Housing Development Board

Rainforest-themed children’s playgrounds, a green lung called Central Park and a 1.5km-long rainforest walk that connects various housing projects.

These are some of the green features future residents of Tengah’s new Park district can look forward to.

It is the third of five districts planned for Singapore’s newest housing estate.

In line with its name, Park will have a multitude of green spaces to provide its residents a park-like environment, while being connected to its town centre and the other districts.

The neighbourhood centre. PHOTO: HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD

At 700ha, the “forest town” of Tengah will be roughly the same size as Bishan.

About 20 per cent of the land in Tengah will be dedicated to green spaces, said the Housing Board on Monday (Aug 10).

All five districts will incorporate biophilic designs to connect residents to nature, to “increase their overall well-being, promote better health and a greater sense of place”, added the HDB.

The Park district occupies an area of about 104ha and is where the “car-free” Tengah town centre is sited.

Tengah’s green centrepiece Central Park will feature a “forest stream”, which is an existing canal that will be naturalised and landscaped.

The HDB is working with the National Parks Board (NParks) to develop parks and green spaces to facilitate ecological connectivity.

A 1.5km-long rainforest walk will weave through various housing projects so residents can easily access Central Park and the 15m to 20m-wide forest fringe that will run around the town.

Within the rainforest walk, there will be nature-themed children’s playgrounds, fitness stations, open green spaces and seating areas.

The planting along the walk will be layered to mimic the emergent, canopy and understorey layers found in a tropical rainforest, and include features such as vegetated swales and rain gardens at various points.

The multi-storey carpark roof garden. PHOTO: HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD

A 100m-wide, 5km-long forest corridor, which will run parallel to the rainforest walk, will link Tengah to the surrounding green network between the western and central catchment areas.

Also in the works are Plantation and Garden farmways, which will extend from two other districts in Tengah – Plantation and Garden respectively.

These farmways, about 600m-long and 40m-wide on average, will traverse the Park district.

Within the Park district, some 3,000 sqm of green space – the equivalent of about 33 four-room flats – will be set aside for community gardening and farming in the farmways.

An artist’s impression of a nature-themed children’s playground. PHOTO: CT-ART,  HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD 

This is in addition to the community gardens within individual public housing projects, to allow more residents to grow their own produce.

In doing so, the HDB said these activities will offer residents the opportunity to “experience a different lifestyle, connect with one another and re-live the kampung spirit.”

Tengah is the first HDB town to be planned with smart technologies townwide from the outset.

For instance, it will use smart lighting and an urban water harvesting system to collect and store rainwater for non-potable uses.

A pneumatic waste conveyance system will make waste collection and estate maintenance more efficient.

Home owners in some Build-To-Order projects in Plantation, Garden and Park districts will also have the option of subscribing to a centralised cooling system offered by SP Group, as a more energy-efficient cooling solution than conventional air-conditioning systems.

Originally published in The Straits Times.