Tampines
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Tampines (Template:Pron-en) (or Tampines New Town) is the largest residential area in the city-state of Singapore and is located in the East Region of the main island. The town is so named because in the 1900s a large forest of Tampines trees were there.
Like other districts in Singapore, it is a densely populated district with the population density higher than other housing districts. Tampines New Town is a regional centre that lies to the east of Singapore's city centre, much alike to the centrally located Orchard Road .
History
In the past, Tampines was covered by forests and sand quarries. Ironwood trees, or tempinis, grew abundantly here and thus gave the area its name. The transformation of Tampines into a regional town began in the late 1970s, although it was not until the 1990s that the new town was fully established.
New construction methods expedited the development of the town's infrastructure. Using prefabricated parts, a block of high-rise flats could be built in a month. More attractive designs, colours and finishings were also incorporated into Tampines, compared to earlier public housing which consisted of uniform slabs of concrete laid out row after row with more thought given to function than form. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) managed the construction of the town until 1991, when it handed the reins over to the Tampines Town Council. The Town Council is run by grassroot leaders and the residents themselves.
The Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) of the United Nations awarded the World Habitat Award to Tampines, which was selected as a representative of Singapore's new towns, on 5 October 1992. The award was given in recognition of an outstanding contribution towards human settlement and development.
Amenities
Tampines New Town is home to over 200,000 people living in 52,000 HDB flats spread out over 4.24 square kilometres. It is divided into 5 districts:
- Tampines North
- Tampines East
- Tampines West
- Tampines Changkat
- Tampines Central
All the districts have a Community Centre.
Tampines Regional Centre
The urban planning policy of Singapore is to create partially self-sufficient towns, in terms of commercial needs, in order to relieve strain on traffic drawn into the city centre. Thus, an array of facilities are provided primarily for residents in the new towns. Tampines is one of Singapore's three regional centres (along with Woodlands and Jurong East), under the plan of the Urban Redevelopment Authority. As a result, the Tampines Regional Centre not only serve the Tampines residents but also the entire East Region.
Commercial services
Retail shopping in the Tampines Regional Centre is done at three main shopping malls: Tampines Mall, Century Square and Tampines 1. Commercial tenants of the shopping centres include restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, cinemas, bookstores and jewelry shops.
On November 30, 2006, IKEA opened its second outlet in Singapore at Tampines, together with adjacent Courts and Giant.[1]
Community services
The Tampines Regional Library is located near the Tampines town centre, and organises events for children and adults to promote reading and learning.
Transportation
A network of expressways, the Pan-Island Expressway and Tampines Expressway, and arterial roads allows easy movement within the town and link it to other parts of the island. Public transportation is served by the Mass Rapid Transit at Tampines MRT Station and a Tampines Bus Interchange.
Intra-town feeder/townlink bus services bring residents from the Town Centre (where the MRT station and bus interchange is located) to their doorsteps.
Education
The 14 primary schools, 10 secondary schools and three tertiary institutions (one Junior College, one Polytechnic and one Institute of Technical Education) provide education for Tampines residents, as well as those living in the region.
Primary schools
- Changkat Primary School (Located in Simei)
- Chongzheng Primary School
- East Spring Primary School
- East View Primary School
- Gongshang Primary School
- Griffiths Primary School
- Junyuan Primary School
- Poi Ching School
- Qiaonan Primary School
- Saint Hilda's Primary School
- Tampines Primary School
- Tampines North Primary School
- Yumin Primary School
Secondary schools
- Changkat Changi Secondary School
- Dunman Secondary School
- East Spring Secondary School
- East View Secondary School
- Junyuan Secondary School
- Ngee Ann Secondary School
- Pasir Ris Secondary School
- Springfield Secondary School
- St. Hilda's Secondary School (parts of it are still undergoing PRIME)
- Tampines Secondary School
Tertiary institutions
Sports
Tampines Stadium, which is the home to Tampines Rovers FC.
References
- National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 981-4068-23-3