SINGAPORE TO GREEN UP TALL BUILDINGS

SINGAPORE, April 29 (Bernama) - Singapore on Wednesday launched a new initiative that will literally green up high-rise buildings and skyscrapers in the city-state to make the island republic lusher and greener.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Natural Parks Board (NParks)
introduced the Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH) programme to
help Singapore gain an additional 50 hectares of sky rise greenery by 2030.

URA and NParks said they would be introducing a series of initiatives that
would encourage the greening of the city-state's existing and new urban
high-rises and contribute to the vision of Singapore as a 'City in a Garden'.

Building developers would be encouraged to incorporate both ground greenery
and sky rise greenery in the form of sky terraces and rooftop gardens, both
authorities said in a statement.

They said this was increasingly important as Singapore became more built up
with higher intensity of development.

One of the guidelines that would come into effect from Dec 1 this year was
that land taken up for building construction should be replaced with greenery
and landscape areas equivalent to the area of the development site either at the
ground level or vertically.