- Transforming No-Go Zones in Singapore: Urban Liveability in an Industrial Park on a Landfill    click here to open paper content1455 kb
by    Chan, Xiang Ying Estelle | xiangying@jtc.gov.sg   click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper
Short Outline
The Lorong Halus industrial park in Singapore will be developed as an
innovative readaptive use of a former landfill. The retained landfill poses
technical challenges that require non-traditional development methods to
put it to productive use.
Abstract
Traditional development of industrial parks requires large, flat parcels of
land that are unencumbered. By challenging such norms, Singapore is in the
process of developing the Lorong Halus industrial park on a former landfill
through rehabilitation and design strategies that would eliminate the need
to incinerate millions of cubic metres of buried waste. By retaining the
natural hilly topography consisting of mounds of landfill and learning to
work with the landfill rather than against it, Lorong Halus industrial park
is envisioned to be an experiment in innovative readaptive use of land as a
result of choosing the low-carbon but more technically challenging option.

This paper will discuss the set of challenges presented by the encumbered
condition of Lorong Halus as well as the mitigating measures taken to
overcome them. Technical difficulties in building large floor-plate
factories on uneven topography as well as the need to minimize fire hazards
posed by methane and other flammable gases have been surmounted by adopting
balanced cut-and-fill methods and implementing a system of gas detection
sensors.

The paper will elaborate upon the various economic and environmental
conditions that have informed the planning and design decisions in the
development of Lorong Halus. As Lorong Halus is a substantial source of
biodiversity within the local district, suitable landscape guidelines will
be implemented to recapture the green atmosphere and rural ambience of the
existing site.

This paper will also share on the efforts to develop an industrial park
that is compatible with the needs and aesthetics of the surrounding
residential heartland. The presence of clean industries, covered walkways
and cycling infrastructure will serve to draw in other pedestrians and open
up the industrial park to the community. The paper will conclude on the
success of transforming a former no-go zone into a vibrant and liveable
component of the Singaporean urban fabric.
Keywords
Rehabilitation; Readaptive use; Landfill; Low Carbon
Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2011: LIVEABLE CITIES: URBANISING WORLD, Meeting the Challenge
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