The Housing & Development Board (HDB) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Electricité de France (EDF) and VEOLIA Environnement Recherche et Innovation (Veolia) to develop a new modelling tool to help develop sustainable urban planning solutions.
The new modelling tool will use a complex systems modelling technique to simulate the built environment of a city and its impact on resource utilisation, environment, people and costs. The technique is superior to existing simulation models, as it is multi-faceted and can analyse more complex scenarios, HDB said.
HDB CEO Dr Cheong Koon Hean said: “This new tool will help us in our efforts in formulating holistic and sustainable urban solutions that will ultimately benefit our residents by enhancing the town’s liveability.”
The modelling tool is particularly useful in land-scarce Singapore, where planners cannot afford to use too much trial-and-error in work on actual developments, HDB said.
Testing out various urban solutions and prototypes using the systems model prior to actual implementation would help improve the overall effectiveness of the final urban solutions adopted.
The simulation tool is currently being piloted at the Greenprint precinct in Jurong East, where it is being used to optimise the use of roof space and encourage residents to cycle, among other things.
HDB is the first public agency in Singapore to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with EDF and Veolia.
