New towns of Singapore
Punggol
Woodlands

The new towns of Singapore are planned communities located across Singapore that are designed to be self contained. Designed to house up to 300,000 residents, these new towns contain areas zoned for housing, recreation and employment, and are composed of multiple neighbourhoods, each of which is further subdivided into multiple precincts. Amenities in these new towns are provided through a multi-tiered system, and based on Housing and Development Board (HDB) guidelines. As of 2022, the country has 24 new towns.

The first new town in Singapore was constructed in the 1950s by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), similar to British planning concepts and at low densities. Named after Queen Elizabeth II, Queenstown is Singapore's first new town with a town centre supporting seven neighbourhoods. Subsequently, after the HDB took over public housing development in the 1960s, the densities of new towns were increased and more amenities were included, and the HDB's first new town, Toa Payoh, contained industrial areas and a town centre with amenities. From the 1970s, new towns were built further from the city centre and were planned according to a new town model, containing neighbourhoods served by neighbourhood centres and a town centre for the entire town.

This new town model was revised in the late 1970s as the New Town Structural Model, introducing the concept of precincts and a "checkerboard model" in which public housing was interspersed with non-residential developments. From the 1980s, new towns incorporated larger flats, more distinctive layouts and housing block design, to cater to more affluent residents and to make the towns more unique respectively, and shopping malls were developed in town centres from the 1990s. The development of Punggol 21 saw the introduction of the Estate Model For New Town Planning, under which new towns comprised mixed-use developments connected together by a light rail system, and from the 2010s, new towns were planned with an increased focus on liveability and identity, through increased integration of technology and the use of the external environment to influence planning. In addition, design guides were introduced for each new town from 2018 in a bid to make new towns more distinctive.

The development of new towns within Singapore were in tandem with the construction of public housing in the country – managed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) under a 99-year lease. The majority of the residential housing developments in Singapore are publicly governed and developed, and home to approximately 80% of the population. These flats which are located in these new towns are self contained with well-maintained schools, supermarkets, parks, shopping centres, healthcare services and sports and recreational facilities. Every new town consists of multiple Mass Rapid Transit stations (MRT) and bus stops that link residents to other parts of the country. Some new towns are also complemented by smaller Light Rail Transit stations (LRT).

History

New town development in Singapore began with the construction of the first new town, Queenstown, by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) in the 1950s. Planned along the lines of British planning concepts, the estate was initially built with a low population density.[1] In addition, the 1958 Master Plan called for three self-sufficient new towns to be constructed outside the city centre.[2] After the transfer of the SIT's housing responsibilities to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in the 1960s, the population densities of planned residential areas in new towns was increased to facilitate social interaction. For that reason, plans for Queenstown were amended to increase population densities, while additional amenities were provided.[1]

In 1965, the HDB started work on its first new town, Toa Payoh. Located about 5–8 km (3.1–5.0 mi) from the city centre, the new town contained a town centre with amenities such as shops and public transport infrastructure, along with several industrial areas to provide jobs to its residents.[3] Multiple new towns were envisioned in the Concept Plan of 1971, surrounding the water catchment area in Singapore's centre and linked together by an expressway system and a rail network,[4] and starting with Ang Mo Kio in 1973, new towns built in the 1970s followed a prototype new town model. This model comprised self-sufficient neighbourhoods served by neighbourhood centres, subcentres and schools, and a town centre for all the neighbourhoods in the new town. [5] Further away from the Central Area, these new towns also included additional amenities such as sports facilities and green spaces, had little variation in terms of layout and housing block design, and distinguished between different neighbourhoods using numbering systems for roads and blocks, and through different paint schemes.[6]

A revised new town model, termed the New Town Structural Model, was subsequently introduced in the late 1970s. This model changed the basic planning unit of new towns from the neighbourhood to the precinct, which consisted of several housing blocks and a precinct centre, in a bid to improve community cohesion.[5] In addition, the model introduced a "checkerboard model", under which public housing developments were interspersed by non-residential areas and amenities.[7] New town planning was further revised in the 1980s through the incorporation of larger flats to cater to the increased space demands of more affluent residents, and by increasing the variation of housing block designs and the layouts of the new towns in an attempt to give the new towns a unique character.[6] Upgrading and redevelopment schemes were initiated in older new towns to make sure that the facilities of these areas met contemporary planning guidelines,[8] while the upkeep and improvement of the new towns, previously under the purview of the HDB, was handled by town councils led by elected officials from 1987.[9]

