Debated in Parliament on 24 Feb 2021.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development whether there is a change of new town development planning parameters in terms of land use for residential, leisure, community and transport infrastructures.
In developing HDB towns and estates, HDB works closely with agencies such as URA, LTA, PA, NParks and SportSG to ensure that residents have convenient access to a range of facilities, such as amenities, parks, schools and community facilities.
Government agencies review these plans regularly, taking into consideration changing needs and emerging trends, to ensure that they remain relevant and continue to meet the evolving needs and aspirations of Singaporeans. With changing needs due to an ageing population, we had, prior to COVID-19, already started adapting our local facilities to meet such needs. In recent years we saw lifestyle changes arising from freelance work and digitalisation. COVID-19 has now greatly accelerated these lifestyle changes. More people are working remotely, which has led to changes in commuting travel patterns. More people are shopping online, resulting in more small deliveries to homes. Our planners are studying how these changes in activity patterns may affect the way neighbourhoods and spaces should be designed and planned.
URA, HDB and the relevant agencies will continue to keep a close watch on such changes to ensure that the facilities in our towns are adequate and well-placed to accommodate population needs as well as changing trends.
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