Be a distinctive, age-friendly city
URA focus group suggests ways to tackle quality of life and ageing issues
By UMA SHANKARI
A GOVERNMENT-initiated focus group tasked with looking at quality of life and ageing issues ahead of Concept Plan 2011 thinks that Singapore should strive to become a more distinctive city - and more 'age-friendly'.
The focus group is one of two set up by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in January to gather ideas as Concept Plan 2011 - which will map out Singapore's long-term land use strategies and directions - is drafted. The first focus group, which announced its draft recommendations last week, looked at two other topics - sustainability and identity issues.
The second focus group announced its draft recommendations and sought public feedback on them at a forum yesterday.
Its members propose four key thrusts: creating an inspiring global and Asian city; deepening people's sense of community and ownership; catering for diversity while being 'age-friendly'; and making sure Singapore stays at the cutting-edge of technology use.
Specific suggestions included enhancing public transport by creating a comprehensive intra-city shuttle bus network with convenient pick-up points, a hire-and-ride bicycle scheme and/or a water transport network within the city centre.
'We need to enhance mobility, walkability and the public transport experience,' said focus group co-chairman Edmund Cheng, chairman of the National Arts Council.
The group also said that the government has to look at ways to facilitate 'ageing in place' for the elderly.
'Provisions have to be made for the majority of people to fulfil their wish of ageing in place,' said Tan Chorh Chuan, the other co-chairman of the focus group. Professor Tan is the president of the National University of Singapore.
Suggestions include providing different flat sizes within each HDB block or precinct to cater to changing household sizes over time, and giving the elderly a menu of senior-friendly fixtures to retrofit their existing homes as they age.
Prof Tan also said that more places have to be 'senior-friendly', which means that mobility for seniors and the less-abled has to be improved by ensuring more pervasive universal design and 'end-to-end' accessibility.
Both focus groups will now gather public feedback and incorporate it into their deliberations before releasing their final recommendations in June.
Concept Plan 2011, which is expected to be finalised by the second half of next year, will then take these recommendations into consideration.
Copyright © 2010 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.
Looking ahead: The group says the govt has to look at ways to facilitate 'ageing in place' for the elderly
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment