SINGAPORE - Punggol North will be designated as an "enterprise district", where digital and cyber-security industries will be sited.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong announced this in Parliament on Tuesday (March 7), saying: "Punggol will be a key area for us to drive our smart nation initiatives... where we try out several new planning concepts."

Punggol North will be the first of "enterprise districts" where new planning concepts will be applied.

This includes appointing a master developer who will take charge of the entire district.

In Punggol North's case, the JTC Corporation will be appointed.

Under this arrangement, JTC can optimise land use across the development and find ways to integrate the needs of different users, rather than have zoning rules - such as land use and density - imposed on individual land parcels by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

Companies will thus have access to shared facilities and collaborative space, or other combinations of uses as set out by JTC.

Punggol already has the new Singapore Institute of Technology campus, as well as commercial and business park areas.

Said Mr Wong: "Since SIT's campus and the JTC's business parks are located side by side, we can have closer integration of the facilities."

For instance, SIT and the business park can share research labs, incubator spaces and learning facilities. The university could also host industry research and development facilities and start-up spaces within its campus.

Plans are also afoot to introduce this "master developer" idea to other new residential and mixed-use districts, he added.

One possibility is Kampong Bugis, a new residential precinct, which will form part of MND's "larger rejuvenation efforts" for the Kallang River.

This will be done in a way that is sensitive to the heritage and biodiversity of the river, and over time, bring back new life and vibrancy to the area, said Mr Wong.