, recreation goes beyond simply parks and reservoirs. It is also important to ensure that our recreational spaces cater to a wide range of interests and abilities. Besides exercise and nature, the URA has found dining out and shopping to be among the top recreational activities among residents who were surveyed.
Perhaps more importantly, our recreational spaces should be accessible to persons of all ages and abilities. For instance,
Punggol Regional Library, which opened in April last year, is designed for persons with disabilities while the National Museum has created a social space for seniors.
As Singapore’s population ages, recreational spaces will need to be accessible for individuals with mobility issues. By ensuring greater accessibility, urban planners can play an important role in encouraging the elderly and disabled to engage in healthy recreational activities.
“LET’S MEET UNDER THE BRIDGE”
At the same time, our ability to cater to the wide range of recreational activities that Singaporeans partake in is limited by our spatial constraints.
This is where the Recreation Master Plan’s second strategic thrust of activating underutilised spaces for recreation will be crucial.
According to the URA, underutilised spaces that are under consideration include spaces under viaducts and the rooftops of housing estate buildings. Pilots are in place to develop running tracks or community gardens in such spaces.
Interestingly, there exist efforts to mobilise underutilised spaces both in Singapore and abroad. In Zurich, a market hall known as Viadukt was built under the arches of a railway viaduct that was built in 1894. Initially an unused space, Viadukt is now a vibrant space that features grocers, food stalls, and shops selling crafts and fashion accessories.
Closer to home, homegrown fitness company Arkkies has established gyms within bomb shelters in Bishan and Hougang. These spaces are by design sound insulated and are hence well-suited for exercises involving heavy weights.
Such efforts to tap on underutilised spaces complement the
URA’s emphasis on mixed-use development and vertical zoning as key planning tools. These can help integrate a wide variety of uses within a single plot of land.
For instance, while the Singapore Racecourse, also known as the Turf Club, in Kranji has been earmarked for future residential development, the URA plans to incorporate recreational spaces into the site as well. Similarly, plans to redevelop Sembawang Shipyard into a mixed-use waterfront lifestyle precinct will now include appropriate recreational spaces and facilities.
NOT JUST FUN AND GAMES
It is also important to note that recreational spaces are not simply physical locations for people to exercise or engage in leisurely activities. Rather, they serve an important purpose of bringing people together.
Social bonds are often described in public policy as “social capital”, that all-important but intangible ingredient that contributes to social trust and cohesiveness among inhabitants of a city or country.
Such social capital can be built up for instance when birdwatchers interact with fellow enthusiasts they encounter in a park, or when parents at a playground start chatting with each other. Over time, such repeated interactions may become cemented into longer-term friendships.
Without such spaces for play and recreation, these individuals may not have met each other, let alone get the chance to foster any form of friendship. Recreational spaces therefore play a very important role in fostering stronger social ties among residents and ultimately ensuring greater social trust cohesiveness across Singaporean society.
Urban planner across the world have long extolled the importance of building cities where people can “work, live and play”. However, many cities in reality prioritise the planning of city-centres and housing estates over recreational spaces.
Many cities are great places to work and live, but play remains an afterthought that is left to market forces and citizen initiatives rather than intentional design. The inclusion of recreational spaces in our masterplan will facilitate a more holistic approach to urban planning that emphasises all three activities of work, live and play.
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This article was first published on
CNA on 1 May 2024