1 July 2025
SIP Newsletter
AGM and EGM - Highlights
Where Great Planning Begins with Great People
Climate Change - An Immense Planning Challenge for Singapore
SIP Reimagine Sembawang Shipyard
Photo Credit: SIP
1 July 2025
AGM and EGM - Highlights
Where Great Planning Begins with Great People
Climate Change - An Immense Planning Challenge for Singapore
SIP Reimagine Sembawang Shipyard
Table of Contents | |
| Page 3 | Welcome Note from SIP President |
| Page 4 | AGM and EGM 2025 - Highlights |
| Page 7 | SIP Young Planners Mentorship Programme 2025 - Where Great Planning Begins with Great People |
| Page 8 | Knowledge Bank - Climate Change - An Immense Planning Challenge for Singapore |
| Page 12 | Draft URA Master Plan 2025 - SIP Reimagining Sembawang Shipyard |
| Page 13 | SIP Events Updates |
| Page 14 | SIP Membership Updates |
| Page 15 | Members Survey |
| Page 16 | Connect With Us! |
Dear SIP members and supporters,
The past quarter has been a meaningful one for us. On 24 April, we held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) at the Singapore Design Centre. It was a pleasure reconnecting with our members, sharing updates on SIP's progress, and celebrating exciting developments. A highlight of the evening was announcing the winners of our Young Planner Video Challenge - congratulations once again to all the talented participants!
We also launched the SIP Mentorship Programme 2025 on 8 May at the office of RSP Architects Planners and Engineers. It was the first in-person meeting between mentors and mentees, and the room was abuzz with lively conversations and laughter. We're excited for the journey ahead and look forward to many enriching sessions over the next six months.
Our Knowledge Bank has embarked on the first project for 2025. Titled Climate Change - an Immense Planning Challenge for Singapore, it discusses the importance of integrating of climate resilience principles into every layer of urban planning policy and practice. You can read about the project in this edition.
Last but not least, The URA Draft Master Plan 2025 Exhibition was finally launched! SIP participated in the concept ideation of the Sembawang Shipyard redevelopment plan. Do visit the website or the exhibition to find out more.
As this marks the fourth edition of our newsletter, we'd love to hear your thoughts. How are we doing? What would you like to see more of? Please take a moment to share your feedback with us through our short survey - your input means a lot to us.
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Yours Sincerely, |
The SIP AGM and EGM was held on 24h April and was attended by around 90 members. The agenda of the evening included:
The annual report and financial statements for 2024-2025 have been received and adopted. Members can reference both documents in the Members Portal.
Young Planners Video Challenge
Left to right:
Sneak Peek of our New Website
URA's Chief Planner - Adele Tan
Sharing on SICP and Sembawang Shipyard Project Sharing
Left to Right: Wilfred sharing the program schedule for the 3rd Cohort of SICP L2 Certification (2026-2028). More information can be found on the SIP website. Nina sharing about SIP's involvement in the Sembawang Shipyard District project. More details will be shared in due course.
Members Get Together
What happens when you bring together Singapore's top planning minds and the brightest rising talents? Magic! and lots of meaningful conversations!
On the evening of 8 May 2024, the Singapore Institute of Planners (SIP) launched its Mentorship Programme 2025 with a heartwarming and inspiring gathering at the elegant lobby of RSP Architects Planners & Engineers.
Against the backdrop of city models and creative energy, the event brought together mentors, mentees, and a shared conviction that great planning is not just about designing cities, but about nurturing the people who shape them.
This year, the programme welcomes 13 esteemed mentors, representing a rich spectrum of expertise across the built environment industry. Hailing from organisations such as URA, JTC, Surbana Jurong, CBRE, CPG Corporation, Henning Larsen | Ramboll, ARUP, AECOM, and Worley, our mentors have generously committed their time to guide, challenge, and support the next generation of planners. Special thanks to Ms. Fun Siew Leng, Chief Urban Designer of URA, for her inspiring presence and unwavering support for young planners.
Joining them are 21 bright and passionate mentees, representing both public and private sectors, from HDB, URA, JTC, and firms like RSP, Henning Larsen, WATG, and Meinhardt, to students from leading institutions such as NUS, NTU, SUTD, and UCL. Each mentee brings a unique background, but all share a deep curiosity and drive to learn, grow, and contribute meaningfully to the profession.
The evening began with welcome remarks by SIP Council Members and our guest leaders Mr. Djoko Prihanto, President of SIP and Director at DP Urban, and Mr. Beh Swee Chiew, CEO of RSP who spoke about the importance of mentorship as a bridge between experience and aspiration, between legacy and future.
