SINGAPORE – Thirteen parks in southern Singapore will be rejuvenated and linked via trails as part of a revamp of the Greater Southern Waterfront and the Southern Ridges, if plans announced on Saturday get the green light.
Three of the parks – HortPark, Labrador Nature Park and West Coast Park – will also be redeveloped into destination parks, or regional parks with thematic identities and unique features.
The National Parks Board (NParks) unveiled these plans in conjunction with the opening of a new section of Pasir Panjang Park.
On its plans for the 13 parks, which include Alexandra Nature Park, Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park, NParks said it is planning to curate themed trails connecting them, which will offer visitors more nature-based recreational activities and play experiences.
“This will expand the variety of experiences for visitors of all ages in the Southern Ridges and west coast, and offer the public greater access to recreational features set amidst nature,” it said.
As for the destination parks, NParks proposed for HortPark to become an evolving gardening and lifestyle hub, with spaces for the community to bond over gardening and horticulture.
The activity spaces throughout the park would allow for a range of programmes to be held, it added.
To enrich visitors’ experiences at Labrador Nature Park, NParks said it will study the restoration of the former gun battery at Berlayer Hill, one of the few remaining British military structures at the park.
Meanwhile, West Coast Park will be positioned as the western gateway to the Greater Southern Waterfront, with different zones providing family-centric experiences for nature lovers and fitness enthusiasts.
The enhanced parks will contribute to the transformation of the waterfront to create a new major gateway for urban living along Singapore’s southern coast, NParks said.
HortPark and Labrador Nature Park, when rejuvenated, will also serve as a buffer to protect the gazetted Labrador Nature Reserve from abutting developments and “edge effects”, or changes in biodiversity on the margins of an area.
The 13 parks are:
- Alexandra Nature Park
- Berlayer Creek Nature Park
- Clementi Woods Park
- HortPark
- Kent Ridge Park
- Labrador Nature Park
- Mount Faber Park
- Park at Keppel Club (configuration subject to further study)
- Park at King’s Dock
- Pasir Panjang Park
- New extension of Pasir Panjang Park
- Telok Blangah Hill Park
- West Coast Park
NParks will be conducting engagement sessions with the public to gather feedback on the design of the three destination parks, starting at Parks Festival at West Coast Park on Sept 23 and 24. Members of the public can express their interest to join the engagement sessions at www.go.gov.sg/fotpengagement
Urging the public to contribute ideas, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said on Saturday: “Our destination parks have been very popular with Singaporeans.”
Today, Singapore has three destination parks – Admiralty Park, East Coast Park and Lakeside Garden at Jurong Lake Gardens – that feature thematic identities and recreational elements not usually found in public parks.
For instance, East Coast Park brings together recreation and community offerings by the beach while Lakeside Garden offers a collection of gardens and Admiralty Park features a collection of slides.
“As we plan for the Greater Southern Waterfront to create a new major gateway for urban living along Singapore’s southern coast, these three planned destination parks will complement the many exciting transformations taking shape in this area,” Mr Lee said.
New section of Pasir Panjang Park opens
A new 2.2km-long section of Pasir Panjang Park, which connects Pasir Panjang Food Centre to West Coast Park, has opened on Saturday.
It is part of a 17km route from Labrador Nature Park to Jurong Central Park – passing through Pasir Panjang Park and West Coast Park in the south and Jurong Lake Gardens in the west.
The new section of the park pays tribute to Pasir Panjang’s history as one of Singapore’s major port terminals, with heritage and maritime-themed elements, said NParks.
Three 6m-tall shipping containers, donated by port operator PSA Singapore, have been repurposed as shelters.
Two of the shelters house two maritime artefacts – a ship telegraph and an anchor – donated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, as well as an old cannon that is part of Singapore’s National Collection.
NParks said it incorporated ideas from the public into the design of the new section, with a heritage showcase featuring old photos of the area contributed by members of the public.
To reflect the area’s formerly sandy coastline, the new section has a coastal habitat with sandy beach forest vegetation. Species of conservation significance can be found here, such as the critically endangered Sepetir tree, it added.
PSA contributed $3.5 million to the park’s development through the Garden City Fund, NParks’ registered charity and an Institution of a Public Character.
Ms Christina Chow, 61, whose childhood photo is on display at one of the container shelters, said she visited the park often on weekend family outings when she was younger and that she is glad the old cannon remained.
“It is pretty meaningful for me to see it here, as the cannon evokes a particular place and time for me, and for others like me, who had enjoyable visits to the old park,” she said.
The 9ha Pasir Panjang Park, originally targeted for completion in 2026, is estimated to be completed in 2028 and will enhance connectivity from Labrador Nature Park to West Coast Park. NParks said the park’s completion is dependent on the completion of works for surrounding developments.
