Reference no: EM132837887

Marina Bay - Garden City by the bay

An iconic skyline is emerging in the central area of Singapore - the world- class development of Marina Bay. An extension of the central business district built on 360 hectares around a fresh water reservoir, Marina Bay supports Singapore's goal of becoming a major business and financial hub in Asia. The facilities, such as the world's most expensive standalone casino, Marina Bay Sands, with its three 55 story towers topped by a one hectare sky terrace, the Sky Sands Park, and its Eiffel Tower length infinity pool, indicate Marina Bay is a brand that epitomizes Singapore's push to be one of the most dynamic and forward thinking economies in the region (The Business Times, 2008). The core of the Marina Bay brand is the 'three Es': Explore, where living meets the sky; Exchange, where the world connects with you; and Entertain, where the bay is your playground. ' Explore' refers to the development of residential areas that provide a seamless work- life environment such as The Sail @ Marina Bay; a 70- story landmark development that provides six-star luxury housing ( Marina Bay Singapore, 2013). To balance the high- rise residential developments, gardens and other recreational facilities have been carefully planned to provide residents with a good quality of life. 'Exchange' is for the development of a global business hub that is designed to attract leading financial institutions and businesses. Marina Bay, which the same size as Hong Kong's central financial district and larger than London's Canary Wharf, effectively doubles the size of the current financial center. This reinforces the country's resolve to be a regional hub for financial commerce. The center piece is the 3.55 hectare Marina Bay Financial Centre, three office towers situated on the waterfront. Finally Marina Bay is to be one of the key playgrounds of Singaporev - 'Entertain'. The building of nature destinations, such as the Gardens by the Bay, the hosting of major events, such as the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, and the provision of major entertainment, cultural, and eating venues, such as the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort and the Esplanade - Theaters on the Bay, is certainly providing leisure and entertain-ment opportunities to Singapore's population and visitors. The range, uniqueness and vision of the facilities on offer in the bay meets the development's true vision to become a '24/ 7, thriving and energetic place where people live, work and play'( Marina Bay Singapore, 2013). Marina Bay highlights the Singapore government's long- term initiatives to maximize the commercial potential and to satisfy the population's residential, transport and recreation requirements from its finite land resources (Henderson, 2012). With the mission 'to make Singa-pore a great city to live work and play in,' the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), a unit of the Ministry of National Development, administers these and other government urban planning initiatives ( Urban Redevelopment Authority, 2013). Nothing is haphazard in the government's planning objectives. From as early as 1971, in the early years of Singapore's independence, the government had initiated a 40- to 50- year Concept Plan (Urban Redevelopment Authority, 2013). Revised every 10 years to take into account changing circumstances and needs, it sets a clear picture of the government's short- and long- term urban development directions. Marina Bay is a product of such long- term planning. Although the more tangible results of the Marina Bay project have only emerged from the late 2000s, initial planning for the project started in the 1970s with the reclamation the Telok Ayer Basin, with the view that extra land may be needed for the main business district in the longer- term ( Marina Bay Singapore, 2013). In the process this meant that the Singapore River no longer flowed into the sea, which created, on the completion of the Marina Barrage, in 2008, a large and needed inner- city fresh water reserve, a lifestyle attraction, and effective flood control for the city. Marina Bay also fulfils many of the quality of life objectives of the latest 2011 Concept Plan that are the provision of a good living environment, an inclusive society, and homes to which people feel that they belong, and economic growth (Henderson, 2012). Marina Bay is one of the many planning transformations that are occurring in Singapore. Not only is it its own brand, it is also supporting Singapore's aim to be a global city that that also cares for its citizens. This does not happen on its own. It is a partnership.

Questions:

1. What key challenges facing Singapore do you think that Marina Bay is addressing?
2. What do you think the 'place brand' of Singapore is? How is Marina Bay helping this brand?
3. Do you think that government should have a role in urban planning to the extent that it has in Singapore? Think of the positives and negatives of a development such as Marina Bay.
4. At the core of the URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority)'s mandate is to provide quality of life for the Singapore population. Do you think that Marina Bay can fulfil this objective alone?