IT IS already known as the garden city but Singapore plans to make its image blossom even more by creating new green spaces while improving existing parks and waterways.

The Government has set aside $700 million for the programme, with a chunk going into the new Gardens by the Bay, which will occupy a prime waterfront location in the new Downtown at the Marina Bay complex.

These gardens will open in 2010.

The cash will also be used to improve existing parks and enlarge the network of connectors linking them.

There are also plans to bring waterfront living to HDB estates. This will be done through the new Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Programme, which will enhance 28 waterways at a cost of $200 million.

The efforts are part of an overall plan to ensure that Singapore will continue to stand out not just as a good place to do business but as a city that offers a high quality of life.

"We must have a living environment that is the best in Asia - a city that exudes our own Singapore brand of vibrancy and diversity," Mr Tharman said during his Budget speech yesterday.