The 1990s saw the development of shopping centres in new towns across Singapore. Developed by private enterprises within the town centres of the new towns, these shopping centres offered a variety of retail shops and amenities, such as cinemas and department stores.[10] In addition, the Estate Model For New Town Planning, a revised new town model, was introduced concurrent with the development of Punggol 21. Under this model, public housing and amenities like retail and education were consolidated into densely built developments linked by a light rail system. These developments also incorporated a shared open space called the “common green”, and were intended to foster an increased sense of community among residents.[11]

New town planning from the 2010s had an increased focus on liveability and identity, with more green spaces and recreation facilities within the new towns, and used the existing environment around the new town to influence its design and layout. New technologies were also increasingly used through the extensive installation of monitoring systems and the use of computer models in the planning process.[12] Moreover, the HDB made attempts to make new towns more distinctive through the introduction of design guides specific to each new town from 2018. These guides laid out specific themes for the new towns, and their respective subdivisions, for future developments to follow.[13]

Layout

Intended to function as independent communities, new towns in Singapore are based upon the provision of land for multiple uses, such as housing, recreation and employment. Generally planned to house up to 300,000 residents, they comprise multiple neighbourhoods, each with around 20,000 to 30,000 residents. Each neighbourhood is in turn divided into multiple precincts, which consist of 1,500 residents in 400 to 800 flats within several blocks. Amenities are provided at multiple levels, and according to guidelines set by the HDB.[14]

For the provision of retail, the lowest level of provision consisted of establishments at the ground floor of housing blocks, followed by neighbourhood centres, which had a wider variety of services and markets. Town centres occupied the highest level of retail provision, containing public transport facilities such as bus interchanges and larger shops like supermarkets and department stores.[6] Similarly, parks in new towns comprise town parks serving the entire town and neighbourhood parks for individual neighbourhoods.[15]

Towns and estates

As of 2022, there are 24 towns and 3 estates across Singapore.[16] These statistics reflect the boundaries of HDB towns and are not necessarily the same as planning area statistics.[17]

 
Rank Name Region Pop. Rank Name Region Pop.
Bedok
Bedok
Tampines
Tampines		 1BedokEast278,27011Ang Mo KioNorth-East161,000 Jurong West
Jurong West
Sengkang
Sengkang
2TampinesEast265,34012Bukit MerahCentral149,160
3Jurong WestWest258,24013Pasir RisEast145,990
4SengkangNorth-East252,73014Bukit PanjangWest137,020
5WoodlandsNorth252,19015Toa PayohCentral128,450
6HougangNorth-East226,99016SerangoonNorth-East117,910
7YishunNorth222,58017GeylangCentral109,150
8Choa Chu KangWest189,99018SembawangNorth108,220
9PunggolNorth-East185,18019KallangCentral100,520
10Bukit BatokWest164,56020QueenstownCentral96,730

