The North-East Region (, zh, 東北區) of

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

is one of the five

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

in the country. The region is the most densely populated and has the highest population among the five, with

Sengkang Sengkang (, , ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential town located in the North-East Region, Singapore, North-East Region of Singapore. The town is the second most populous in the region, being ...

being its most populous town as of 2020 and

Seletar Seletar ( ) is an area located in the north-east of Singapore. Its name can also refer to the Seletar Planning Area (as defined by the Urban Redevelopment Authority), situated in the North-East Region of Singapore. The place name was derived fro ...

as the regional centre. Comprising 13,810 hectares, it includes seven planning areas and is largely a residential region with 217,120 homes. Housing largely consists of high-density HDB

public housing Public housing, also known as social housing, refers to Subsidized housing, subsidized or affordable housing provided in buildings that are usually owned and managed by local government, central government, nonprofit organizations or a ...

estates, however private housing is also present in the region. As its name implies, it is located in the north-eastern part of Singapore. The North-East Region, along with the four other planning regions, was officially established by the

Urban Redevelopment Authority The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of National Development (Singapore), Ministry of National De ...

in 1999. Prior to the 1970s, the region was predominantly

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

and experienced very little

urbanisation Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It can also ...

. It was only with the development of towns such as

Ang Mo Kio Ang Mo Kio () is a planning area and residential town situated in the Central Region of Singapore. Located approximately north of the Downtown Core district, Ang Mo Kio is the 4th most populated planning area in the North-East region and ra ...

and

Hougang Hougang () is a planning area and mature residential town located in the North-East Region of Singapore. It is the largest housing estate in Singapore based on land area, and is home to 247,528 residents as of 2018. Hougang planning area is bo ...

over the next few decades that the region began to grow significantly in

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

and experienced dramatic urban development. As of 2020, the North-East Region has a population of 930,910. While predominantly a residential region, the North-East Region is also home to

tourist attractions A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beau ...

, such as

Pulau Ubin Pulau Ubin (), also simply known as Ubin, is an island situated in the north east of Singapore, to the west of Pulau Tekong. The granite quarry used to be supported by a few thousand settlers on Pulau Ubin in the 1960s, but only about 40 vill ...

and

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

. The region has a number of

hospitals A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergency ...

parks A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...

educational facilities An educational institution is a place where people of different ages gain an education, including preschools, childcare, primary-elementary schools, secondary-high schools, and universities. They provide a large variety of learning environments a ...

, and security and defence services. There are also a variety of

transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

options, including

Mass Rapid Transit Mass Rapid Transit in general refers to a fully grade separated heavy-rail metro system. The term may also specifically refer to: * Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System, a rapid transit system in Chennai, India * Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit, a rapi ...

Light Rail Transit Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...

and public bus services, facilitating transport within and outside the region.

History

Before the 1960s, the North-East Region was primarily made up of

farmland Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous with bot ...

and

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

. At this time the majority of

in Singapore was concentrated in the southern part of the country, where the Central Region is now located. The first Master Plan was adopted in 1958. The Master Plan was a statutory plan which regulated

land use Land use is an umbrella term to describe what happens on a parcel of land. It concerns the benefits derived from using the land, and also the land management actions that humans carry out there. The following categories are used for land use: fo ...

and development over a 20-year period, to be reviewed every five years. One of the main aims of this plan was to establish

New Towns A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

away from the Central Region, laying the precedent for the North-East Region’s urban development. However, this plan was soon deemed inefficient and not flexible enough to accommodate the rapid demographic and economic development in Singapore. In 1971 the Concept Plan was introduced, a more long-term plan which rather than providing a detailed guide for

urban planning Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...

, it simply provided a general direction for development over the next 40 to 50 years. These two combined planning processes (The Master Plan and the Concept Plan) continue to be revised every few years, led by the

. It was over the next few decades that towns within the North East Region were built up. The first new towns were

and

. Ang Mo Kio New Town began development in 1973 and Hougang in 1979. Up until the 1990s, the North-East Region was included as part of the Rural Planning Area. This area consisted of most of the land outside of the Central Planning Area. However, under the 1991 Concept Plan, the country was officially organised into five regions, along with 55

subdivision Subdivision may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Subdivision (metre), in music * ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009 * "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2) * ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005 * "Subdivisions" (song), by Rush ...

