SINGAPORE: The Government will pilot a new Enterprise District concept in Punggol as part of its push to create new growth centres all over the island.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong made the announcement in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 7).
Speaking during his ministry’s Committee of Supply debate, he explained that the Government can try out new planning concepts in the Enterprise District. For example, the Government will allow more flexible land use within the area, and appoint a single developer for the whole district.
This single developer, known as the Master Developer, will have more flexibility to curate the tenant mix in the area. Mr Wong added that JTC will be appointed as the Master Developer for Punggol.
He added that the Enterprise District in Punggol will have a focus on digital and cyber-security industries. Punggol will also be a key area for the Government to drive its Smart Nation initiatives.
The Committee on the Future Economy had in its report recommended that Singapore can create dense clusters of “mutually reinforcing economic activities”, where companies of different sizes can be sited together to encourage partnerships. Punggol, which is next to the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), was identified as a possible place for this.
An aerial view of the future Punggol Growth Cluster, an Enterprise District. (Photo: JTC)
‘MASTER DEVELOPER’ APPROACH FOR BETTER INTEGRATION
As the Master Developer for Punggol, Mr Wong said JTC will have the flexibility to develop the district based on land use and Gross Plot Ratio guidelines at the overall district level. This means that instead of having planning controls imposed on individual land parcels, JTC will be able to optimise land use across the whole development and find ways to integrate the needs of different users.
“For example, since SIT’s campus and the JTC’s business parks are located side by side, we can have closer integration of the facilities,” he said. “SIT’s research labs, incubator spaces and learning facilities can be located inside JTC business park buildings and shared with the industry.
“At the same time, SIT can host industry research and development facilities and start-up spaces within their buildings.”
A sectional view of the Enterprise District at Punggol Growth Cluster. (Photo: JTC)
The Master Developer can also comprehensively design and implement good pedestrian connectivity and public spaces, he added.
“Traditionally, a desired network of public spaces and connectivity links can only be realised over a long period of time as the various land parcels are developed over time,” he explained. “With a Master Developer overseeing the implementation of an enterprise district, the key pedestrian routes and public spaces can be identified upfront, and a more comprehensive network implemented.”
Mr Wong added that beyond Punggol, the Government also plans to introduce the Master Developer approach in other new residential and mixed-use districts.
For one, a Master Developer will be chosen to develop the new Kampong Bugis residential precinct, a 17.4 hectare precinct bounded by Kallang Road, Crawford Street and the Kallang River.
The Kampong Bugis precinct can potentially yield up to 4,000 new homes, and is envisaged to incorporate design features and urban planning concepts that promote active mobility and a car-lite vision, community buildings and sustainability.
Instead of carving the site up and putting out individual plots for sale, the Government will instead tender the entire site out for a Master Developer, said Mr Wong.
The Master Developer will be given flexibility to come up with an overall plan for the precinct, and develop the project by phases in line with market demand, he added.
