Serious Orchard Road Makeover - Fully Pedestrian Walk!

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Fully pedestrianised Orchard Road being explored in long term to refresh premier shopping belt: Iswaran

SINGAPORE - Singapore's premier shopping belt, Orchard Road, could become fully pedestrianised as part of bold plans to transform the precinct into a distinctive shopping and lifestyle destination, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S. Iswaran said on Thursday (April 13).

Speaking at a tourism industry conference, he said government agencies such as Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Land Transport Authority are working with the private sector to make Orchard Road more pedestrian-friendly and conducive for street-level activities and fully pedestrianising Orchard Road is one of the options they are exploring in the longer term.

But for a start, the agencies are considering a road reduction programme and opening up existing parcels of State land on Orchard Road to expand the pedestrian mall he said.

Giving more details of the plans, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) chief executive Lionel Yeo said that streetscape improvements will be done to make the Orchard Road precinct more pedestrian-friendly.


The iconic Shibuya traffic intersection in Tokyo, Japan, May 21, 2013. PHOTO: ST FILE
"We are studying the reclamation of one lane along Orchard Road to improve the pedestrian experience and support more activations," he said. "In response to stakeholder feedback about the attractiveness of scramble-crossings, such as those in Japanese cities, we intend to trial a scramble walk at a major junction along Orchard Road."

Mr Yeo added that STB will explore enhancing pedestrian connectivity by minimising visual and physical barriers along Orchard Road that divide one side from the other.

"The physical plan for Orchard Road must be complemented by experiential elements. We want to encourage new experiential concepts and more street-level pop-up activations," said Mr Yeo.

"This can be done by allowing the temporary use of existing vacant sites such as the open air carparks at Grange Road and Angullia Park. We can also review guidelines for temporary structures and uses within the public realm."

LOCAL BRANDS SHOWCASE


The interior of multi-label retail venture Keepers. PHOTO: SHADY REPUBLIC
Orchard Road is also getting a local retail boost. To build on the success of local design collective Keepers pop-up store, a new fixture will be built in its place at Orchard Green to groom and showcase home-grown designers and brands.

Called the Design Incubator, the two-and-a-half-storey building will feature more than 40 brands on a rotational basis, with a focus on new-to-market and emerging designers and stock clothes, accessories, small home furnishings and souvenirs.

It will also house private work studios and other amenities for designers to conceptualise, develop, test-bed and commercialise their products.

The project is a joint development by STB, JTC and Spring Singapore, and will be completed by end-2018. Singapore lifestyle retailer Naiise was appointed through an open tender to manage and operate the retail showcase, which is projected to run for 10 years.

"The prime location of the retail showcase will give our home-grown design talents and Singapore retail brands a strong boost in profile and exposure. It will also make it more convenient for visitors looking for contemporary products that reflect Singapore's character and design culture," said Mr Yeo.

DISNEY PARTNERSHIP


Actors in Storm Trooper costumes take part in the European Premiere of Star Wars Rogue One at the Tate Modern in London, Britain, on Dec 13, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS
A Star Wars festival held at Gardens by the Bay in May will kick off a three-year partnership between STB and The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia to bring themed events and activities to the Republic.

Disney's first partnership with a national tourism body in the region aims to enhance Singapore's events calendar and showcase its attractions and precincts, while providing business opportunities for Singapore event organisers and small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The three-day Star Wars festival, held from May 4 to 6, includes the lighting up of the Supertrees at the Gardens to look like lightsabres, a light and music show, the inaugural Star Wars Run, and a Star Wars-themed Silent Disco dance party.


Mr Alex Baillie (left), head of marketing and partnerships, The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia, and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) chief executive Lionel Yeo pose with Star Wars Light sabers at the annual tourism industry conference. PHOTO: MARCUS TAN FOR THE STRAITS TIMES
More activities revolving around the 40-year-old movie franchise will be held in the second half of this year, followed by Marvel and Disney Animation/Disney Pixar themes in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

FUNDING, MARKETING AND DATA

Other plans shared at the tourism industry conference at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre included an additional $10 million for the next tranche of STB's Kickstart Fund, which supports innovative lifestyle concepts and events with strong tourism potential and scalability.

More funds will be allocated to recipients, which have included the likes of the Singapore Cocktail Festival and music and arts festival Neon Lights; support will increase from 50 per cent to 70 per cent of qualifying costs, with a higher grant ceiling of $200,000.

STB will also be opening a new regional office in the Indonesian tier 2 city of Surabaya, which was the second largest source of visitor arrivals to Singapore after Jakarta in 2016.

The tourism agency is also investing in two digital platforms to harness technology and data to support future growth, Mr Yeo said.

One of these will be an information and services hub that will connect tourism product owners and suppliers with global distributors to be launched by the end of the year.

The other is the recently launched Singapore Tourism Analytics Network, which aggregates visitor geo-location data from telcos to examine tourist movements, among other insights. It will be rolled out to industry partners as well.

In his speech, Mr Iswaran noted that Singapore's record highs in visitor arrivals and tourism spending in 2016 marked one of the bright spots in the economy. The year is off to a promising start with visitor arrivals reaching 2.8 million as of February 2017, a 3.4 per cent increase over the same period in 2016, he noted.

Sustaining competitiveness and growth requires coordinated efforts to develop unique and differentiated products and experiences, and enhancing industry competitiveness, he said.


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