. Thus, the North East Region was established. This system allowed for more area specific planning and detailed land use guides.

Geography

Situated at the northeastern corner of

Singapore Island Singapore Island, also known as mainland Singapore and Pulau Ujong, is the main constituent island of the sovereign island country and city-state of the Republic of Singapore. It is located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, between th ...

, the region comprises a total land area of , including the North-Eastern cluster of islands,

Pulau Tekong Pulau Tekong (Singapore English pronunciation: ), also known colloquially as Tekong or Tekong Island, is the second-largest of Singapore's outlying islands after Jurong Island. Tekong is located off Singapore's northeastern coast, east of P ...

and Pulau Tekong Kechil. It borders Singapore's East Region to the east, Central Region to the south and North Region to the west.

Government

The North-East Region is governed locally by four different

Community Development Council The Community Development Council (CDC; ; zh, 社區發展理事會; ) is a government-led organisation to organise grassroot organisations and community programmes into smaller, local units as a bridge between the government and the community i ...

s, namely the Central CDC, North East CDC,

North West CDC The North West Community Development Council is one of five Community Development Councils (CDCs) set up across the Singapore, Republic of Singapore to aid in local administration of governmental policies and schemes. They are funded in part by ...

and South East CDC.

Planning Areas

The North-East Region is divided into 7 different planning areas, with a total of 48 subzones.

Demographics

According to the

Singapore Department of Statistics The Government of Singapore consists of several departments, known as ministries and statutory boards in Singapore. Ministries are led by a member of the Cabinet and deal with state matters that require direct political oversight. The member of t ...

’ 2020 Population Trends report, the total population of the North-East Region is 930,910. Out of its 7 planning areas, Sengkang is the most populated, with 249,370 residents. Alternatively, the North-Eastern Islands is the least populated area with only 50 residents, as it is one of the few areas in Singapore that has not experienced dramatic urban development. According to the 2015 General Household Survey, the most common ethnic background in the North-East Region is

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

, accounting for the majority of the population. Additionally,

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

is the most common language spoken at home (35.4%), closely followed by

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

(33.9%). Other common languages spoken at home include other

Chinese dialects There are hundreds of local Chinese language varieties forming a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, many of which are not mutually intelligible. Variation is particularly strong in the more mountainous southeast part of mainland Chi ...

(13.4%), Malay (7.8%) and

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

(3.5%). The most popular religion followed is

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

(36.3%), while other prevalent religions in the region include

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

(19.3%),

Taoism Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...

(11.1%),

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

(9.1%) and

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

(4.6%). In addition, 19.1% of people practise no religion.

Economy

Aviation

The region is home to the

Seletar Aerospace Park Seletar Aerospace Park is an industrial park in Singapore catering to the aerospace industries. Located in Seletar, the plan to develop 140 hectares of land adjacent to Seletar Airport will further strengthen Singapore's position as an aviatio ...

, which houses several aviation manufacturing and research facilities owned by companies such as

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies). Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially ...

and Singapore Technologies Aerospace, allowing the aviation industry in Singapore to expand out of

Changi Changi ( ) is a planning area located in the geographical region of Tanah Merah in the East Region of Singapore. Sharing borders with Pasir Ris and Tampines to the west, Changi Bay to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east and the ...

, which is a major aviation and

commercial zone ''Commercial Zone'' is an album of studio recordings by Public Image Ltd, recorded in 1982 and 1983, and released in 1984 by PiL founding guitarist Keith Levene. ''Commercial Zone'' includes five songs that were later re-recorded for PiL's fo ...

located in the East region of the country. Several industrial zones are also located within the region such as Defu Industrial Estate in

and Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park in

Technology

The Punggol Digital District, a business park located in

Punggol Punggol ( or ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, new town situated on the Tanjong Punggol peninsula in the North-East Region, Singapore, North-East Region of Singapore. The town directly borders Sengka ...

