Ideas for Jurong Lake District include bigger plots, signature events

PROPERTY developers, investors and businesses have offered several suggestions for Jurong Lake District, which is set to provide over 100,000 new jobs and 20,000 new homes when it is fully developed.

These ideas include the government selling larger sites "with attractive option schemes" so as to give developers the flexibility to experiment with new development concepts that are difficult to realise in Singapore's city centre, said Yvonne Lim, group director, physical planning, at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

To make the area more attractive, signature events could also be held there while landmark developments and attractions could be created, the industry stakeholders recommended.

Another suggestion is to "activate the public realm through placemaking and provide exciting F&B (food and beverage), retail and lifestyle options that are different from those downtown", Ms Lim said.

"Placemaking" is the process of proactively managing public spaces to foster stronger relationships among the community. It also entails business owners and local communities working together to activate and promote their precincts, according to URA's website.

Ms Lim was speaking on Monday at a seminar organised by the Building and Construction Authority and the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore on the prospects of the city-state's built environment in 2021.

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She noted that URA has been seeking views from developers, investors and businesses on its plans for Jurong Lake District. What these stakeholders like about the area are the improved rail connectivity; the lakeside setting, lush greenery and car-lite environment; a mix of office, residential and retail or hotel uses; and sustainable district infrastructure and green buildings, Ms Lim said.

In October, The Business Times reported that URA had appointed JLL to promote Jurong Lake District to developers, investors and end-users and consult key stakeholders, including potential occupiers and companies, over the medium term. URA said in May that there was a need to boost perceptions of the mixed-use district by presenting an exciting vision and narrative to better position it as a compelling business location.

Separately, Ms Lim said on Monday that URA is supporting possible future shifts in the real estate sector, in particular to optimise last-mile business-to-consumer (B2C) urban logistics to support the accelerated e-commerce adoption.

The authority has been engaging the industry to understand their changing business models and demands. For instance, F&B operators are increasingly interested in cloud kitchens, and more "dark stores" are emerging in the grocery scene. The term "dark stores" refers to distribution or fulfilment centres that cater exclusively to online shopping, for delivery and pickup orders.

URA is reviewing policies and coming up with strategies to facilitate new business models and improve the liveability of the built environment by mitigating disamenities while also meeting lifestyle aspirations, said Ms Lim.

Moreover, it has been partnering the industry to develop pilots to repurpose spaces to support last-mile B2C deliveries.

Examples of pilots that are in development and not yet launched include designated collection points in collaboration with food delivery platforms, mall owners and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Ms Lim noted. A BID is a business-led and funded body formed to improve an area; it is operated independently by the private sector to make a precinct more vibrant and attractive through marketing, hospitality and events.

Another possible pilot in the works is for courier hubs - using car parks as designated spaces for logistics companies to supply and store parcels for walkers, she added.