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SINGAPORE – A decade ago, Punggol was known primarily for its fields of “lalang” and a lone tree on top of a small hill, since it was removed, that graced many Instagram photos.
Even further back, Punggol was called Kampung Punggol, a rural town known for fishing, poultry and pig farming, as well as its seafood restaurants and boating facilities.
Today’s Punggol is a long way from these beginnings, although elements of its heritage and history have been incorporated into town planning.
While the “lonely Punggol tree”, which was the city’s most recognizable landmark, is long gone, in its place stands the Punggol Canal, a 4.2 km long man-made canal that winds through the village. .
A 10 m wide landscaped walkway that runs along both banks of the canal provides a space for recreation and relaxation for residents.
The city in northeast Singapore, one of the youngest cities in the Housing Board, is also home to some 187,800 residents living on 49,909 HDB flats.
It is no accident that Punggol has grown into the thriving city that it is today.
On Wednesday (October 7), the HDB explained how Punggol was transformed into a “coastal city of the 21st century”. The vision was first revealed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at his 2007 National Day Rally.
A Punggol City Guide, to be published later this year, lays out the vision and distinctive identity of the city to help future planners and agencies unify their developments as it evolves.
Two other city design guides for Pasir Ris and Tengah will also be ready later this year.
The first city design guide, for Woodlands, was released by the HDB in 2018, and there are plans to publish such manuals for each of its 24 cities.
Each of the 24 cities in Singapore is planned on three scales: the city, the neighborhood and the precinct.
The bird’s-eye city layer provides the overall theme, concept, and vision of the city, such as its landmarks and how the bike routes are laid out.
The neighborhood – or district – layer establishes subtopics and concepts based on the heritage and character of each area.
The enclosure layer, a ground level guide, details the design of individual projects such as the type of playgrounds or the type of street furniture to be installed.
At the city level, Punggol was planned and designed around the general theme of ‘Water and Nature’, taking inspiration from its waterfront location and lush vegetation.
The city is planned with 11 housing districts, each with its own distinctive character. Each district is divided into farms of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 apartments to create small, intimate communities.
Bike lanes are built in conjunction with new roads, while existing roads are modernized with bike lanes, where possible, to improve connectivity for residents on the first and last miles.
At the neighborhood level, the 11 housing districts are further segmented into nine sub-themes that correspond to Punggol’s overall theme of “Water and Nature.”
These include urban terraces, verandah and marine themes, selected based on the historical and physical characteristics of different areas.
For example, within the Waterway West district, residential developments take terraced construction forms that descend into the Punggol Waterway and Punggol Reservoir, in line with the district’s Urban Terraces theme.
The terraced effect allows the largest number of HDB apartments to enjoy panoramic views of the boardwalk.
The subtopic is further enhanced at the precinct level, such as through a layered ceiling design on the discharge porch at Waterway Cascadia, a build-to-order (BTO) project in the Waterway West district.
Logistics manager Sam Lim, 43, who has resided in Punggol since 2012, said he still remembers the days when Punggol was a quiet city with few activities.
“When we moved into our first apartment, there was a field of lalang across our block and there were no stores open. Back then it was considered quite ‘ulu’ but over the years you can definitely feel that it has become more crowded.” said Mr. Lim.
His family of three sold their first four-bedroom BTO flat on Punggol Drive and moved to a larger five-bedroom flat on Sumang Lane two years ago.
Said Mr. Lim: “People ask me why I buy a Punggol apartment again. Why not? My family is used to this area, now we have many friends living around us and we also enjoy the facilities here.”
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