, houses companies in the digital industry. Announced in 2018, the business park is expected to provide 28,000 jobs in the technology sector, specialising in cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, fintech, and smart living.

Tourism

Located within the

North-Eastern Islands The North-Eastern Islands is a planning area and a group of islands located within the North-East Region of Singapore. The cluster is made up of three islands, namely Pulau Tekong, Pulau Tekong Kechil and Pulau Ubin. Pulau Tekong and Pulau Tekon ...

planning area,

is a popular

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beaut ...

with both local and foreign visitors visiting the island as it is one of the last

rural areas In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically descri ...

in Singapore, with an abundance of natural

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

and

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

. It is particularly popular for outdoor activities such as

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

, as it is home to the

Ketam Mountain Bike Park Ketam Mountain Bike Park is a mountain bike trail located in Pulau Ubin, Singapore. Background Location The bike park is located around the fringe of a quarry in Pulau Ubin that was previously not occupied for any usage purpose. Ketam Quarry und ...

. Additionally, the

Chek Jawa Tanjong Chek Jawa (or Tanjung Chek Jawa or simply Chek Jawa) is a cape and the name of its 100-hectare wetlands located on the south-eastern tip of Pulau Ubin, an island off the north-eastern coast of the Pulau Ujong, main island of Singapore. C ...

wetlands A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

is also a popular attraction due to its array of

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

and unique

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

. Ubin Town is the only settlement on the island and offers a number of restaurants, bicycle rental shops and other small shops catering to

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, also known as Pulau Serangoon, is also a popular attraction within the region. Located off the northeastern coast within the planning area of

, Coney island is accessible via two bridges at the eastern and western ends of the island, linking it to the main island. Visitors to the island can participate in activities such as

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

bird watching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescop ...

and nature walks. Coney Island Park is managed by the

National Parks Board The National Parks Board (NParks) is a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore. History In November 1989, Minister of National Development, S. Dhanabalan, presented the National Parks Bill ...

and home to a range of different

habitats In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

and a variety of fauna and flora.

Infrastructure

Education

Residents living within the area have access to different

ranging from

preschools A preschool (sometimes spelled as pre school or pre-school), also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin c ...

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...

and secondary schools as these are located around the different towns in the North-East region. There are 28 secondary schools within the North-East Region, including: * Anderson Secondary School * Ang Mo Kio Secondary School *

Bowen Secondary School Hougang () is a planning area and mature residential town located in the North-East Region of Singapore. It is the largest housing estate in Singapore based on land area, and is home to 247,528 residents as of 2018. Hougang planning area is bo ...

* CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent * CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School * Compassvale Secondary School *

Deyi Secondary School Deyi Secondary School is a co-educational government secondary school located in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. Founded in January 1980, having 1,200~ pupils. the school is remarked for its niche development in performing arts. An Aesthetics Development P ...

* Edgefield Secondary School * Greendale Secondary School * Holy Innocents' High School * Hougang Secondary School * Mayflower Secondary School *

Montfort Secondary School Montfort Secondary School (MSS) is a government-aided Roman Catholic all-boys' secondary school located in Hougang, Singapore. Founded in 1916, it is one of the seven institutions governed by St Gabriel's Foundation. History Holy Innocent ...

Nan Chiau High School Nan Chiau High School (NCHS) () is a co-educational government-aided institution in Sengkang, Singapore affiliated to the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan. It offers the four-year Express (Special) course for Secondary education in Singapore, seconda ...

* North Vista Secondary School * Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School * Pei Hwa Secondary School * Peicai Secondary School *

Presbyterian High School Presbyterian High School is a co-educational government-aided Presbyterian secondary school in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. It is located directly opposite Yio Chu Kang MRT station. History Li Sun High School In 1960, under the vision and convicti ...

Punggol Secondary School This is a list of secondary schools in Singapore. Most secondary schools in Singapore offer a four-year Express course (Special course for Special Assistance Plan schools) or a five-year course leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Le ...