What followed was not just an introduction, but the beginning of new friendships and professional journeys. Through interactive icebreakers and lively conversations over refreshments, the event sparked honest exchanges, shared laughter, and thoughtful reflection, setting the tone for a mentorship year rooted in connection, curiosity, and collaboration.
The SIP Mentorship Programme 2025 reaffirms our belief that the future of planning lies in people - in those who are willing to listen, guide, learn, and grow together.
Singapore is acutely vulnerable to climate change. Between 1984 and 2022, mean annual temperatures rose by 0.24°C per decade, and sea levels around the island have been rising about 3.5mm/year since 1993. Rainfall has also intensified-up by ~83mm per decade since 1980 - signifying harsher storms and riskier floods. Projections from the 3rd National Climate Change Study warn of up to 1.15m sea-level rise by 2100 - and even spikes of 4-5m during extreme tides or storm surges. With ~30% of Singapore <5m above sea level, low-lying areas like the East Coast are particularly exposed. Meanwhile, urban heat islands amplify local temperatures by up to 7°C compared to greener zones, while climate models project between 41 and 351 days/year above 35°C by century's end.
All these indicators bring about challenges in ensuring that the right policies and strategies are in place to plan Singapore as well as having the right tools to identify issues as well as to track and measure progress.
Current Policies & Planning Measures
Water & Flood Management
Singapore's Public Utilities Board (PUB) - via the Marina Barrage (Singapore's inaugural cross-drainage regulator opened in 2008)-has provided coastal flood protection and dual use water supply through reservoirs and pump systems . In Sept 2023, a S$125 million research fund and a centennial S$100 billion Coastal Protection & Flood Management strategy were announced to develop long-term resilience.
Ms Hazel Khoo, Director of PUB's Coastal Protection Department, noted: "As a small coastal city with many low-lying areas, Singapore is particularly susceptible to rising sea levels... Through this [Coastal-Inland Flood Model], we aim to enhance capabilities and deepen our expertise in modelling to support coastal protection efforts."
Land Use & Coastal Adaptation
The Urban Redevelopment Authority's Draft Master Plan 2025 (DMP2025) embeds "Strengthening Urban Resilience" as a core theme, alongside sustainable growth and heritage stewardship. It echoes the National Climate Study in projecting sea-level rise over 1 m by 2100, and integrates large-scale engineering and nature-based defences-like new flood barriers, green buffers, and coastal setbacks.
Mr Lim Eng Hwee, CEO of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and during URA's "Shaping a Heat-Resilient City" exhibition, reinforced the importance of adaptable urban planning in response to climate uncertainties: "As a highly urbanised city-state, we need to keep abreast of global trends and work together to ensure that our plans remain adaptable for different scenarios, such as the challenges from climate change."
A flagship initiative is the proposed "Long Island" - a 1,000-football-field landform off the southeastern coast-designed to protect against worst-case 5 m sea-level scenarios and offer new waterfront living
Cooling & Heat Mitigation
Arup's Urban Heat Snapshot has identified a large cluster within the Singapore Central Business District (CBD) - including not only high-rise areas but also historical low-rise streets - as the most extreme "hot spots" in Singapore, experiencing temperatures 6.5°C higher than their more 'rural' surroundings. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/telokayer-among-hottest-spots-in-s-pore-urban-heat-study
To combat urban heat, Singapore's Green Plan 2030 aims to double annual tree plantings and ensure every household is within a 10-minute walk from a park. URA supports rooftop greening through its Skyrise Greenery initiative. PUB runs district cooling, particularly in Marina Bay, achieving energy savings of ~40 %. Reflective coatings and cool paint have been trialled to reduce rooftop temperatures by ≈2°C.
Dr Yuan Chao, Director of the NUS Urban Climate Design Lab, added: "Combatting climate change with efficient urban planning and careful design of living environments can help to reverse the effects of climate change for future generations."
The Road Ahead: Planning Imperatives
Moving forward, Singapore must deepen its integration of climate resilience into every layer of urban planning policy and practice. The Draft Master Plan 2025 already signals a shift toward future-proofing land use by factoring in coastal protection zones, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and promoting adaptive urban design. Building on this, the Coastal Inland Flood Model being developed by PUB can be spatially aligned with URA's zoning decisions to inform flood resilient developments. The Land Use Plan 2030 and the Green Building Masterplan can be updated to embed more stringent heat mitigation requirements - such as mandatory green roofs, district-level urban cooling, and high-albedo materials in key growth areas like Tengah and the Greater Southern Waterfront.
Industry has also reacted to the need for more climate resilient planning integrated into their projects. For example, the team at Ramboll has actively contributed to several projects in Singapore, including Jurong Lake Gardens and Bidadari Park. These projects exemplify the integration of nature-based solutions into park spaces to combat climate-related challenges. Jurong Lake Gardens includes bioswales designed to detain stormwater and manage the increased frequency of heavy rainfall events. The garden features Neram Stream, which transformed from a concrete drain into a naturalized series of streams leading to the lake. Bidadari Park utilizes a picturesque detention pond to regulate flows to the downstream drainage system, serving as a beautiful park anchor that allows people and nature to thrive together.
