# URA to review guidelines on floor space to give developers more design flexibility: Chee Hong Tat

- **Source:** The Business Times
- **Published:** 2026-09-21T12:00:48.000Z
- **Author:** Chong Xin Wei
- **Original:** https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/property/ura-review-guidelines-floor-space-give-developers-more-design-flexibility-chee-hong-tat
- **Topics:** Government & Policy

## Featured rationale

Greater GFA flexibility could improve project viability and development potential, potentially encouraging redevelopment, conservation-property renewal and investment in climate-resilient building features.

## AI summary

URA is reviewing gross floor area guidelines to give developers greater design flexibility and encourage features supporting heat resilience and thermal comfort.

## Original article

[SINGAPORE] The government is reviewing guidelines on building floor space to give developers greater flexibility in building design, a move which could improve development potential and project viability.

The review of guidelines on gross floor area (GFA), announced by Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat on Monday (Sep 21), will also look at encouraging building features that support heat resilience and thermal comfort.

A higher volume of allowable GFA, or greater flexibility in the mix of use of GFA, can significantly improve development potential and the economics of a project. Recent discussions have also floated the award of extra GFA to encourage the renewal of conservation properties.

The ongoing review by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) comes in response to industry feedback, Chee said. He was speaking at the opening of the Singapore Corporate Awards 2026. Details will be shared when ready.

Policy and regulation must keep up with the changing business environment, the minister said. At the same time, being pro-enterprise “does not mean having fewer rules”. It calls for a risk-proportionate approach to balance different trade-offs and objectives, he added.

“It means having better rules: rules that achieve the desired regulatory outcomes, while minimising unnecessary costs, time delays and friction for businesses.”

The volume of covered floor area that developers can generate on any piece of land is generally capped by plot ratios assigned to the land being developed, which vary with planned use. However, bonus GFA can be dished out via various existing incentive schemes.

For one, the CBD Incentive Scheme offers higher development intensity to encourage the conversion of older office buildings in parts of the Central Business District into mixed-use developments, including more residences and hotels.

Eligible developments in Anson and Cecil Street can get up to 30 per cent more GFA, while those in Robinson Road, Shenton Way and Tanjong Pagar can get up to 25 per cent more.

Another scheme, the Strategic Development Incentive (SDI) scheme, similarly encourages the rejuvenation of older buildings in areas such as Orchard Road and Marina Centre. The SDI allows greater flexibility in planning parameters, including plot ratio, GFA and land use.

The use of GFA as a planning incentive was among issues raised at an industry conference on Sep 15; Pontiac Land CEO David Tsang pointed to Sydney’s approach to encouraging the upkeep of heritage buildings.

At the Urban Land Institute Singapore Annual Conference, Tsang said owners who maintain heritage buildings in Sydney can be awarded additional floor space that can be used on another site or sold.

His remarks were recounted in a LinkedIn post on Sep 16 by panel moderator Jaelle Ang, founder and managing partner of The Possible Capital.

In Sydney, building owners are rewarded for continued investment in their properties against agreed targets, Tsang said. He contrasted the approach with that of Singapore, saying: “Here, there seems to be more incentive for a building that’s run down and needs redevelopment than for one that’s been cared for.”

Pontiac Land took on a major heritage project in Sydney, after securing a long-term lease from the New South Wales government in 2015 for two heritage-listed former government buildings.

Seven years of planning, conservation and renovation followed before the Department of Education building reopened in 2023 as the 192-room Capella Sydney. Pontiac also restored the adjoining Department of Lands building as The Lands by Capella, which includes retail, dining, workspace and event spaces.

In a LinkedIn post on the conference, Tsang said: “A resilient urban core isn’t just about office density or square footage; it’s defined by how people experience space beyond 6 pm.”

He added: “To stay relevant on the global stage, our CBDs must seamlessly blend economic performance with livability, intentional design, and authentic cultural character.”

In his speech at the SCA dinner on Monday, Chee also announced a new framework to reduce the testing required for reinforcement steel bars, or rebars, used in construction projects.

Currently, rebars can be subjected to repeated testing on a project-by-project basis, even when they come from the same certified source.

Under the new framework, testing can instead be carried out by accredited laboratories before the rebars are shipped, a process that could cut testing and associated costs by up to 90 per cent, Chee said.

The minister also announced a new initiative to help built-environment firms redesign jobs and equip workers with sustainability-related skills, to draw more people into the decarbonisation sector.

It will support firms in areas including sustainable construction and carbon accounting. Fifteen firms have joined the initiative so far.