Towns

Name (English/Malay) Chinese Pinyin Tamil Total area (km2) Residential area (km2) Dwelling units Projected ultimate Population
Ang Mo Kio 宏茂桥 Hóngmàoqiáo ஆங் மோ கியோ 6.38 2.83 50,726 58,000 138,200
Bedok 勿洛 Wùluò பிடோ 9.37 4.18 62,816 79,000 187,900
Bishan 碧山 Bìshān பீஷான் 6.90 1.72 20,072 34,000 61,100
Bukit Batok 武吉巴督 Wǔjíbādū புக்கிட் பாத்தோக் 7.85 2.91 44,285 54,000 121,400
Bukit Merah 红山 Hóngshān புக்கிட் மேரா 8.58 3.12 54,227 68,000 141,400
Bukit Panjang 武吉班让 Wǔjíbānràng புக்கிட் பாஞ்சாங் 4.89 2.19 35,325 44,000 118,900
Choa Chu Kang 蔡厝港 Càicuògǎng சுவா சூ காங் 5.83 3.07 48,900 62,000 167,200
Clementi 金文泰 Jīnwéntài கிளிமெண்டி 4.12 2.03 26,730 39,000 69,500
Geylang 芽笼 Yálóng கேலாங் 6.78 2.14 30,892 50,000 86,000
Hougang 后港 Hòugǎng ஹவ்காங் 13.09 3.67 57,272 72,000 179,700
Jurong East 裕廊东 Yùlángdōng ஜூரோங் 3.84 1.65 24,122 31,000 75,400
Jurong West 裕廊西 Yùlángxī ஜூரோங் 9.87 4.80 75,208 94,000 253,800
Kallang/Whampoa 加冷/黄浦 Jiālĕng/Huángpǔ காலாங் 7.99 2.10 39,931 57,000 105,200
Pasir Ris 巴西立 Bāxīlì பாசிர் ரிஸ் 6.01 3.18 29,654 44,000 106,600
Punggol 榜鹅 Bǎng'é பொங்கோல் 9.57 3.74 50,663 96,000 146,900
Queenstown 女皇镇 Nǚhuángzhèn குவீன்ஸ்டவுன் 6.94 2.10 33,164 60,000 81,200
Sembawang 三巴旺 Sānbāwàng செம்பவாங் 7.08 3.31 30,020 65,000 81,500
Sengkang 盛港 Shènggǎng செங்காங் 10.55 3.97 69,196 96,000 217,700
Serangoon 实龙岗 Shílónggāng சிராங்கூன் 7.37 1.63 21,632 30,000 66,800
Tampines 淡滨尼 Dànbīnní தெம்பினிஸ் 12.00 5.49 72,683 110,000 232,700
Tengah 登加 Dēngjiā தெங்கா 7.0 – – – 10
Toa Payoh 大巴窑 Dàbāyáo தோ பாயோ 5.56 2.48 39,737 61,000 103,800
Woodlands 兀兰 Wùlán ஊட்லண்ட்ஸ் 11.98 4.80 69,900 102,000 243,300
Yishun 义顺 Yìshùn யீஷூன் 7.78 3.98 65,158 84,000 198,500

Estates

Name (English/Malay) Mandarin Pinyin Tamil Total area (km2) Dwelling units Population
Bukit Timah 武吉知马 Wūjízhīmǎ புக்கித் திமா 17.53 2,423 8,100
Marine Parade 马林百列 Mǎlínbǎiliè மரின் பரேட் 6.12 6,537 20,800
Central Area 新加坡中区 Xīnjiāpōzhōngqū சிங்கப்பூர் மாவட்டம் 17.84 12,571 27,200

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Jensen 1967, p. 123–124.
  2. ↑ Jensen 1967, p. 121.
  3. ↑ Ooi 1992, p. 173.
  4. ↑ Yuen, Belinda (2011). "Centenary Paper: Urban Planning in Southeast Asia: Perspective from Singapore". The Town Planning Review. 82 (2): 154. doi:10.3828/tpr.2011.12. JSTOR 27975989. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 Hee & Ooi 2003, p. 91.
  6. 1 2 3 Ooi 1992, p. 174.
  7. ↑ Hee & Ooi 2003, p. 94.
  8. ↑ Ooi 1992, p. 177.
  9. ↑ Ooi 1992, p. 175–176.
  10. ↑ Ibrahim, Muhammad Faishal; Kok Leng, Soh (October 2003). "Shoppers' Perceptions of Retail Developments: Suburban Shopping Centres and Night Markets in Singapore". Journal of Retail & Leisure Property. 3 (2): 179. doi:10.1057/palgrave.rlp.5090174. S2CID 154754978. ProQuest 195515780. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  11. ↑ Hee & Ooi 2003, p. 95.
  12. ↑ Cheong, Koon Hean (2018). "Nation-Building, Singapore-Style: Better Living Through Density". CTBUH Journal (Interview). Interviewed by Daniel Safarik.
  13. ↑ Choo, Cynthia (4 September 2018). "All 24 HDB towns to get unique design guides, first one released for Woodlands". Today. Singapore. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  14. ↑ Yuen, Belinda (2009). "Reinventing Highrise Housing in Singapore". Cityscapes. 11 (1): 8–9. JSTOR 20868687. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  15. ↑ Yuen, Belinda (1996). "Creating the Garden City: The Singapore Experience". Urban Studies. 33 (6): 964. doi:10.1080/00420989650011681. JSTOR 43100334. S2CID 154388349. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  16. ↑ "History of HDB". Housing & Development Board. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  17. ↑ "HDB | HDB Towns, Your Home".

Bibliography

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