Time to re-think Singapore's zoning rules, analysts urge

Current rules are too prescriptive.

Singapore takes pride in its well planned urban fabric--there's space set aside for everything in the city-state, from residential properties to parks and malls and warehouses.

However, a report by JLL noted that it might be high time to review Singapore's strict zoning rules.

"A prescriptive and highly segmented blueprint approach to planning that was effective driving growth in the past 50 years may not be conducive in an era where innovation and flexibility are key," JLL said. "The single use zone or even mixed use is not accommodative of business needs where there is a blurring of the lines between what is service and assemblage."

For instance, strict zoning in Singapore has prevented the development of retail malls that support the co-location of retail operations where the front room business of retailing and the backroom of data storage and physical inventory are all under the same roof.

"While the retail warehouse scheme supports such co-location, it appeals mostly to the bigger retailers. Smaller retailers fall through the cracks and the high cost of pure retail space in malls is prohibitive of such co-location," said the report.

JLL suggests that planners could create a "grey zone" that will define what is not permissible in the zone, and yet provide flexibility for the private market to interpret and decide what they can or want to build, eventually.

"It is important that the planning process continues to engage with the citizenry and the output is precise yet flexible," the report noted.