Seng Kang Secondary School Sengkang (, , ) is a planning area and residential town located in the North-East Region of Singapore. The town is the second most populous in the region, being home to 249,370 residents in 2020. Sengkang shares boundaries with Seletar and P ...

* Serangoon Garden Secondary School * Serangoon Secondary School * St. Gabriel's Secondary School * Xinmin Secondary School * Yio Chu Kang Secondary School * Yusof Ishak Secondary School *

Yuying Secondary School Yuying Secondary () was founded by the Hainanese Community in 1910 as a Chinese medium high school. Today, it follows the mainstream public education system and offers the Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘O’ and ‘N’ Levels. It also uses a full ...

Zhonghua Secondary School Zhonghua Secondary School (ZHSS) is a co-educational government autonomous secondary school in Serangoon, Singapore. Founded in 1911 as Chung Hwa Girls' High School, the school has retained its Chinese heritage despite transforming into an Engli ...

There are also 44 primary schools within the region, including: * Anchor Green Primary School * Anderson Primary School * Ang Mo Kio Primary School * CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel * CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity * CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School * Compassvale Primary School * Edgefield Primary School * Fern Green Primary School * Fernvale Primary School * Greendale Primary School * Holy Innocents' Primary School * Horizon Primary School * Hougang Primary School * Jing Shan Primary School * Mayflower Primary School * Mee Toh School * Montfort Junior School * Nan Chiau Primary School * North Spring Primary School * North Vista Primary School * Northshore Primary School * Oasis Primary School * Palm View Primary School * Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School * Punggol Cove Primary School * Punggol Green Primary School * Punggol Primary School * Punggol View Primary School * Rivervale Primary School * Rosyth School * Seng Kang Primary School * Sengkang Green Primary School * Springdale Primary School * St. Gabriel's Primary School * Teck Ghee Primary School * Townsville Primary School * Valour Primary School * Waterway Primary School * Xinghua Primary School * Xinmin Primary School * Yangzheng Primary School * Yio Chu Kang Primary School * Zhonghua Primary School The area is also home to various tertiary institutions such as, Anderson Serangoon Junior College,

ITE College Central ITE College Central (ITECC) is a post-secondary education institution and statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Education in Singapore. It is one of the Institute of Technical Education's three colleges under the "One ITE System, ...

Nanyang Junior College Nanyang Junior College (NYJC) () is a junior college in Singapore next to Lorong Chuan MRT station, offering two-year pre-university courses leading up to the GCE Advanced Level examinations. Nanyang Junior College is known for its strong acad ...

Nanyang Polytechnic Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), established in 1992, is a post-secondary education institution and statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Education in Singapore. Recognition Nanyang Polytechnic has won many awards and recognit ...

and the

Singapore Institute of Technology The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT or Singaporetech) is a public autonomous university in Singapore. The university offers industry-focused, applied degree programmes; it confers its own degree programmes as well as specialised degree ...

. There are also 3

international schools International schools are private schools that promote education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterised by a multinational student body an ...

, namely, the

Australian International School Singapore The Australian International School (AIS), located in Singapore, is a co-educational international school that offers a combination of the International Baccalaureate (IB), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), and Au ...

, the French School of Singapore and the Global Indian International School Singapore. Sengkang hospital

Healthcare

Sengkang General Hospital Sengkang General Hospital (abbreviation: SKH) is one of Singapore's public hospitals. It has 1000 beds, and opened its doors on 18 August 2018. It serves mainly the population of northeast Singapore, in particular Sengkang, Punggol, Hougang and ...

is the largest hospital in the region. The 1000-bed hospital was opened on the 18th of August 2018 and is managed by

SingHealth Singapore Health Services, commonly known as SingHealth, is the largest group of healthcare institutions in Singapore. Established in 2000, the group consists of four public hospitals, two community hospitals, five national specialty centres a ...

. Other hospitals in the North-East region include

Ang Mo Kio - Thye Hua Kwan Hospital Ang Mo Kio – Thye Hua Kwan Hospital (AMK-THKH) is a 370-bed community hospital in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. As a community hospital, care is primarily focused on providing affordable rehabilitative and sub-acute care for geriatric patients. Admis ...

