Building Sustainable Future Draft Master Plan 2025
The Draft Master Plan 2025 highlights the importance of sustainable development. In addition to planning for new neighborhoods and lifestyle areas, the government is also looking to redevelop brownfield sites in Central areas into new housing estates. These include Bukit Timah Turf City, the former Keppel Club golf course, the Old Police Academy at Mount Pleasant, and the foothills of Pearl’s Hill City Park.
To create a more inclusive community, the government is introducing a mix of public and private housing in these Central areas. In Pearl’s Hill, 6,000 new homes will be built in the next decade, with a mix of private and public housing. Mount Pleasant will also see 5,000 new public housing units in the future.
These new neighborhoods in the Central areas will be designated as car-lite and designed as “10-minute neighborhoods”. This means that key amenities, including public transport, will be within a 10-minute walk from most residents’ homes. The three new neighborhoods, Bukit Timah Turf Club, Pearl’s Hill, and Marina South, will all follow this concept.
In addition to being a 10-minute neighborhood, some of these new enclaves, such as Marina South, will also be “sustainable towns”. This means that all developments in these areas will be required to attain the highest sustainability rating, the Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy (SLE). Developers are encouraged to plant native species based on the National Parks Board’s Landscape Master Plan to support wildlife and provide shelter for pedestrians.
The MRT network will also be expanded to create greater connectivity. The fourth stage of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) opened in June with seven stations spanning a 10.8km stretch. The fifth and final stage, set to be completed in 2026, will have two more stations, Bedok South and Sungei Bedok. This will link the TEL to the Downtown Line and serve as an interchange station for both lines.
Construction has also begun on the Cross Island Line (CRL), Singapore’s eighth MRT line. This 29km line will have 12 stations and is scheduled to be completed by 2030. The Jurong Region Line (JRL), with 24 stations, is also targeted for completion between 2027 and 2029, connecting the entire western region from Choa Chu Kang to Jurong Pier and Pandan Valley.
In terms of green and blue spaces, the Draft Master Plan 2025 includes a new Recreation Master Plan to activate these areas for leisure and recreation. This includes the 360km island-wide park connector network and 150km Round Island Route cycling paths. The Southern Ridges and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve have also been improved and made more accessible.
The Recreation Master Plan also aims to make these recreational areas more accessible to promote active lifestyles, ageing-in-place, and a healthier population. To achieve this, more multi-functional spaces for sports, arts, and wellness will be created. An ongoing project is the activation of the 10km Kallang River, Singapore’s longest river, with the Bishan-to-City (B2C) links connecting communities along the river and providing a 10km green commute for residents.
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On September 12, Hoi Hup Realty and Sunway Developments released a joint statement announcing their latest project, Novo Place. The site, which has a leasehold of 99 years, spans 16,441.2 square meters and has a maximum permissible gross floor area of 46,036 square meters. This exciting new development is set to redefine the landscape of the area. Interested parties can find out more about Novo Place at https://www.novo-place.com.sg/.
Master Plan 2025 is also reimagining spaces to create unique identities for different areas. This is done through conservation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings and structures. For instance, Paya Lebar Airbase, which will be decommissioned in 2030, will be redeveloped into a new town with 150,000 homes. Plans are underway to create a distinctive identity anchored on the site’s aviation history, with old buildings and runways repurposed for recreational and community use.
In addition, the government is seeking ideas from the public for other future developments, such as Sembawang Shipyard and Singapore Turf Club in Kranji. The Draft Master Plan 2025 reflects the government’s vision for a sustainable and inclusive Singapore, with new developments and improvements across the country.