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I refer to Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan\u2019s parliamentary statement on the proposed housing developments at Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks (Gillman Barracks, Maju Forest need to be developed to meet housing needs over next decade: Alvin Tan<\/span><\/a>, Aug 4).<\/p>\n It is encouraging that while development will proceed to meet Singapore\u2019s long-term housing needs, the detailed layout and design remain flexible and will be guided by the environmental impact assessment and heritage impact assessment. This offers a genuine chance to shape a neighbourhood that is not only liveable but also better prepared for a warming climate.<\/p>\n As heatwaves grow more frequent and intense, climate adaptation needs to be built into the planning of new towns from the start.<\/p>\n Beyond setting aside selected forest patches, Maju Forest can be treated as natural urban infrastructure where trees, shade and green spaces work with buildings to cool the air, ease the urban heat island effect, support biodiversity and lift residents\u2019 daily well-being.<\/p>\n A useful reference is the internationally recognised 3-30-300 rule,\u00a0developed by the Nature Based Solutions Institute,\u00a0recently included in a study of housing designs in England led by researcher Matthew Carmona. It suggests that every resident should see at least three large trees from his home or workplace, live in a neighbourhood with at least 30 per cent tree canopy cover, and be within 300m of a publicly accessible green space.<\/p>\n Singapore need not adopt the rule wholesale. It can adapt the rule for its tropical conditions: three mature canopy trees visible from every home or workplace, at least 30 per cent neighbourhood tree canopy, and a public green space reachable by a comfortable, shaded 300m walk. In the local climate, the quality of the journey matters as much as the destination itself.<\/p>\n Shade should therefore be treated as essential public infrastructure, not just landscaping. Continuous tree-lined streets, generous canopy trees, and shaded walking and cycling routes make it easier and safer for people to move about, cut heat exposure, and create neighbourhoods that feel healthier and more pleasant.<\/p>\n As Carmona put it: \u201cThe question is no longer whether we can afford to plant and nurture street trees. It is whether we can afford not to.\u201d<\/p>\n Maju Forest is a rare opportunity to show that housing growth and climate resilience can advance together. A locally adapted 3-30-300 approach can help deliver a cooler, healthier and more resilient neighbourhood for generations ahead.<\/p>\n Loong Chik Tong<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n I refer to Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan\u2019s parliamentary statement on the proposed housing developments at Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks (Gillman…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=75315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/75316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=75315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=75315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=75315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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