Ulu Pandan to feature Singapore’s first car-lite HDB precinct

In support of Singapore’s move towards a more sustainable and car-lite city, the Government has been taking active steps to encourage this shift. This includes improving the public transport system, expanding cycling path networks, and integrating transport and land-uses. These have improved connectivity and made walking, cycling and riding public transport easier and more convenient.

2 With these improvements, more car-lite areas can be designated, which are planned upfront with good public transport, walking and cycling connections, allowing for the provision of fewer parking lots in these areas. In addition to the existing ten car-lite areas, LTA will gazette six more areas^[1] as car-lite. Among these, four will include public housing estates - Ulu Pandan, Mount Pleasant, Tengah and Keppel Club site (which forms part of the Greater Southern Waterfront).

3 In line with this, HDB will similarly reduce parking provision in selected precincts within gazetted car-lite areas to free up space for public facilities and greenery. With more limited parking provision, available lots will be prioritised for residents in these precincts, through new parking demand management measures.

Ulu Pandan – Green living experience set within a car-lite precinct

4 As announced in Jul 2021, HDB will be developing the eastern half of Ulu Pandan. New public housing projects in Ulu Pandan will be sensitively designed to weave in greenery and incorporate the blue elements in the area such as the Ulu Pandan Canal and a natural stream. To promote green living, HDB will adopt strategies under the Biophilic Town Framework to integrate nature with the urban environment. Water-sensitive urban design, including elements such as rain gardens and bio-swales will also be integrated with the new housing precincts.

5 Ulu Pandan residents will enjoy good public transport connectivity, with convenient access to rail and bus services. There will be sheltered elevated linkways connecting them directly to Dover MRT station and barrier-free accessibility to bus stops along Commonwealth Avenue. To enable residents to walk safely, vehicular roads will be located at the perimeter of the precincts, segregated from the main pedestrian walkway. There will also be a comprehensive network of walking and cycling paths, providing residents with seamless connectivity to the neighbourhood centre and key amenities in Ghim Moh via the Park Connector Network.

With Ulu Pandan designed for residents

6 With Ulu Pandan designed for residents to adopt green modes of commuting, car parking provision will be reduced in precincts located within close proximity of Dover MRT station to free up space for other uses such as shared community spaces, pedestrian and cycling paths, parks and greenery.

7 The first Build-to-Order (BTO) flats in Ulu Pandan are slated to be launched in the upcoming November 2022 sales exercise and will be the first HDB car-lite precinct. To encourage less carbon intensive mode of commuting and prioritise the more limited parking provision for residents, HDB will be introducing the following measures in car-lite precincts:

Season parking will be reduced and restricted to residents only^[2], and will be prioritised for the first car of resident households.
Residents who buy season parking for their 2^nd and subsequent vehicles will be charged a higher Tier 2 season parking rate^[3], subject to availability
Short-term parking for visitors will remain available, albeit with limited lots. Parking charges may be adjusted based on demand.

Moving Forward

8 Upon completion of Ulu Pandan’s housing development, HDB will continue to monitor parking demand, and refine our parking measures if necessary. With more upcoming HDB car-lite precincts planned within gazetted car-lite areas, residents can look forward to more shared community spaces, greenery and improved connectivity in their estate.

^[1] These six areas are Ulu Pandan, Greater Southern Waterfront, Mount Pleasant, Pearl’s Hill, Tanjong Rhu, Tengah, and an expanded boundary of Bayshore.

^[2] Similar to all other HDB residential carparks, season parking sales will be on a first-come-first-served basis, subject to availability, and residents’ first car will be accorded higher priority than residents’ second and subsequent car(s). Specific to car-lite precincts, non-residents will not be able to buy season parking within the precinct, and they may have to do so at alternative nearby car parks.

^[3] This will be pegged to Tier 2 Restricted Zone (RZ) rate of $190 / month.

Four public housing estates zoned as car-lite areas