ABC waters, Singapore

The Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters programme is a strategic initiative launched by Singapore’s national water agency PUB in 2006 aimed at transforming the nation’s drains, canals and reservoirs into idyllic recreational urban destinations. Water sustainability through local catchments, a part of the Four National Taps, forms the backdrop to this​ ambitious three- phase programme with Ramboll appointed its chief master planner for Phases 2 and 3 until 2019. Building on its water-sensitive urban design expertise, Ramboll developed for PUB a toolkit of interventions including hydraulic modelling checks and proposed waterway widening to accommodate a 25% increase in rainfall intensity. ​

Stakeholder engagement – from government agencies to community members – was integral to the design process and in the identification of areas with the most communal benefit and impact. The final concepts for these identified areas would serve as the guideline for any future development along these civic waterways.​