SINGAPORE - Public housing in Singapore will be boosted in years to come as the Housing Board intends to roll out smart technologies to its towns.

A new framework announced on Thursday will see these technologies employed across four fronts: town planning, maintaining environmental conditions, estate management and creating digital infrastructure for "intelligent" homes.

Starting with the first precincts in the upcoming Punggol Northshore, technologies such as a home energy management system will be test-bedded. Such a system allows residents to monitor their energy consumption patterns at home.

Other ideas include a modelling tool to determine the cost effectiveness of new initiatives such as solar panels, and smart fans in common areas which can be triggered to adjust temperature and humidity levels. If feasible, they will eventually be implemented at other housing projects too.

"It's not just about technology for technology's sake," said HDB chief executive Cheong Koon Hean. "We want to leverage on information and communication technology to make HDB towns and estates more liveable, efficient, sustainable and safe for our residents."