Ramboll's Head of Water and Climate Adaptation, Pritha Hariram mentioned that: "One of the biggest challenges in cross-sector coordination and public engagement for climate adaptation and mitigation in Singapore is aligning the priorities and actions of various stakeholders, including government agencies, businesses, and the community. More effective communication and outreach efforts are needed, as well as fostering public awareness and encouraging community participation in sustainability initiatives is crucial. Building a shared vision and promoting active involvement from all sectors will be essential in overcoming these challenges and ensuring a resilient and sustainable future for Singapore."
The Singapore Institute of Planners (SIP) can play a catalytic role by upskilling practitioners in climate-adaptive planning, facilitating cross-disciplinary collaborations, and shaping professional guidelines to operationalize resilience at precinct and city scales.
In parallel, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) as well as relevant agencies like PUB, leverage a sophisticated suite of digital tools and platforms to plan the city and mange issues associated with climate change. Digital tools such as urban digital twins-pioneered in Punggol and Jurong-should be expanded across districts to simulate climate stressors and guide responsive infrastructure design. Crucially, agencies must continue engaging communities, the private sector, and professional bodies to co-develop solutions that are not only technically sound but also socially inclusive and economically viable. Singapore's compact urban form, robust planning culture, and whole-of-government approach provide a strong foundation-but addressing climate change will require sustained innovation, collaboration, and policy evolution to ensure a truly climate-resilient future.
Conclusion
Singapore's climate impacts-from rising seas to intensifying heat-demand an evolution in how the city is built and governed. Current tools, including coastal infrastructure, green plan initiatives, and the Draft Master Plan 2025, lay essential foundations. But to stay ahead, Singapore must turbo-charge resilience: combining green infrastructure, cutting-edge tech, stronger regulations, and public co-creation. If it succeeds, Singapore can emerge not just as a densely built metropolis, but as a truly climate-ready, thriving, and liveable City in Nature. SIP will further explore such issues in greater depth through a Knowledge Product to be publish early next year.
SIP Reimagining Sembawang Shipyard
The Singapore Institute of Planners (SIP) is proud to have reimagined the future of the historic Sembawang Shipyard area into a vibrant, mixed-use waterfront district.
This visionary concept integrates housing, amenities, and workspaces while celebrating the site's rich maritime heritage - creating a dynamic and inclusive environment for future generations.
This marks SIP's second major engagement following our involvement in the draft master plan of Paya Lebar Airbase.
These national-level collaborations have provided valuable opportunities for our planners to contribute meaningfully to Singapore's urban future and to exchange ideas that shape our city's evolving landscape.
A big thank you to our collaborators and planners who continue to shape Singapore's urban future! In the coming months, we will share more about how SIP was involved in the process of drafting the plan. Watch this space!
For more details on Sembawang Shipyard, please click the link below to visit relevant page at URA's website
https://www.uradraftmasterplan.gov.sg/regional-plans/north/sembawang-shipyard/
We have some exciting events being planned for the rest the year. We will share details of the events via email and on our social media. Do keep an eye out for them to find out more!
Upcoming Event
In the coming months, we are planning more exciting events and programmes. Do check your emails, SIP LinkedIn and our Website for updates!
We welcome the following SIP Members joining the Institute between 1 April and 30 June 2025.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end of our newsletter! We truly appreciate your time and attention, and we hope that you found something insightful, inspiring, or simply interesting in this edition. Whether it was a new idea, a helpful tip, or a story that resonated with you, we're glad you joined us on this journey.
As we continue to grow and evolve, our goal is to serve you better by curating content that truly matters to you. We're always looking for ways to make each issue more engaging, informative, and relevant. That's why your input is so valuable to us - it helps us understand what you enjoy most and what you'd like to see more of in the future.
To help us improve, we'd love for you to take a moment to fill out our short feedback form. It won't take long, and your thoughts will go a long way in shaping the future of this newsletter. Just click the link below - we're excited to hear from you!
Do you know SIP is now on LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram? Do connect with us and give us feedback on how we can improve. Share with us also what other contents you would like us to include in our newsletter and knowledge project. Your feedback is important to us as it helps us to better serve the Planning Community.
You can see highlights of the PlanEx Asia 2024 and SICP Award on our YouTube Channel! Do subscribe to keep updated with the happenings and behind the scenes contents!
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This Newsletter is prepared by Constance Leung. We welcome any feedback. Please send them to info@planning.org.sg