Singapore to add 8 parks, 13km of park connectors to development pipeline

SINGAPORE: Joggers, cyclists and parkgoers in Singapore can look forward to more recreational options with the National Parks Board (NParks) adding another eight parks and 13km of park connectors to its development pipeline over the next five years.

The new parks include three nestled within the heartlands of Farrer Park, Spottiswoode and Woodgrove, Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How said on Wednesday (Mar 5) during the debate on his ministry’s budget.

The Farrer Park addition, for one, will be located within a larger integrated development and comes with features such as a nature play area, jogging track, open lawn and therapeutic landscape elements.

In total, more than 25 parks - amounting to over 170 ha or roughly the size of 240 football fields - are targeted for completion between 2025 and 2030, NParks said.

These include the previously announced 7.6ha Teachers’ Estate Park near Upper Thomson, and the 72.8ha Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park linked to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

The agency will also lay out over 50km of park connectors by 2030, making it easier for people to walk and cycle in green spaces. New routes can be expected at Yishun Avenue 1, Bukit Panjang North and Pioneer Road North.

Moving forward, NParks will further undertake concept studies for over 100ha of potential park development areas, and is working with other agencies to study additional park connector routes.

These efforts are part of the government’s City in Nature vision, aimed at transforming Singapore into a greener city with more nature restored to urban areas.

Targets by 2030 include adding 200ha of new nature parks and having 500km of park connectors so that every household in Singapore will be within a 10-minute walk from a park.

NParks has thus far developed 130ha of new parks, a year ahead of the original 2026 target. It has also established 391km of park connectors as of end-2024.

“We are making good progress towards achieving our target of 500km of park connectors by 2030,” said Mr Tan.

The government is also looking to expand blue spaces in the country.

Plans were announced last May to designate the southern part of Lazarus Island and the reef off Kusu Island as Singapore's second marine park.

Mr Tan said authorities were working with the nature community, experts and other agencies on detailed site studies, “to inform the designation” of the second marine park. 

As it continues to grow Singapore’s park network, more therapeutic landscapes will be incorporated “where feasible to enrich the public’s interactions with nature and amplify nature’s therapeutic benefits”, the agency said.

For instance, a new therapeutic garden can be expected at the upcoming Teachers’ Estate Park.

Therapeutic gardens are designed based on scientific research to improve the well-being of their visitors. There are currently 17 such gardens, with the goal to eventually have 30 across Singapore by 2030.