focus ubin survey highlights
Oct-Dec 04 | Jan-Mar 05 | Apr-Jun 05 | Jul-Nov 05

About 30 people dropped in this last stretch of the survey to share their thoughts about ubin. Thank you! Every comment can make a difference.

Here's highlights of what they shared:

What I find unique about Ubin

The uniqueness of Ubin is the way it always draws visitors back to it. It is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of hectic life on the mainland. A few hours spent in the natural environment refreshes one. The myriad things I can do on Ubin are obvious. There are always places to explore and the scenery is just aesthetic.

Singapore is already a very artificial city, lack so much character and just looks the same like anyway in any place. If Ubin is developed, we will lose a national heritage. Singaporeans can enjoy a kampong atmosphere, who are we to say the only way we can enjoy ourselves is through parks, golf courses and urban dwellings? In the end, who would want to come to Singapore in the future?

As European visitor, Pulau Ubin is the most interesting place in Singapore I've been in. I've to admit I find the mainland country artificially boring and lack of character, since most of what I see here can be found at home, but not kampong lifestyle. In Europe, we preserve our heritage strongly. What attracts people to our place is not modernity and urbanism, but our unique tradition and way of life. Developing Pulau Ubin for even tourism purposes will be in my view, a big waste of time and money. Why not use the money to develop the arts or invest in welfare, or rebuild old heritage buildings on other parts of mainland besides orchard?

I come from New York and it was my first time visiting ubin. I love the area a lot cos it's rustic, mysterious, a very special untouched urban 'art' land piece. It'll be great that future generations will be able to see the transition from rural to urban. It's a shame that many ppl in s'pore despise this sort of rusticness and associate it with 'low class'. If it is, then what do u consider the country side and nature in other places to be? Believe me, urbanism can make u go crazy!

My hopes for Ubin

If education is not enough to tell u that preservation of nature and heritage is important, why the need to develop ubin? Besides, ubin don't just belong to the authorities, it belongs to US the ppl of s'pore, and our future generations.
SHOW THIS SURVEY TO THE URA QUICK!!!!! TELL THEM NOT TO TOUCH MY PULAU UBIN!!!!!!!!!!

STOP ALL DEVELOPMENTS!!!!! So many countries preserve their landmarks. Why can't we?

Please do not go and concrete up everything (roads, houses etc); nor create "instant" modern entertainment structures. We civilians will live to regret it if the government go clone Pulau Ubin into another failed project i.e. Sentosa.

I hope that there will be places or shops that will be on rental basis so that I can open up a small cafe where people and relax while reading cos not all people go there for cycling.

Hope that the community will carried on to stay there forever for the younger generation to experiece the kampoung life and a relax place for those stressful people.

It's 1 of the last rural place where we can have a close encounter with nature. Pls DO NOT develop it. I DONT WANT TO BE "LOCKED" IN A CONCRETE JUNGLE. Pls preserve it as much as possible, in the most natural way.

keep ubin as it is, upgrade if need be but do not turn it into another commercialize touristy place. retain its rustic old charm of ubin and try not to put too many man made things in there... boardwalk? bane or boon? i'm not sure but i'm not for it cos it makes the place too man made again. it's sterile enough on mainland so try to keep ubin as 'old'as it can be. dun try to 'modernise' the place too much... it's like the only 'old' place you can get.... i always feel like i'm walking back in time when i go ubin... keep it that way please!

If you are creative and fun enough, you would know you should not despise it and to keep it untouched. I heard that there was once a school on the island, it's a shame it was torn down and not used as a landmark cos I did not get a chance to see it.

do the the survey? here with more details of the results so far