Tampines regional centre set to get more homes, offices

Aim is to future-proof the town for new live-work-play trends, according to URA

- Ng Keng Gene

More homes, offices and public amenities are set to be built in the heart of Tampines, latest plans from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) show.

Plans showcased at the URA's Draft Master Plan 2025 exhibition state that the added developments will "future-proof Tampines Regional Centre for new live-work-play trends", such as by bringing offices and leisure facilities closer to homes.

These are part of a decentralisation strategy that Singapore has pursued since 1991 that brings jobs out of the city centre and into residential towns.

A URA spokesperson told The Sunday Times on July 18 that the plans build on previous efforts to rejuvenate the regional centre and optimise land use, such as the development of Our Tampines Hub, which opened in stages from November 2016 and has amenities such as a library, sports facilities and a hawker centre under one roof.

Based on the draft masterplan, at least two residential plots and four commercial plots could be developed in Tampines regional centre, which was established in 1992 and is about 37.5ha in size.

Of these, three commercial plots are within an area that the authorities have identified for potential mixed-used developments, including a site that is about 5.4ha in size that currently houses the Tampines Bus Interchange, a Housing Board commercial block and a Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board building.