ULI to look at driving down the need for private cars in Singapore 

For more information, contact:
Cheryl Pan, BlueCurrent Group, Hong Kong +852 2586 7887 ([email protected])

Hong Kong (October 28, 2015) — Could Singapore have a car-free future? This issue will be investigated by Urban Land Institute (ULI) Singapore after the national council won an ULI Urban Innovation Grant to rethink the future of urban mobility in the City state. The US$20,000 grant, which was awarded at ULI’s annual Fall meeting, is given to submissions that recognize or launch innovative public/private partnerships and advance the responsible use of land in building healthy, thriving communities worldwide.

“There were a number of creative and impactful proposals submitted this year that have the potential to change the lives of individuals and make a difference in communities around the globe,” said Jury Chairman Thomas W. Toomey, chairman and chief executive of UDR, Inc. “The fourteen projects that were selected as Urban Innovation Grant winners will go a long way towards increasing public sector engagement with ULI, creating healthier and more vibrant communities, and developing innovative public-private partnerships that are so vital to the future and sustainable growth of cities worldwide.”

ULI Singapore’s submission “Disrupting Mobility – Car Share Singapore: Urban mobility options for future cities” aims to rethink the future of urban mobility. Although Singapore has been a leader in urban transportation mobility, it still devotes significant amount of its limited land and resources to building roads. Roads already account for 12% of the city state’s land area today, only a little under housing, which takes up 14%.

Emerging technology and socioeconomic trends favor car-less and car-light lifestyles, offering an opportunity to reshape travel patterns and choices. “Thanks to this grant we have the chance to completely rethink the future of urban mobility in Singapore and to plan for a scenario whereby people live their lives without the need for private cars,” said Pauline Oh, Senior Vice President for ULI Asia Pacific.

Over the next few months and using the downtown Marina Bay development as a model, ULI Singapore will team up with the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) to hold workshops. ULI Singapore members, sector experts and a variety of public and private stakeholder groups will be consulted on the implication of car free neighborhoods, car sharing and autonomous cars on livability in Singapore. During the workshops issues such as the impact of car-free lifestyles on the urban framework, on livability, on economic viability and real estate outcomes will be addressed. The joint report will be published in July 2016 at ULI’s World City Summit 2016 and shared at the ULI Fall meeting towards the end of the year.

“The Singaporean government has made the increase use of public, active & shared mobility a priority. To realize this vision, it is critical to provide a wider range of well-integrated, efficient and comfortable alternative mobility options in a more people-centric environment. With the increasing appeal of car sharing, autonomous vehicles and public transportation systems it is important to examine the potential impacts to land use, development rights, real estate value and alternative roadway use to enhance the liveablity of Singapore,” said Scott Dunn, Vice President, AECOM Southeast Asia, ULI Singapore Council.

The grant recipients were selected by a review committee of renowned land use development and planning experts. In addition to chairman Toomey, other members were James J.Chafflin, Jr., chairman, Chaffin Light Management, LLC; Lizanne Galbreath Megrue, managing director, Galbreath & Company; Philip Payne, chief executive officer, Ginkgo Residential; and Daniel St. Clair, managing director, Spaulding & Slye Investments.

About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org) is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has nearly 35,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines, including more than 1,850 in Asia.