80,000 new homes, including in Newton and Orchard, to be built under URA draft master plan

SINGAPORE: At least 80,000 new public and private homes are expected to be built in more than 10 new neighbourhoods across Singapore over the next 10 to 15 years.

These include developments in Newton and along Orchard Road where 6,000 private homes could be built, as the government looks to provide more residential options in central locations.

To meet the demand for homes in more central areas, new housing areas in Bukit Timah Turf City, Pearl’s Hill, Marina South, Mount Pleasant and the former Keppel Golf Course site were announced previously.

The Draft Master Plan 2025 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), released on Wednesday (Jun 25) and announced by National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat, also showed that new neighbourhoods would be drawn up in other parts of the island.

They include Dover-Medway along Dover Road, the former site of Singapore Racecourse in Kranji, as well as Paya Lebar Air Base and the Sembawang Shipyard area.

URA said new public and private housing developments will be "paced out" so that the authorities can have the flexibility to review and adjust the plans accordingly.

NEWTON AND ORCHARD ROAD AREAS

A new "urban village" – a high-density, mixed-use development next to Newton MRT station and Newton Food Centre – will be built.

Around 5,000 new private residences will be developed progressively across three clusters along Newton Circus, Scotts Road and Monk's Hill.

Future developments in this area would be "introduced sensitively" and guided by urban design guidelines to complement the area’s existing character, URA said.

For example, Monk’s Hill Road, where apartment blocks that served as municipal workers' quarters during the colonial era still exist, will be transformed into a linear park flanked by mature trees and heritage buildings.

At nearby Paterson, around 1,000 private homes will be built, including some in a new integrated development above Orchard MRT station that will also include retail, food-and-beverage and office spaces.

URA said residents and visitors can expect a "shop-lined route" extending from the MRT station towards Orchard Road and the River Valley area, as well as new public spaces.

The neighbourhood will also have new cycling paths that connect Paterson Road to the "inner ring identity corridor" – a heritage corridor including roads such as Tiong Bahru Road, Scotts Road, Balestier Road and Lavender Street – and beyond.

Huttons Asia’s senior director for data analytics Lee Sze Teck called this “a prime opportunity” to build a new shopping and residential project in the heart of Orchard Road, given how the last major development in the area was Ion Orchard in the 2000s and The Orchard Residences which was completed in 2010.

However, the “harsh” additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD) for foreigners purchasing any residential property “may not give developers the confidence to bid for the site if it is launched for sale”, he said.

The ABSD for foreigners purchasing any residential property in Singapore is currently at 60 per cent after being doubled from 30 per cent in April 2023, as part of a series of property cooling measures. This has since chilled the luxury property market, particularly in the core central region.

Echoing the slower pace of growth in the luxury property market, OrangeTee Group’s chief researcher and strategist Christine Sun expects some of these new sites to be placed under the reserve list for future government land sales (GLS) programmes.

Professor Sing Tien Foo, provost’s chair professor of real estate at the National University of Singapore’s business school, said an upcoming site in Newton that will be made available under the GLS programme in August will be a litmus test for demand.

“Newton is very close to Orchard Road,” he said. “From the government perspective, they also need to (study if the) luxury segment has recovered and whether there’s enough demand to take on some of this new supply.”

DOVER-MEDWAY

A mix of public and private homes will be developed along Dover Road, supported by new amenities and recreational spaces. Located near the One-North business hub, the new neighbourhood will serve residents working in info-communications, technology, media and biomedical sectors.

Development will progress in phases, with around 6,000 public and private homes under the first phase.

Mediapolis in One-North will also get new housing – likely 5,000 private homes – near the Wessex estate, Rail Corridor and One-North Park, providing residents with convenient access to nature and heritage sites, URA said. 

FORMER SINGAPORE RACECOURSE

The site of the former Singapore Racecourse at Kranji will be redeveloped into a new housing estate near the new Kranji Nature Corridor. Around 14,000 new public and private homes will be built here, URA said.

Future residents will be able to access nearby parks, open community spaces and waterways such as Sungei Mandai and Sungei Pang Sua.

