Closer to city centre better? Singapore's idea of prime public housing is changing

The northern region is getting a makeover. And with it, an old rule may finally be losing its hold.

- Christine Sun

Singapore's northern estates have often been punchlines. For years, that part of the island has been caricatured as relatively remote. But if Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's recent National Day Rally speech is anything to go by, that reputation is set to change as the country heralds a new era of development.

The Government is betting big on the north: transforming the old Kranji Racecourse into a modern housing estate tucked amid greenery, and converting Sembawang Shipyard into a waterfront precinct, paving the way for housing with stunning sea views.

Throw in the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) and the Woodlands Regional Centre, and the north begins to look like Singapore's next economic engine.

The question then is whether Singaporeans, so long conditioned to equate a prime location with proximity to the Central Business District (CBD), will buy into the idea of a new north.

A PROVEN PLAYBOOK The redevelopment plans for the north are essential and timely, as the region has the smallest housing stock compared with the other four regions in Singapore. There are around 200,000 flats and private homes in the north, which is in stark contrast to the estimated 465,000 units in the largest central region.

But for all the masterplans and architectural renderings, people don't move for policy. They move for a better life, and, yes, property values that climb.

To be sure, the wheel isn't being reinvented. The new initiatives aim to emulate the success of thriving estates like Punggol, Sengkang and Jurong East, where home values have seen remarkable increases due to thoughtful urban planning and redevelopment.

Consider the numbers. The average resale flat prices in Punggol jumped by 50.6 per cent from $449,214 between January and July in 2015 to $676,518 over the same period in 2025, according to Housing Board data.