HDB unveils prototype of town planning tool

SINGAPORE — Unveiled at the World Cities Summit today (June 4) is the first prototype of a town planning tool which can simulate a built-up environment of a city, as well as analyse the impact of initiatives such as LED lighting and solar energy.

Developed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) together with French companies Electricite de France (EDF) and Veolia Environment Recherche et Innovation, the tool is able to simulate up to three times more parameters than existing simulation models.

For instance, by keying in data on where residents live and work, the system can generate travelling patterns to help government agencies in planning the transportation network.

Planners here cannot afford “needless experimentation with actual developments” as Singapore is a land-scarce island, HDB said. Instead, the tool will allow town planners to experiment with different scenarios and determine various outcomes in a risk-free laboratory environment.

HDB, EDF and Veolia have been working on the tool since a memorandum of understanding was signed in 2012. The system is expected to be ready by the end of this year. CHANNEL NEWSASIA