, Bright Vision Hospital and Sengkang Community Hospital, which is attached to Sengkang General Hospital.

Parklands

There are a number of

within the region, all of which are managed by the

. Parks within the North-East region include: * Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East * Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West *

Japanese Cemetery Park The Japanese Cemetery Park (Japanese: 日本人墓地公園; rōmaji: ''Nihonjin bochi kōen'') is a cemetery and memorial park in Hougang, Singapore. Covering an area of 29,359 square metres, it is the largest Japanese cemetery in Southeas ...

Punggol Park Punggol Park ( Chinese: 榜鹅公园) is a park located in Hougang, in the north-eastern part of Singapore. The park is in size, with a lake. Kite flying is not allowed here due to the proximity of Paya Lebar Air Base. The park has two distinc ...

Punggol Point Park Punggol Point Park, formerly known as Punggol Point, is located in Punggol, north-east of Singapore. History Punggol Beach was one of the sites where Chinese civilians were killed during the Sook Ching Massacre. The location has now been dec ...

Punggol Waterway Park Punggol Waterway Park is a riverine park located in Punggol, Singapore, along Sentul Crescent. The park consists of four themed areas. Each area is designated to cater to different users of the park. History The park and "My Waterway @ Punggol ...

* Sengkang Riverside Park *

Sengkang Sculpture Park Sengkang (, , ) is a planning area and residential town located in the North-East Region of Singapore. The town is the second most populous in the region, being home to 249,370 residents in 2020. Sengkang shares boundaries with Seletar and ...

Fire Department

The

Singapore Civil Defence Force The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is a uniformed organisation in Singapore under the Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), Ministry of Home Affairs that provides emergency services such as firefighting, technical rescue, and emergency med ...

operates two

fire stations __NOTOC__ A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire hos ...

in the region: * Ang Mo Kio Fire Station * Sengkang Fire Station Ang Mo Kio Fire Station has been operational since 1984 and provides services to Ang Mo Kio and Serangoon. Sengkang Fire Station has been operational since 2001 and provides services to Hougang, Punggol, Sengkang and Serangoon. Along with the fire stations, there are also two fire posts in the region: * Punggol North Fire Post * Cheng San Fire Post

Transportation

The

public transport system Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

in Singapore was designed to connect the North-East Region to the city centre, with

(MRT) stations in each town centre. There is also a number of

bus stops A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger inf ...

and

(LRT) stations which connect towns within the region. As of 2015, 59.5% of the working population aged fifteen and older use public transport regularly to get to work. The North East region also has one

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

Seletar Airport Seletar Airport ( ; ) is a civilian international airport serving the north-east region of Singapore. It is located approximately northwest from Changi Airport, the country's main airport, and about north from the main commercial city-cent ...

. The airport was formally a

military airbase An airbase (stylised air base in American English), sometimes referred to as a military airbase, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base, is an aerodrome or airport used as a mi ...

, but is now owned by the

Singapore government The government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to consist of the President and the Executive. Executive authority of Singapore is vested in the President but exercised on the advice of the Cabinet le ...

and operated by

Changi Airport Group Singapore Changi Airport ( ; ) is the primary international airport that serves the country of Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. More than 100 airlines operate from the airport, with flights to destinations in A ...

. It is mostly used for

flight training Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills. Flight training can be conducted under a str ...

, private aircraft and chartered flights.

Rail

NE17 Punggol MRT Platform B 20201223 125945

There are three MRT lines that operate in the North-East Region: North East line, North-South line and Circle Line. The North East line is the most prominent. It runs from HarbourFront station in the Central Region to Punggol station in the north, connecting six MRT stations within the North-East Region, namely

Serangoon Serangoon ( ) is a planning area and residential town located in the North-East Region of Singapore. Serangoon is bordered by these planning areas – Sengkang to the north, Hougang to the east, Ang Mo Kio and Bishan to the west, as well ...

