Sembawang
Planning and construction
The planning of Sembawang New Town was first mentioned in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Planning Report for Sembawang (1996). This Development Guide Plan, with the aid of zoning maps, highlights the various land zoning proposals, which eventually led to the creation of Sembawang New Town. This provides an interesting perspective to the development of the town. The Sembawang Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Station serves as the central hub, around which residential, commercial as well as industrial zones mushroomed.
Public housing
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats in the Sembawang Planning Area have been split among three divisions, each of which is represented by a Member of Parliament. The North West Community Development Council (CDC) is the local administration, initiating, planning and managing community programmes to promote community bonding and social cohesion.
Current and future development
In the Draft 2003 Master Plan, a Sembawang Activity Corridor was proposed. Plans are in place to develop an activity corridor stretching from the Sembawang Town Centre to the Jalan Legundi area. Mentioned in the Plan was the development of the Sembawang Bus Interchange next to Sun Plaza, as well as a Sembawang Sports Complex at the junction of Sembawang Road / Canberra Road / Sembawang Avenue. Park connectors linking Sembawang MRT Station and Woodlands MRT Station are in the work, as well as a new park connector along Sungei Simpang Kiri from Yishun Avenue 2 to Sembawang Road, bringing people to the lively Sembawang Activity Corridor. A new Community Centre for Sembawang residents will be co-located with the existing Sembawang Neighbourhood Police Centre at Sembawang Drive.
Recent updates of the Sembawang Planning Area can be accessed here.
Communal facilities
The new town contains some of the most common communal facilities found in Singapore, such as:
- Sembawang MRT Station. To preserve the kampong atmosphere of Sembawang, this station has a uniquely-shaped kampong-styled roof. Acceding to a request by workers from the Sembawang Shipyard, the Land Transport Authority constructed a bay for 350 bicycles as most of the workers cycle to and from work. This is in-line with the environmentally friendly mentality prevalent in the kampongs.
- Shopping centres, including the Sun Plaza shopping centre next to the Sembawang MRT Station, and Sembawang Shopping Centre which has opened.
- The Sembawang Community Library, managed by the National Library Board is situated within the Sun Plaza shopping centre. It serves residents in the North West areas of Lim Chu Kang, Mandai, Sembawang, Simpang, Sungei Kadut, Woodlands and Yishun.
- Three primary schools (Canberra Primary School, Sembawang Primary School, Endeavour Primary School and Wellington Primary School), and three secondary schools (Canberra Secondary School, Sembawang Secondary School and the holding campus of Naval Base Secondary School, located there due to PRIME).
- Sembawang Bus Interchange, strategically located next to Sun Plaza, was completed in December 2005. This replaced the old bus interchange located at the Northern tip of Sembawang Road, just next to Sembawang Park. Some photos of the old interchange can be found here.