Parks Like Istana To Revamp & Expand With New Trail From Botanic Gardens To Singapore River
Famous for lush greenery everywhere, Singapore has our many parks and gardens to thank for providing relief from the concrete jungle.
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Source
On 13 Feb, the National Parks Board (NParks) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) unveiled plans for the renovation of several parks around central Singapore.
With these changes, larger green spaces in town may make wandering around the area a lot more of a pleasant experience.
Istana Park part of a “Green Oasis In Orchard”
To increase accessibility to Istana Park, parts of Orchard Road will become more pedestrian-friendly, reported Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
By connecting Buyong Road to Handy Road, visitors will able to enter Istana Park via the Istana entrance.
NParks will also be incorporating more greenery around the facility through the “Dhoby Ghaut Green” and “Penang Road Open Space”.
Both will join the Istana Park to form a larger green space, triple the size of the current park.
According to URA, these facilities can be venues for events such as festivals and pop-up stores.
The park will then transform into a “rustic nature playgarden” to promote children’s interaction with nature.
With permanent retail stores nearby, park-goers can also drop by Plaza Singapura for a round of shopping and eating.
Fort Canning Park will enhance both historical & natural elements
Encapsulating our country’s rich past, it is no surprise Fort Canning Park played host to The Bicentennial Experience.
The Jubilee Park in Fort Canning is will undergo the next phase of expansion, after completion of the first phase in 2019.
As the park doubles in size, you can look forward to a new discovery rain garden, play trampolines, and other unique playground structures.
The location will be much more family-friendly, so parents can spend time with their young children there.
Easier access to Singapore River from the parks
To connect all the above parks, a linkway will stretches all the way to Singapore River and Pearl Hill Park.
You might even be able to go straight to Orchard Road from the Botanic Gardens which is so convenient.
From Orchard Road, a paved public walkway will take you down to the lush Istana Park, through the historical and artistic elements of Fort Canning Park.
The URA is also going to redevelop the part of a Clarke Quay road separating Liang Court and the Singapore River, to continue the pedestrian walk.
This is in line with the redevelopment plans of Liang Court and the building of a new hotel at Fort Canning MRT station.
This 6km trail is ideal for those intrigued by Singapore’s nature and history.
A sneak peek at the revamped parks
With the announcement of this redevelopment plan, URA is also hosting an exhibition titled “A Green Oasis in the City: From Orchard to Singapore River”.
Singaporeans can visit the exhibition for free, from 13 Feb to 12 Mar 2020.
We can certainly anticipate a fresh look for Singapore parks and a more convenient route to explore the beauty our nation has to offer.
Are you excited about the new features in our parks? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Featured image adapted from Business Insider.
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