Kampong Gelam (more commonly known as Kampong Glam) is in the midst of revitalisation through a five year plan launched by Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Known as the Place Plan for the Kampong Gelam Historic Area, it is a joint initiative by Kampong Gelam Alliance (KGA) and URA to enhance the precinct’s heritage, offerings and experiences for stakeholders and visitors.
Emanated from the Emerging Stronger Conversation, a project by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), the Place Plan engages the feedback and ideas shared by Kampong Gelam residents, business owners and the general public to build a strategic roadmap towards livening up the area.
In particular, the Place Plan aims to protect and promote the area through connectivity – improving the accessibility within and to Kampong Gelam. Above all, it also seeks to celebrate the past and current community to uplift the heritage and historical importance of the area. But how will all these objectives affect the current and future residents in the area?
This article will bring you through the upcoming changes implemented within Kampung Gelam and highlight some specific policies that will affect residents living in the area. Read on to find out how heritage and residency can be integrated to create an exciting and inclusive neighbourhood.
Background of Kampong Gelam
Kampong Gelam was once the seat of the Malay aristocracy of Singapore, stretching from Rochor Road to the banks of the Kallang River. Today, it is the area bounded by Ophir Road, Victoria Street, Jalan Sultan and Beach Road with many heritage-conserved buildings nestled amongst two-storey shophouses.
For generations, Kampong Gelam has thrived as a mixed-use neighbourhood, buzzing with various cultural and ethnic activities. However, the recent pandemic has threatened Kampong Gelam’s long-term vitality as a heritage centre, as it exacerbates societal and economic shifts to displace the traditional trade and cultural centre. As such, there is an urgency to preserve the identity of Kampung Gelam through this Place Plan.
What does the next Five Years look like for Kampung Gelam?
In order to protect and celebrate the community of past and present stakeholders, there are five areas of focus for this new Place Plan — Identity, Economy, Placemaking, Connectivity & Access, and Activation. These areas and their respective objectives are key to the formulation of policies and changes residents can expect to experience in the next five years. They are briefly summarised below:
Identity
Despite being historically known as a centre of trade, Kampong Gelam has always been a mixed-use neighbourhood where history, heritage and stories intersect to shape the community. The Place Plan thus strives to strengthen and celebrate Kampong Gelam’s roots and bring the heritage of the precinct to life.
Economy
As a centre of commerce, Kampong Gelam is a host to many distinctive trades that are unfortunately threatened by economic challenges. In order to protect the unique offerings, the plan aims to document what has been or is in danger of being lost. This includes supporting businesses that are at risk by helping new generations learn the trade, so that Kampong Gelam is able to proliferate the cultural importance of the area.
Placemaking
Kampong Gelam is undeniably distinctive and attracts many to the area through its unique offerings of traditional heritage and hipster culture. However, the difficulty lies in encouraging people to return to the precinct or to linger in the area. As such, there is a need to create more public spaces where people are comfortable and where people can associate themselves with the place. In particular, the plan aims to create room for everyday life and community to develop so that people will attach a greater sense of belonging to Kampong Gelam.
Connectivity & Access
While Kampong Gelam is already a centrally located precinct in Singapore, there are still aspects to build on to improve the access to the area such as the connectivity within the district. The Place Plan aims to educate visitors on the ease of getting around Kampong Gelam and increase the walkability of pedestrians to improve visitors’ experience.
Activation
Tying the above four points together is the activation of community spirit. The plan intends to invest in programmes that involve the community to create reasons for people to visit and make every day in Kampong Gelam an interesting experience.
How will residents benefit from this?
After reading the areas of focus, one may be quick to assume that the Place Plan only targets visitors and business owners, however that is only scratching the surface of the potential of this plan. In fact, residents in the area stand to reap many long-term benefits from the plan, from increased safety to better cleanliness in their living environment.
Despite being a small district, Kampong Gelam is dotted with many residential areas, besides shophouses, there are also condominiums and service apartments.
The policies and changes that are born out of this plan will not only make life more pleasant in Kampong Gelam but also make living in a heritage district even more exciting. In particular, residents will stand to benefit through the areas of Placemaking, Connectivity & Access and Activation.
Placemaking
In part of creating a comfortable realm at Kampong Gelam, residents can expect to see cleaner streets and better public amenities.
There are plans to establish a comprehensive cleaning and maintenance program to ensure the cleanliness of the neighbourhood. This includes engaging cleaning ambassadors to do regular litter removal and neighbourhood watch groups to enforce a litter-free environment.
Moreover, the Place Plan is also installing more public toilets that are not only easily accessible but also include baby changing facilities. On top of that, residents can also expect to see more benches and shelter in the area, allowing one to comfortably deal with exhaustion and heat. These extra amenities are especially helpful for elderly people who can also find comfort outside the home, and within the community.
Connectivity & Access
To increase the walkability of the precinct, URA intends to establish Kampong Gelam as a car-lite district. This not only reduces congestion in the area but also makes the streets safer for pedestrians, especially putting the minds of parents at ease for their children’s safety.
URA is in the midst of developing a comprehensive car-lite strategy by improving the pedestrian connections between roads, as well as piloting road dieting for Arab Street to increase the walkway space in front of shophouses. Reclaiming parts of the road will widen the sidewalk, reducing human congestion and also diminishing collisions between cyclists and pedestrians.
On the note of cycling, residential cyclists can also expect cycling lanes and bike parking facilities to encourage cycling as a mode of transportation within the precinct, making it faster to get about the area.
Activation
Lastly, as a means to make every day in Kampong Gelam an interesting experience, the Place Plan was devised to involve both the community and visitors to participate in events and small practices to reignite the kampong spirit.
KGA plans to establish a half-yearly neighbourhood get together of business owners and residents to foster the community spirit. For the same purpose, KGA is also implementing an umbrella sharing system and community gardens to help the neighbourhood foster closer ties. As such, with the guidance of URA and KGA, residents can expect to see many more upcoming initiatives to gather with their neighbours and appreciate the unique identity of Kampong Gelam.
A Place for Culture and Community
While at first glance, the Place Plan does not seem to affect residents, but there is more than meets the eye. The Place Plan takes advantage of the culturally rich area to bind the community through improvements of amenities in the neighbourhood as well as events to gather the community. Hence, if you are someone who enjoys culture and community, Kampung Gelam is the place for you.
Feel free to reach out to us here if you have any questions, until then, see you in the next one!
