Campaign for a green corridor
By Teo Wan Gek and Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 30 Dec 2011.
Alarm bells rang in Nature Society (Singapore) vice-president Leong Kwok Peng’s head when he read a front-page report in The Straits Times announcing the relocation of Tanjong Pagar railway station to Woodlands.
That was on May 25 last year.
Mr Leong, 55, says the Nature Society had for years hoped to preserve the nature belt along the railway tracks.
With the railway land reverting to Singapore, future developments might encroach into the pockets of nature or break up the continuous stretch of greenery.
Mr Leong got to work. He wrote to The Straits Times Forum to propose a green corridor be preserved, and ended up spearheading the Nature Society’s campaign on the matter.
Source: The Straits Times via Wildsingapore
Good Work on The Green Corridor by UWCSEA Students
On Monday 5th December 2011, 200 Grade 8 students from United World College of South East Asia, Dover Campus, Singapore, walked the Green Corridor from Bukit Timah Rail Mall to Ghim Moh.
It was a great day out for everyone involved. The students loved having the opportunity to do something active in their local environment and it also helped them appreciate the importance of preserving green spaces in Singapore.
When the students returned to school they worked on a publicity campaign for the Green Corridor to raise awareness for this good cause. They created some really good work including posters, brochures, TV and radio adverts. Please see the winning entries below. Read more
Why Supporters of The Green Corridor Should Support Bukit Brown Too
The Green Corridor is a former railway while Bukit Brown is a cemetery, so different yet so similar. The Green Corridor and Bukit Brown both connects the past and future, and both involves heritage and the environment. I hope that all of you can support the preservation of Bukit Brown, just as you have actively supported The Green Corridor so far.
I supported The Green Corridor proposal by NSS because I feel that it would improve Singapore’s long-term resilience. The biggest threat to Singapore is apathy, and when Singaporeans do not feel a sense of belonging and are not bothered with what goes on here, then Singapore is in trouble.
For Singapore to survive and prosper in the long term, it is necessary to have more opportunities in preserving our shared memories and creating our shared vision. And keeping the railway lands as a Green Corridor is one opportunity not to be wasted.
Similarly, I feel that Bukit Brown is another excellent opportunity that enables Singaporeans to feel they belong here by remembering our past and creating our future. Read more
“Journey of Possibilities” – Ideas Competition for the Rail Corridor
Press Release by URA, 30 Nov 2011.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced today the launch of an Ideas Competition titled “Journey of Possibilities†for the Rail Corridor. The Ideas Competition is intended to draw innovative and fresh new ideas from the public in addressing some of the key challenges and issues in planning for the future use of the Rail Corridor.
Since the return of the former railway land to Singapore on 1 July 2011, the Rail Corridor project has garnered widespread public interest. From the feedback we received, it is clear that there are many more people out there who would like to make tangible contributions towards the envisioning of the Rail Corridor’s future. In order to create the window of opportunity for all to participate in this project, the URA is conducting the Ideas Competition from 30 November 2011 to 9 March 2012. Read more
