Jurong Lake Gardens will be developed sensitively

We thank Madam Chan Ching Wei ("Don't turn Jurong Lake Gardens into tourist playground"; Aug 22), Mr Lee Ju Guang ("Maintain tranquillity of Chinese and Japanese gardens"; Forum Online, Wednesday) and

Mr Phillip Tan Fong Lip ("Tourists needed to fund Jurong revamp"; Forum Online, Wednesday) for their feedback on the plans for the future Jurong Lake Gardens that were announced recently.

Jurong Lake Gardens, which will comprise Jurong Lake Park, the Chinese Garden and the Japanese Garden, will be developed as a garden for the people. The grounds of the new Science Centre will also be developed and managed as an integral part of Jurong Lake Gardens.

We agree that the existing parks and gardens hold a special meaning not only for Jurong residents, but also for many other Singaporeans. This is why the National Parks Board (NParks) envisions the new Jurong Lake Gardens to be an endearing green space for the community to enjoy.

In line with this, a key objective is for the Gardens to be a place where community gardeners from all over Singapore can come together to co-create and maintain show gardens of high horticultural quality. They will be supported by NParks, local landscape designers and industry partners. The community gardeners will be able to display their collective talent and passion for gardening, take pride in their gardens, and forge meaningful relationships with one another through the love of gardening.

The development of the new Gardens will be done sensitively to preserve the current charm, while incorporating fresh elements to inject life and vibrancy into the Gardens. Nature and community involvement are two key components that will be featured strongly at Jurong Lake Gardens. The Urban Redevelopment Authority will also work with the relevant agencies to develop future family-centric attractions and developments that will cater to both the local community and visitors.

NParks will be seeking ideas from the community on the masterplan design of the Jurong Lake Gardens next year. The design of the Gardens will then be formulated based on the suggestions and feedback received. In the meantime, members of the public who would like to share their ideas with us can e-mail us at nparks_public_affairs@nparks.gov.sg

Kartini Omar (Ms)
Director (Parks)
National Parks Board

This article was first published on Aug 30, 2014.
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