SEMBAWANG SHIPYARD

Following the relocation of current uses in 2028, the Sembawang Shipyard area will be transformed into a mixed-use waterfront district.

Redevelopment could see public waterfront spaces being created along the former berths. Heritage buildings from its origins as a British naval base may also be repurposed for community, sports and cultural use, URA said.

The type and total number of homes to be built there is still being studied.

PAYA LEBAR AIR BASE AND DEFU

When the Paya Lebar Air Base relocates in the 2030s, about 800 hectares of land – five times the size of Toa Payoh – will be freed. Height restrictions in the surrounding area will also be removed, allowing for future taller developments.

URA has said before that this would be developed into a new town with housing, recreational areas and workspaces. Walking and cycling paths, new rail lines and transit priority corridors will be integrated into the town.

The area will honour its aviation heritage by adaptively reusing parts of the old runway and other structures.

The development will take place in phases, starting with the nearby Defu estate in Hougang, which will be transformed into a "new-generation" neighbourhood where residents can access essential services and amenities within a 10-minute walk.

The type and total number of homes to be built is still being studied.

Knight Frank Singapore’s research head Leonard Tay said while higher plot ratios in the area were not announced in the master plan, “it would not be unreasonable to envisage some collective sale opportunities when older properties that are no longer shackled by low-rise plot ratios are able to realise enhancement in land values after-2030”.

MORE SENIOR-FRIENDLY HOMES AND RECREATIONAL SPACES

The URA's Draft Master Plan 2025 outlines land use strategies that will guide Singapore’s development over the next 10 to 15 years. It is reviewed every five years.

Beyond new housing developments, the master plan includes proposals in line with long-term planning goals such as enhancing recreational spaces within neighbourhoods and preserving nature and heritage spaces.

As for plans for residents to age in place, more assisted-living options will be introduced, including:

• Community care apartments, which are public housing that integrates senior-friendly design with on-site care and social services
• Private assisted living apartments, the first of which will open along Kovan's Parry Avenue by early 2026

URA said it also received feedback from Singaporeans for more affordable and accessible recreational options near their homes.

In response, new integrated community hubs are planned for towns such as Woodlands, Yio Chu Kang and Sengkang. Located near transport nodes, these hubs will combine sports, healthcare, retail and recreation under one roof.

Six new sport-in-precinct projects are underway in Chua Chu Kang, Keat Hong, Ulu Pandan, Whampoa, Tampines North and Pasir Ris East.

URA said it is also working with agencies to activate underused spaces for social and recreational purposes. These may include spaces below MRT viaducts and car park rooftops of public housing estates. One example is the Bukit Gombak MRT viaduct, which has been turned into a space for community art installation.
 
To enhance walkability and connectivity, a new pedestrian and cycling bridge will be built by 2029 to link Marina Centre with Bay East Garden.

This aims to provide pedestrians and cyclists with a more direct connection between the city and the East Coast along the Round Island Route, URA said.

Speaking at the launch of an exhibition for the draft master plan, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said: "As we continue to chart out long-term plans to build a brighter future for Singapore, we must also remain agile and continually refine our land use plans to deal with new challenges."

These challenges may include:

• Adjusting to a more uncertain global economy where business activities and supply chains could undergo further shifts
• Preparing for the effects of climate change
• Meeting stronger housing demand from Singaporeans
• Rejuvenating older towns and estates

Tackling these challenges will require a "concerted effort" by the government, stakeholders and all Singaporeans, he added.

"Along the way, there will be some difficult tradeoffs that we need to discuss and find ways to strike a careful balance. We will also come across new technologies, new design ideas and new approaches, which can open up more opportunities to achieve our goals."

Mr Chee noted that URA engaged nearly 220,000 Singaporeans since public consultations for the latest master plan began in October 2023, making this "the most extensive engagement that URA has conducted to date".

"I want to thank the Singaporeans who have shared with us a wide range of ideas … We appreciate very much your inputs, your suggestions, your ideas and we hope to continue to work with all of you to shape our future plans."