City Square Mall the First Retail Mall in Singapore to Receive the BCA-MSF Platinum Award

May 14, 2018

Consistently award-winning since its inception in the areas of family, retail and green leadership, City Square Mall is now Singapore’s first and only retail mall to be presented with the BCA-MSF Universal Design Mark for Family-Friendly Business Platinum Award.

The new Universal Design Mark for Family-Friendly Business is a collaboration between the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). This is a new Universal Design (UD) Mark category recognising businesses which incorporates both user-friendly infrastructure and family-friendly service and processes in facilities, both of which are indispensable in providing a family-friendly environment.

This year, City Square Mall has been awarded in recognition for its efforts to incorporate both UD and family-friendly elements in their facilities, process and services and managed to maintain the highest UD Mark award this year for this new category.

CDL’s Centre Director of City Square Mall, Mr. Lionel Chua, said, “Beyond a developer of quality spaces, CDL is also a builder of lives and communities. We believe in constructing spaces that are inclusive and accessible to all. When City Square Mall opened in 2009, we were one of the first malls to provide help call points at the mall’s entrances and an air-conditioned sheltered taxi stand cum drop-off point at the basement. Since receiving the BCA Universal Design Award (Gold) in 2010, we have continued to enhance the mall’s inclusive and family-friendly shopping experience with various amenities. For instance, we introduced an inclusive playground with a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round and swing seats with safety harnesses. We also equipped our Customer Service Counter with a comprehensive range of family-friendly amenities from baby strollers, kiddy carts and wheelchairs to blood pressure monitor, first aid kit, magnifying glass reader and sewing kit. These features have brought great convenience to our shoppers and enhanced our branding as a family-friendly mall. With these constant updates to family-friendly features in and around the mall, City Square Mall has consistently seen a year-on-year increase in its annual footfall.”

City Square Mall is an ideal venue for 3-Generation (3G) families to interact and bond through its diverse tenant mix to cater to the varied needs of families and is well integrated with amenities that provide greater comfort, safety and convenience for families, including the young, the old and persons with disabilities.

Founder of Leap Schoolhouse, Ms Esther Lim mentioned, “We first opened our Enrichment Centre in 2009 at City Square Mall and we have been one of the pioneer tenants ever since. With a diverse tenant 2

mix at the mall for 3-Generation (3G) families to interact and bond, such as enrichment classes for children, wellness services for the elderly, play-themed outlets for teenagers, and retail and entertainment outlets to spend more family time together in the mall, Leap Schoolhouse has seen year-on-year increment in the number of kids enrolled at our centre and this has enabled us to expand our services over the years.”

Since receiving the BCA Universal Design Award (Gold) in 2010, City Square Mall has continued to enhance the mall’s inclusive and family-friendly shopping experience with various amenities.

Key UD and Family-Friendly Features

• Since opening its doors in 2009, City Square Mall is one of the first malls to provide help call points at strategic entrances and an air-conditioned sheltered taxi stand cum drop-off point at Basement 1.
• Pledged its support for the Guide Dog Association of the Blind in 2012.
• Spacious family and nursing rooms with private cubicles complete with electric sockets, hot water dispensers, sinks and diaper-changing stations for mothers or parents to attend to the needs of their young children in comfort and privacy.
• Complimentary use of baby strollers, kiddy carts, magnifying glass reader, wheelchairs, sewing kit, thermometer, blood pressure monitor, drinking water, first aid kit, and mobile and tablet charging station. The mall constantly monitors equipment usage and shopper feedback and conducts competitor research so that the facilities and services provided remain relevant.
• The outdoor playground at Level 1 features a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round and swing seats with safety harnesses which enable children with all abilities to play together.
• Diverse tenant mix that caters to 3G families, such as enrichment classes for children (e.g. Genius R Us), advice for the elderly (e.g. Agency for Integrated Care), play themed outlets for teenagers (e.g. TimeZone, PLAYe), and retail and entertainment outlets suitable for everyone such as Decathlon and Golden Village.
• Fun and engaging character shows, e.g. Anime Film Festival, Transformers, are organised during school holidays to allow families to spend time together at the mall.
• Events and activities are also organised to cater to different age groups such as Line Dance for the elderly and Zumba for working adults. Educational exhibitions advocating healthy living, heritage matters and water conservation, are held in partnerships with HPB, PUB and NHB.
• The Customer Service team receives regular training on the mall’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on service, first aid and other relevant areas to guide them in delivering optimal service to family shoppers. The team also walks around the mall to identify and offer help to shoppers in need.