The North Region (, zh, 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

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world throughout history, including cities such as Rome, ...

. The region is the second largest region in terms of land area, and has a population of 582,330. Woodlands is the regional centre and also the most populous town with 255,130 residents living in the area. Comprising 13,500 hectares of land area, it includes eight planning areas. The relative isolation of the area from the

Downtown Core The Downtown Core is the historical and downtown centre of the city-state of Singapore and the main commercial area in Singapore excluding reclaimed lands with two integrated resorts such as the Marina Bay Sands, one of the most expensive buil ...

meant relatively belated urban development and the greater abundance of natural greenery. Still, the region includes one of Singapore's largest

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 ...

, Woodlands. Largely grouped into three new towns, it houses 129,000

residential A residential area is a land used in which houses, housing predominates, as opposed to industrial district, industrial and Commercial Area, commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include ...

housing Housing refers to a property containing one or more Shelter (building), shelter as a living space. Housing spaces are inhabited either by individuals or a collective group of people. Housing is also referred to as a human need and right to ...

units of various types, although

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 ...

tends to dominate. Excluding naturally occurring green spaces, the region has 3 square kilometres of recreational spaces.

History

Planning strategies

Planning considerations for the Singapore Master Plan 2003 involving the North Region took into consideration its existing strengths. With a good mix of various housing types, the region also has established industrial areas particularly in

Sungei Kadut Sungei Kadut ( or , ) is an industrial estate and planning area located in the North Region of Singapore. It is bounded by Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang to the south, Mandai to the east, as well as Lim Chu Kang and the Western Water Catchmen ...

and Senoko which provide for employment opportunities close to the residential areas. Transportation, which used to be considered difficult, has been improved tremendously with the completion of the

Bukit Timah Bukit Timah ( ), often abbreviated as Bt Timah, is a planning area and residential estate located in the westernmost part of the Central Region of Singapore. Bukit Timah lies roughly from the Central Business District, bordering the Central ...

and Seletar Expressways, and the introduction of the Mass Rapid Transit's North–South Line. There are adequate commercial facilities with the siting of the Woodlands Regional Centre in the area, as well as recreational facilities. In addition, there is an abundance of green spaces, untouched forests, and even farmland, which are a rarity in Singapore today. The burgeoning population in Singapore meant more space could be reserved for residential housing in the region. The newly built Sembawang New Town will expand northwards to the Senoko Industrial area. Another new town will be built in

Simpang Simpang, is a planning area located in the North Region of Singapore. The word ''Simpang'' means junction or intersection in Malay. It is situated north of Yishun, east of Sembawang and west of Seletar. Pulau Seletar is classified under Simp ...

. In terms of commercial needs, the Woodlands Regional Centre will be further developed. Large tracts of land remain awaiting potential development, with the potential of even taping into the market of residents in

Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...

, Malaysia, across the

Strait of Johor The Johor Strait (also known as the Tebrau Strait, Straits of Johor, Selat Johor, Selat Tebrau, and Tebrau Reach, also spelled Johore Strait) is an international strait in Southeast Asia, between Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. Geography T ...

. More industrial areas to meet employment needs are also planned for the region. Given the large tracts of virgin forests within the region, care will be taken to protect and enhance them. New parks and park connectors are planned for, and a new sports complex will be built in Sembawang New Town. Facilities built for the new

Republic Polytechnic Republic Polytechnic (RP) is a post-secondary education institution and statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Education in Singapore. Established in 2002, RP is renowned for its sports science programs. It is also the first and ...

campus may also be opened for public use.

Geography

With a total land area of , the region is situated on the northern 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 ...

, bordering the North-East Region to the east, West Region to the south-west and the

Straits of Johor The Johor Strait (also known as the Tebrau Strait, Straits of Johor, Selat Johor, Selat Tebrau, and Tebrau Reach, also spelled Johore Strait) is an international strait in Southeast Asia, between Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. Geography ...

to the north.

Regime

The North Region is governed locally by the North West CDC and is divided into 8 planning areas.

Planning Areas

Economy

Sembawang Shipyard

Sembawang Shipyard is a

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...

that specialises in ship repairs and fabrication. Owned by

SembCorp Marine Seatrium Limited provides innovative engineering solutions to the global offshore, marine and energy industries. Headquartered in Singapore, the Group has over 60 years of track record in the design and construction of rigs, floaters, offshore p ...

, the shipyard has the deepest dry dock in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

. Formerly a British naval base, the shipyard was built in 1938 as the Sembawang Naval Base. After Singapore's independence, the naval base was converted into a commercial shipyard under the management of Sembawang Corporation (now known as SembCorp).

Tourism

The region is home to several attractions, namely the

Singapore Zoo The Singapore Zoo, formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens or Mandai Zoo, is a zoo located on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. It is operated by the Mandai Wildl ...

, Night Safari,

Bird Paradise Bird Paradise is an aviary located in Mandai, Singapore. Opened on 8 May 2023, it replaced the Jurong Bird Park and forms a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, consisting of the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders and the upcoming Ra ...

and River Safari. In June 2016, it was announced that a eco-tourism hub will be developed in

Mandai Mandai ( ) is a planning area located in the North Region of Singapore, famously known for being the access point for the Mandai Wildlife Reserve which includes the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders River Wonders, formerly known ...

. Together with the current zoological parks, the area will feature eco-friendly accommodations such as camps, tents, and family rooms. Jurong Bird Park has been relocated to the area as

, which opened in November 2023. The new bird park is also connected to a rainforest sanctuary.

Education

Residents living within the area have access to different educational facilities ranging from preschools to primary and secondary schools, as these are located around the different towns in the East region. The area is also home to various tertiary institutions such as,

, Yishun Innova Junior College and a special needs school, MINDS. There is also an international school, GEMS World Academy, located in

Yishun Yishun ( ), formerly known as Nee Soon, is a New towns of Singapore, residential town located in the northeastern corner of the North Region, Singapore, North Region of Singapore, bordering Simpang and Sembawang to the north, Mandai to the we ...

References

External links

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