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Mature towns like Bishan, Queenstown and Commonwealth will
face rejuvenation within the next 10 to 15 years. Over 10,000 new high-rise
homes towering at more than 30 storeys will pop up near their respective MRT
stations, to meet rising demands for housing and direct access to public
transport. 
(Getting to Sengkang Sculpture Park is a breeze with public transport. Image courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board.)
To ensure that homes remain liveable, the Government plans
to increase housing where there are ready infrastructures. For instance,
CapitaLand has already announced plans for a condominium of at least 36 storeys
near Bishan station.
The Concept Plan 2011, reviewed every decade, will be
unveiled in the fourth quarter, mapping out land use and transportation plans
for the next 40 to 50 years. A key principle of which is providing adequate
housing for a growing population in areas like Choa Chu Kang, Punggol, Sengkang
and Yishun. Choa Chu Kang, for example, is already undergoing development. It
is now home to the up-and-running new Institute of Technical Education (ITE)
College West. More facilities like parks and places of worship will be erected,
while additional infrastructures will be developed in newer areas like Tengah
(in the north-west region near Choa Chu Kang), which will open up in time to
come.
Another key principle is to create more equal job-to-worker
distribution island-wide, by bringing jobs closer to home – a strategy that
also aims to reduce peak-hour stress on transportation, and consequently,
travelling time. This means injecting more housing in central and western
regions, where there are more jobs than homes. Vice versa, more commercial and
industrial activities will be placed in the north and northeast regions.
Other points include the expansion of leisure options and
greenery, extension of park connectors, as well as review of town-planning
strategies for the elderly.
Meanwhile, industry insiders and commuters are keen to see
where and how commercial activities will be placed in the north and northeast
areas. To The Straits Times, research
and consultancy director of real estate firm Chesterton Suntec International, Colin
Tan, said “If jobs for the people can be provided where they live, it would
definitely help to alleviate the north-south movement with the Central
Expressway already barely coping now.” Punggol resident Jeremy Tan, who travels
more than an hour to work, said, “It'll be nice to work closer to home, of
course, but it all depends on whether my company decides to move here or not.”
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