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SINGAPORE: The new Pasir Panjang Park, scheduled to open in phases starting in 2021, will include features that will allow visitors to experience the area’s natural and maritime history.
The park, which stretches from West Coast Park to Labrador Nature Reserve, is part of the Greater Southern Waterfront.
Pasir Panjang, which means long sand in Malay, used to be a long stretch of sandy beach. The area developed rapidly from the 1970s through land reclamation and the construction of the Pasir Panjang terminal.
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Announcing this on Saturday (October 17), National Development Minister Desmond Lee said that in designing the new park, the National Parks Board (NParks) held discussions with around 170 stakeholders between January 18 and May 31.
These include residents and stakeholders in the area.
The community was proud of Pasir Panjang’s rich history and wanted him to perform in the park, NParks said.
Reminiscent of the sandy coastline of the area prior to development, the landscape will include patches of sand amidst coastal vegetation reintroduced through the planting paddle. (Photo: NParks)
“Future visitors will be led down a Pasir Panjang memory lane, through incidental encounters with artifacts and programs purposely selected by the community, for the community,” the agency said.
These would include PSA-donated dock items that would be placed in select locations in the park.
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“Stakeholders also had a strong preference for self-guided walks, preferring to hear about life in the past through other people’s perspectives and stories, rather than just historical facts about the area,” NParks said.
The restored coastal vegetation at Pasir Panjang Park not only strengthens the recreational link between West Coast Park and the South Coast, but will also serve as a buffer for the Labrador Nature Reserve by providing the public with an alternative node to connect with nature. (Photo: NParks)
The community will also play an active role in the selection and programming efforts behind the Pasir Panjang story.
“Heritage boards and a heritage gallery will feature contributions of old photos from members of the public, allowing the community to tell the story of Pasir Panjang, thus fostering further contribution and sharing,” NParks said.
MORE NATURAL ELEMENTS
Three-quarters of stakeholders also said the park’s main feature should focus on natural elements, with fewer man-made materials.
Structures in the park, such as public toilets, will have green roofs to “soften the look” of the man-made structures, NParks said.
Reminiscent of the area’s sandy shoreline prior to development, the landscape will include patches of sand amidst coastal vegetation.
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This would be reintroduced to the exact location of the old beach shoreline along the old concrete railing next to the canal, NParks said.
“The restored coastal vegetation at Pasir Panjang Park not only strengthens the recreational link between West Coast Park and the South Coast, but will also serve as a buffer for the Labrador Nature Reserve by providing the public with an alternative node to connect with nature.” added. additional.
Map showing the location of Pasir Panjang Park. (Photo: NParks)
There will also be a nature play garden to encourage free play and sensory discovery among children, NParks said.
The first section of Pasir Panjang Park, from Pasir Panjang MRT to the Jalan Pelepah residential estate, is scheduled to open in 2021.