, Kovan,

Buangkok Buangkok is a neighbourhood located in North-East Region, Singapore, north eastern Singapore. The neighbourhood roughly encompasses the Trafalgar and Compassvale subzones of the Hougang and Sengkang Planning Areas respectively, as designated by ...

and Pungol Coast MRT stationstations. In 2024 the line is expected to be extended to include the

Punggol Coast MRT station Punggol Coast MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the North East line (NEL) in northern Punggol, Singapore. The station is the terminus of the NEL and serves the Punggol Digital District alongside the new campus ...

, which is under construction.

Yio Chu Kang Yio Chu Kang ( ), alternatively spelt as Yeo Chu Kang, is a sub-urban area in the northeast of Singapore, with proximity to the Ang Mo Kio, Lentor, Seletar and Sengkang areas. Deriving its name from the Yio Chu Kang Village, it is still known for ...

and

are the stations located on the North-South line in this region. Tai Seng, Bartley,

and

Lorong Chuan Lorong Chuan is a subzone and a precinct located in the town of Serangoon in the North-East Region of Singapore. The road which the precinct is named after, links the Central Expressway to Serangoon Garden Way in Serangoon Gardens. It is in t ...

stations are on the Circle line in this region. In addition, the

Cross Island MRT line The Cross Island Line (CRL) is a high capacity Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore), Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line under development in Singapore. It will run in an east–west direction from Changi to Jurong Industrial Estate via Loyang, Pasir Ris, ...

, which is currently under planning, is expected to cross through the region. Plans for the project were first announced in 2013, and the

Land Transport Authority The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of Transport (Singapore), Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore. History Incorporation The Land Transport Au ...

expects that it will be completed by 2030. The line will connect to Ang Mo Kio station, Hougang station, Punggol station and Riviera station, along with future MRT stations including Serangoon North station, Defu station, Tavistock station and Teck Ghee station. There are also 28 operational LRT stations in the region, connecting residential areas to the MRT lines. There are two main LRT lines in the region: the

Punggol LRT line The Punggol LRT line (PGLRT) is a elevated automated guideway transit line in Punggol, Singapore. The Driverless train, driverless system consists of 15 stations on two loops, with Punggol MRT/LRT station, Punggol station serving as the inter ...

and the

Sengkang LRT line The Sengkang LRT line (SKLRT) is a elevated automated guideway transit line in Sengkang, Singapore. The driverless system consists of 14 stations on two loops, with Sengkang station serving as the interchange for both loops and linking the ...

Bus

The North-East Region has an established public bus network and a number of bus interchanges connecting towns within the region and to other parts of the country. The following bus interchanges are located within the North-East Region: *

Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange is an air-conditioned bus station, bus interchange located at Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, Singapore, serving residential and industrial areas around Ang Mo Kio and Yio Chu Kang. It is the third air-conditioned bus intercha ...

Hougang Central Bus Interchange Hougang Central Bus Interchange is a bus station, bus interchange serving the town of Hougang. It is located directly above Hougang MRT station. This bus interchange was planned to be an integrated transport hub. History Plans to build a bus ...

Punggol Temporary Bus Interchange Punggol Temporary Bus Interchange is a temporary bus interchange in Punggol New Town, Singapore, located adjacent to the Punggol MRT/LRT station. It was built to allow for easy dismantling when the site is redeveloped as part of a major commerci ...

* Sengkang Bus Interchange * Serangoon Bus Interchange *

Yio Chu Kang Bus Interchange Yio Chu Kang Bus Interchange is a bus interchange located in Yio Chu Kang, a sub zone of Ang Mo Kio Ang Mo Kio () is a planning area and residential town situated in the Central Region of Singapore. Located approximately north of the D ...

Expressways

There are four

expressways Expressway may refer to: *Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic *Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road * ''Expressway'' (film), a 2016 Fi ...

that pass through the North East Region: Central Expressway,

Seletar Expressway The Seletar Expressway (Abbreviation: SLE) is a highway in Singapore that traverses the northern end of the island and joins the Central Expressway (CTE) and the Tampines Expressway (TPE) in Seletar to the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) in Kranji ...

