PRACTICE FORUM - HDB (SGP) NEW BREED OF ECO TOWN

PAM informed that, "Please be informed that copies of slides presentation by all speakers are available for download at PAM Website (except Mr. Patrick Lee, as the speaker requested the slides to be used for presentation only, not for publication)", it is rather strange for a establishment of international stature to do that. Wonder what is so secretive about it that it cannot be issued as handouts? Probably Singapore do not want Malaysia to know their key success ingredient? 

Reflecting on the presentation by Patrick, the one that really caught my attention was the schematic for Eco Cities that appeared to be in a grid and are ready to be superimposed into any configuration by adjusting the edges. Each of the "box" can be multiplied and connected with a MRT or LRT line. Here are the reproductions of the schematic: -

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THE GRID IRON

It starts from a Grid of 9 boxes superimposed into the land. Assuming the river passed through from high to low, you have a topography map. These potential ponds are recreational pockets of urban park. From here Urban Designer understood which box should have water features, STP and which box should be the administrative center.

THE PATH AND ITS DISTRICT (NEIGHBORHOOD)

Each square Box defines the edge of the path and it is the Solid Building Footprint demarcating the boundary of a "district". So, there are 9 districts connected by the paths. The rivers are diverted to urban park as rain water retention ponds. These are the recreational nodes for the districts. The center of each district is left open.

THE GREEN LUNG AND ITS FIGUREGROUND

Each of the district has its neighborhood center acting as a nucleus where community center, market, public spaces are centralized. It becomes self-contained. Green Lungs are surrounding the edge of the paths and the figure ground generating a sense of a city in a garden.   

THE BELLS AND THE JINGGLES

With the figureground, nodes and paths, green lungs readily configured, it is time to determine its Plot Ratio. Most tower blocks will be oriented to the North-South axis to avoid the Sun Glare. This generates the Urban Profile. The District Center (colored Red) are linked together creating a network. The center district remained as the administrative block for this precinct.

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The result of such strategy will give you a Garden City or Eco City with its positive urban spaces enclosed, well defined and integrated networks of roads, rails and connectivity. It also conforms to the principle of Classical FengShui, a subject I will discuss in another time.