Regions of Singapore
| Regions of Singapore Kawasan Singapura (Malay) 新加坡的地区 (Chinese) சிங்கப்பூர் பகுதிகள் (Tamil) | |
|---|---|
 The five regions shown in light blue (west), dark green (north), pink (central), yellow (north east) and light green (east). The dark pink area labelled "12" is the Central Area, the de facto capital. | |
| Category | Unitary state |
| Location |  Singapore |
| Created by | Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) |
| Created | |
| Number | 5 (as of 2019) |
| Populations | 582,330 (North Region) – 930,910 (North-East Region)[3] |
| Areas | 121.3 km2 (46.8 sq mi) (North-East Region) – 218.4 km2 (84.3 sq mi) (West Region)[3] |
| Government |
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| Subdivisions |
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The regions of Singapore serve as urban planning subdivisions of the country at the highest level as demarcated by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to support its planning work. Over time, other government agencies have also adopted these five regions for administrative purposes, such as the Department of Statistics in conducting censuses. Singapore's regions are further subdivided into 55 planning areas on the second level, which include two water catchment areas, and planning areas are further divided into subzones on the lowest level. The largest region in terms of area is the West Region with 218.4 km2 (84.3 sq mi), while the Central Region is the most populous with an estimated population of 922,980 inhabitants in the area in 2019.[3]
The country is governed as a unitary state without provinces or states. While referenced by some government organisations, these regions are not formal administrative subdivisions but are mainly geographical in nature or used for urban planning. For local governance, Singapore is divided into five Community Development Council (CDC) districts on the second level, each headed by a mayor. These districts are made up of electoral constituencies, which are administered at the lowest level by town councils. A town council may oversee one or more constituencies, and its boundaries do not necessarily align with those of CDC districts. CDC mayors are not directly elected but are Members of Parliament (MPs) representing constituencies within their respective districts.[a] Electoral boundaries can change with each general election, while regional and planning area boundaries have remained largely fixed.
Regional centres
[edit]Prior to 1991, urban planners in Singapore preferred to have a strong commercial zone in the centre of the metropolitan area. Coupled with a disjointed residential developments in the northern and eastern areas, and industrial developments in the western areas of Singapore, this resulted in citizens having to travel across the island to their work or retail destinations. To address such issues and further improve city planning, the concept of regional centres was introduced in 1991 with the 1991 Master Plan.[4][5]
Internationally, regional centres are typically new urban places or self-contained independent cities with their own mix of urban functions.[4][5] However, as the land mass of Singapore is small, the term, regional centre, takes on a localised meaning: a functional node that is designed to serve as a smaller-scale downtown area between town centres in new residential towns and the main central business district in the Central Area. These centres are planned to offer a variety of commercial, retail, entertainment, and other amenities to residents in the surrounding areas. They are strategically located in areas that are well-served by the Mass Rapid Transit system, an efficient bus system, and an extensive road network.[5] These regional centres are aimed to decentralised the amenities that's previously concentrated in the city's core.
There are four regional centres in Singapore, which were identified in the 1991 Master Plan. There is no regional centre for the Central Region as the city-centre itself de facto serves as one.[4] The first regional centre to be developed was Tampines Regional Centre, located in the East Region, Singapore, along with the introduction of the 1991 Master Plan. Subsequently, Jurong East Regional Centre (West Region, Singapore), also known as the Jurong Lake District, was being developed next in 2008,[6] with renewed plans unveiled in 2023.[7] Woodlands Regional Centre (North Region, Singapore) was mooted in 2014.[6][8] Lastly, plans for Seletar Regional Centre (North-East Region, Singapore) has yet to be unveiled; as such Punggol de facto currently serves as the regional centre of the North-East, which includes the Punggol Digital District.[9][10]
List of regions
[edit]
| Region[3] | Regional centre | Largest PA by area | Largest PA by population | Area (km2) |
Estimated
Population |
Population density (/km2) |
Planning Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Region | None (de jure); Central Area (de facto) | Queenstown | Bukit Merah | 132.7 | 922,580[b] | 6,952 | 22 |
| East Region | Tampines | Changi | Bedok | 128.3 | 685,890[b] | 7,367 | 6 |
| North Region | Woodlands | Central Water Catchment | Woodlands | 134.5 | 582,330[b] | 4,330 | 8 |
| North-East Region | Seletar (de jure); Punggol (de facto) | North-Eastern Islands | Sengkang | 121.3 | 930,910[b] | 8,960 | 9 |
| West Region | Jurong East | Western Water Catchment | Jurong West | 218.4 | 922,540[b] | 4,583 | 12 |
| Total | 735.2 | 4,044,250[b] | 6,077 | 55 |
See also
[edit]- Administrative divisions of Singapore
- Urban planning in Singapore
- Urban renewal in Singapore
- Geography of Singapore
Notes
[edit]- ^ For example, Denise Phua, who is the mayor of the Central Singapore District since 2014, is the MP for Jalan Besar GRC which is a GRC within that district.
- ^ a b c d e f Population figures are for residents as of 30 June 2020. In Singapore, "residents" include citizens and permanent residents but do not include the approximately 1.6 million non-permanent residents of Singapore.
References
[edit]- ^ "HistorySG - 1991 Concept Plan is unveiled". National Library Board.
- ^ "Singapore Infopedia - Development guide plan". National Library Board.
- ^ a b c d 2019 City Population - statistics, maps and charts | SINGAPORE: Regions Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ a b c Sim, Loo Lee; Malone-Lee, Lai Choo; Chin, Kein Hoong Lawrence (1 September 2001). "Integrating land use and transport planning to reduce work-related travel:: a case study of Tampines Regional Centre in Singapore". Habitat International. 25 (3): 399–414. doi:10.1016/S0197-3975(01)00012-1. ISSN 0197-3975.
- ^ a b c Malone-Lee, Lai Choo; Sim, Loo Lee; Chin, Lawrence (1 February 2001). "Planning for a more balanced home–work relationship: the case study of Singapore". Cities. 18 (1): 51–55. doi:10.1016/S0264-2751(00)00056-1. ISSN 0264-2751.
- ^ a b "Tampines, the forgotten regional centre? Not for long". TODAY. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ "Beyond 2022: How Singapore's development will affect the property market (Jurong East and Tengah)". AsiaOne. 26 February 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Auto, Hermes (16 April 2017). "Woodlands to transform into 'star destination of the North' with new housing, recreational and business facilities | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ "How Well Do Regional Centre Properties Compare Against The CBD?". Property Blog Singapore - Stacked Homes. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ "Punggol Digital District". www.ura.gov.sg. URA. Retrieved 25 June 2024.