Tampines Expressway The Tampines Expressway (TPE) is a highway in the north-eastern fringe of Singapore, joining the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) near Singapore Changi Airport in the east with the Central Expressway, Singapore, Central Expressway (CTE) and Seletar Ex ...

and

Kallang–Paya Lebar Expressway The Kallang–Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) is the third newest of Singapore's network of expressways. The southern (Kallang) section of the expressway opened first, on 26 October 2007, with the remaining (Paya Lebar) section opened on 20 Septem ...

. Additionally, the North–South Corridor, an under-construction expressway, is planned to connect to Ang Mo Kio.

Housing

The North-East Region is predominantly a

residential area A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family residen ...

. Like other regions outside the

city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...

, towns in the North-East Region are largely made up of high-density, high-rise

, provided by the

Housing and Development Board The Housing & Development Board (HDB; often referred to as the Housing Board; ; ; ), is a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of National Development (Singapore), Ministry of National Developmen ...

(HDB). HDB estates make up 78.72% of households in the region. Each of these housing developments are designed for

self-sufficiency Self-sustainability and self-sufficiency are overlapping states of being in which a person, being, or system needs little or no help from, or interaction with others. Self-sufficiency entails the self being enough (to fulfill needs), and a sel ...

, with

schools A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of ...

sports facilities A sports venue is a building, structure, or place in which a sporting competition is held. A stadium (plural: stadiums or stadia) or arena is a place or venue for sports or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely ...

shopping malls A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, it began to be used as a generi ...

and other

amenities In property and land use planning, amenity (lat. ''amoenitās'' “pleasantness, delightfulness”) is something considered to benefit a location, contribute to its enjoyment, and thereby increase its value. Tangible amenities can include the ...

easily available to residents. The North-East Region experiences continual development of housing and other public facilities. New housing in Ang Mo Kio, Hougang and Serangoon is being developed, along with new transport options, parks and other amenities. In recent years, the HDB has also developed more of a focus on

sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

and incorporating ecological considerations into

town planning Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...

. The town of Punggol was branded as the “first eco-town”, with more greenery incorporated into the area, along with the development of the Punggol Promenade and

Waterway A waterway is any Navigability, navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is ...

Landmarks

Historic sites

The National Heritage Board has designated a number of “historic sites” in Singapore, some of which are located in the North-East Region. These include: * Chee Tong Temple, located in

and finally completed in 1987. * Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

built in Hougang in 1853. * Masjid Haji Yusoff, the oldest

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

in Hougang, originally built in 1921. * Paya Lebar Methodist Church, a church located in Hougang. It was established in 1932 and completed in 1998. * Seletar Airfield, a

British Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of the Royal Flying Corps (R ...

base designed to protect the

naval base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usu ...

Sembawang Sembawang ( ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential town located in the North Region, Singapore, North Region of Singapore. Sembawang planning area is bordered by Simpang to the east, Mandai to t ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. * St. Paul's Church, an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

church built in Hougang in 1936. * Tou Mu Kung, a

Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

completed in 1921. It is the oldest temple in Singapore dedicated to the worship of Jiu Huang Ye. * Woodbridge Museum, established in 1993, provides information and

exhibitions An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibition ...

surrounding the history of the old Woodbridge Hospital, which has now become the Institute of Mental Health. The hospital dates back to 1841, where it was the first

medical facility A health facility is, in general, any location where healthcare is provided. Health facilities range from small clinics and doctor's offices to urgent care centers and large hospitals with elaborate emergency rooms and trauma centers. The numbe ...

in Singapore for treating the mentally ill. It was also used during World War II to provide treatment to

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word ...

and

civilians A civilian is a person who is not a member of an armed force. It is illegal under the law of armed conflict to target civilians with military attacks, along with numerous other considerations for civilians during times of war. If a civilian enga ...

. * Zi Yun Kai Ji Gong, a complex of three temples completed in 1996. The three temples are Keat Sun Beo, Kai Hock Tong and Chao Ying Kong.

References

External links

North-East Region, Singapore
{{Places in Singapore Planning areas in Singapore Regions of Singapore