## Chinese translation

> Translation model: grok_cli

### 市区重建局将检讨楼面面积指引，以给予发展商更大设计灵活性：徐芳达

此次对总楼面面积（GFA）的重新检视，是对业界反馈的回应

【新加坡】政府正在检讨建筑楼面面积指引，以给予发展商在建筑设计上更大的灵活性，此举或可提升发展潜力与项目可行性。

国家发展部长徐芳达于周一（9月21日）宣布的总楼面面积（GFA）指引检讨，还将着眼于鼓励有助热韧性与热舒适度的建筑特征。

提高可允许的总楼面面积，或在总楼面面积用途组合上给予更大灵活性，可显著提升发展潜力与项目的经济性。近期讨论亦提出一项设想：授予额外总楼面面积，以鼓励保育物业的更新。

徐芳达表示，市区重建局（URA）正在进行的这项检讨，是对业界反馈的回应。他当时在2026年新加坡企业奖（Singapore Corporate Awards，简称SCA）的开幕式上致辞。详情将在准备就绪后公布。

部长表示，政策与监管必须跟上不断变化的商业环境。与此同时，亲商“并不意味着规则更少”。他补充说，这需要采取与风险相称的方法，以平衡不同的取舍与目标。

“这意味着要有更好的规则：这些规则既能实现所期望的监管结果，同时尽量减少企业不必要的成本、时间延误与摩擦。”

发展商在任何一块土地上可获得的有盖楼面面积，通常以分配给该发展用地的容积率为上限，而容积率因规划用途而异。不过，奖励总楼面面积可通过各项现有激励计划批出。

其一，中央商业区激励计划（CBD Incentive Scheme）提供更高的发展强度，以鼓励将中央商业区部分区域的较旧办公楼改造为混合用途发展项目，包括更多住宅与酒店。

安顺（Anson）及丝丝街（Cecil Street）的合资格发展项目，最多可多获得30%的总楼面面积；罗敏申路（Robinson Road）、珊顿道（Shenton Way）及丹戎巴葛（Tanjong Pagar）的项目，最多可多获得25%。

另一项计划——策略性发展激励计划（Strategic Development Incentive，简称SDI）——同样鼓励乌节路、滨海中心等地区较旧建筑的活化更新。SDI允许在规划参数上有更大灵活性，包括容积率、总楼面面积及土地用途。

将总楼面面积用作规划激励，是9月15日一场行业会议上提出的议题之一；Pontiac Land首席执行官David Tsang指出了悉尼鼓励维护历史建筑的做法。

在城市土地学会新加坡年会（Urban Land Institute Singapore Annual Conference）上，Tsang表示，在悉尼，维护历史建筑的业主可获授予额外楼面面积，这些面积可用于另一地块，也可出售。

专题讨论主持人、The Possible Capital创始人兼管理合伙人Jaelle Ang，在9月16日的一篇LinkedIn帖文中转述了他的上述言论。

Tsang表示，在悉尼，建筑业主若按约定目标持续投资其物业，便会获得奖励。他将这种做法与新加坡对比，称：“在这里，对于一栋破旧、需要重建的建筑，所给予的激励似乎多于一栋得到悉心维护的建筑。”

Pontiac Land于2015年从新南威尔士政府取得两栋列入遗产名录的前政府建筑的长期租约后，在悉尼承接了一项大型历史建筑项目。

随后经过七年的规划、保育与翻新，教育部大楼于2023年重新开业，成为拥有192间客房的Capella Sydney。Pontiac亦将毗邻的土地部大楼修复为The Lands by Capella，其中包括零售、餐饮、工作空间及活动空间。

Tsang在一篇关于此次会议的LinkedIn帖文中表示：“一个有韧性的城市核心，并不只关乎办公密度或建筑面积；它取决于人们在下午6点之后如何体验空间。”

他补充道：“要在全球舞台上保持相关性，我们的各个中央商业区必须将经济表现与宜居性、有意识的设计以及真实的文化特质无缝融合。”

徐芳达在周一的SCA晚宴演讲中还宣布了一项新框架，以减少建筑项目所用钢筋（reinforcement steel bars，即rebar）需要接受的检测。

目前，即便钢筋来自同一经认证来源，仍可能按项目逐一接受重复检测。

徐芳达表示，在新框架下，检测可改由认可实验室在钢筋出货前进行；这一流程或可将检测及相关成本最多削减90%。

部长还宣布了一项新举措，协助建设环境企业重新设计岗位，并使员工掌握与可持续发展相关的技能，以吸引更多人进入脱碳领域。

该举措将在包括可持续建造及碳核算在内的领域为企业提供支持。迄今已有15家企业加入这项举措。