Paya Lebar Town To Be Developed In Phases
SINGAPORE – For future flexibility, the government revealed that Paya Lebar Air Base and its surrounding vicinity will be developed in stages into Paya Lebar town, reported The Straits Times on Wednesday morning (2 March, SGT).
Paya Lebar town, which will generate space five times the size of Toa Payoh, has a huge area “and certainly as we build, we won’t use up all the land at a shot,” said Hwang Yu-Ning, Chief Planner of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
“We will build progressively over time. And that time dimension gives us that flexibility to adjust the plans as we go along.”
Paya Lebar’s development will not be the same as the new 700ha Tengah residential town, which is presently being developed and its five districts are being built simultaneously, as its main function is to meet housing needs, she explained.
The URA recently emphasised the need for flexibility in the long-term plans that will guide Singapore’s development in the next five decades and beyond. This will enable future generations to adapt and adjust to disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, said the government agency.
Notably, the relocation of the Paya Lebar Air Base to make way for Paya Lebar town is slated to start in the 2030s and the move will free up 800ha of space.
The new town will come with residential blocks, recreational facilities, and employment generators like office buildings.
Hwang disclosed that the development timeline will be similar to that of Jurong Lake District (JLD), which is being turned into Singapore’s 2nd central business district (CBD). It will continue to be built over the next 20 to 30 years, with the authorities focusing on selling land plots within the district.
“We may start to build in Paya Lebar in a more concentrated manner to begin with, to have some critical mass. But over time… we can make further adjustments,” she noted.
“Just like at Jurong Lake District, we have built Westgate and Jem – there’s a certain critical mass there – and then as we build the new parcels we can adjust the proportion of office and other uses.”
Moreover, when the new Paya Lebar town is finished it could function as a regional centre, just like one-north, Woodlands, Tampines, and the Punggol Digital District. These nodes allow for office buildings to be built closer to dwellings but outside of the CBD by offering a mix of workspaces, residential, and recreational spaces.
Furthermore, the development of Paya Lebar town will give planners the chance to link Hougang with Tampines, as motorists currently have to skirt around the airbase.
