A nation state of many green spaces, Singapore has recently got yet another verdant island amid urban developments, featuring the city’s 17th therapeutic garden.
Nestled between existing and upcoming housing developments along Cambridge Road, Pek Kio Park provides a variety of nature-based recreational offerings for nearby residents, and contributes towards enabling every household to live within a 10-minute walk of a park by 2030 in the City in Nature, as Singapore aspires to be.
New therapeutic garden at Pek Kio Park
Visitors to Pek Kio Park can enjoy the therapeutic benefits of greenery at the approximately 1,300 m2 therapeutic garden. This is the 17th therapeutic garden in NParks’ growing network of therapeutic gardens in Singapore.
The therapeutic garden is designed with a simple loop circulation to cater to a diverse range of users, including children and seniors.
Aimed at enhancing physical and mental well-being, and providing a space for stress relief, the therapeutic garden has various features that promote both physical activity and passive contemplation.
Children can engage in imaginative and exploratory games at the nature play area, which features naturalistic elements surrounded by greenery.
To encourage physical activity and senior mobility, the therapeutic garden is also equipped with a pétanque court and a sensory path made of recycled materials.
The therapeutic garden has within it various smaller gardens that are created using evidence-based design principles to enrich visitors’ interactions with nature by engaging their senses and providing mental relief. These include a Colourful Garden; Texture & Sensory Garden; and an Edible & Spice Garden.
Those seeking quiet respite can also unwind at the park shelter, or observe biodiversity up close in a natural setting at the bee hotel.
Other key features of Pek Kio Park
Pek Kio Park offers an array of recreational amenities, including a 230m jogging track and a multi-purpose plaza suitable for community events and various sporting activities.
Naturalised swales (low tracts of land) integrated along the park’s perimeter help in stormwater management by slowing down surface runoff and absorbing rainwater, while contributing to the park’s natural landscape.
Pek Kio Park is designed with barrier-free access and wheelchair-friendly footpaths that cater to users of different needs.
The landscape of Pek Kio Park is curated to immerse visitors in a serene environment, while allowing them to interact with and experience the diverse characteristics of plants.
Different planting zones feature a specific selection of plant species that provide opportunities for sensory engagement. These include trees, shrubs and flowers that are fragrant, coloured, and textured, as well as those that attract biodiversity such as birds and butterflies.
Shaping Pek Kio Park with the community
As a showcase of community stewardship, Pek Kio Park was designed in close consultation with residents in the area, with support from Moulmein-Cairnhill Citizens’ Consultive Committee (CCC) and Our Green MoCa.
In 2019, Pek Kio Park was identified as one of two pilot sites for the Centre for Liveable Cities’ (CLC) “Building Community Resilience” research project, which aims to mobilise community action to address the effects of climate change. CLC, supported by NParks, initiated the community engagement efforts in 2020.
Through pop-up and online workshops, Pek Kio residents were invited to share their ideas on how the park could build community spirit and combat climate change. These engagements garnered over 200 responses, some of which have been incorporated into the park’s design, such as requests for a jogging track, amenities for the community, and the use of recycled materials.
Such efforts also contribute towards NParks’ aim to nurture greater community stewardship of green spaces, as Singapore transforms into a City in Nature.
