Estate Renewal Strategy is introduced

The Estate Renewal Strategy was introduced in September 1995 to revitalise older Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates so that these could be brought up to the standard of newer ones.^[1] The masterplans to redevelop the various estates under this initiative were drawn up by HDB and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). These were designed to capitalise on the uniqueness of each estate.^[2]

The Estate Renewal Strategy is a consolidation of the array of on-going estate upgrading programmes such as the Main Upgrading Programme and the Interim Upgrading Programme.^[3] The renewal process includes plans to retrofit flats, refurbish housing blocks, modernise town centres, increase or upgrade communal facilities, and improve the estate’s road and transportation networks.^[4] As the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme is also a key feature of the Estate Renewal Strategy, some older flats in the estates  were replaced with better  quality housing during  the renewal process.^[5] Affected residents were offered new replacement flats near their original flats so that they could retain their communal ties in the same neighbourhood.^[6]

The first HDB estate to be chosen to embark on the Estate Renewal Strategy was Toa Payoh. Highlights of the renewal plan were announced by then Minister for National Development Lim Hng Kiang at a press briefing on 1 September 1995.^[7] To rejuvenate Toa Payoh, the old town centre was transformed into a new commercial hub with an integrated air-conditioned bus and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) interchange, as well as modern shopping facilities and office space.^[8] Some of the older blocks in Lorong 2 were also demolished and new 40-storey point blocks with better facilities and layout were built in their place.^[9] Following Toa Payoh’s successful renewal strategy, the estate was used as a model to redevelop other towns such as Ang Mo Kio and Clementi.^[10]

References
1. Ministry of Information and the Arts. (1997). Singapore (p. 181). Singapore: Ministry of Information and the Arts. Call no.: RSING 959.57 SIN.
2. Ministry of Information and the Arts, 1997, p. 181.
3. Fernandez, W. (2011). Our homes: 50 years of housing a nation (p. 167). Singapore: Straits Times Press. Call no.: RSING 363.585095957 FER.
4. Ministry of Information and the Arts, 1997, pp. 181–182.
5. Fernandez, 2011, pp. 172–176.
6. Fernandez, 2011, pp. 172–176.
7. Chua, M. H. (1995, September 2). Govt unveils plan to renew Toa Payoh. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. Fernandez, 2011, p. 179.
9. Fernandez, 2011, p. 176.
10. Fernandez, 2011, p. 179.