Eco Friendly Housing Estates

A garden city is what Singapore is fondly known as to many. Let us take a look at some of the latest initiatives to keep our country clean and green! 

Written by: Beverlyn Tan | Illustrations by: Beverlyn Tan

Punggol

Known as Singapore’s first eco-town, this young estate has been vital in shaping sustainable landscapes with the iconic development of Punggol Waterway and Treelodge @ Punggol. These two housing development board (HDB) estates has helped the town garner recognition as a sustainable waterfront town. As the name suggests, Punggol Waterway is the first man-made waterway by HDB and it consists of three routes, namely discovery, explorer and rustic. Spanning a total of 4.2km, the waterway meanders through the eco-town, allowing opportunities to conduct a variety of water recreational activities.

The winner of Singapore’s first Green Mark Platinum Award, Treelodge @ Punggol , lives up to the award with its lush landscapes and elements of nature that are subtly incorporated throughout the housing estate. 

With these new initiatives, Singapore hopes to move towards environmentally friendly and sustainable living spaces where our next generation is nurtured by nature. 

Bidadari

15 football fields. That’s the size of the new Bidadari Park nestled within the Bidadari Estate. As part of the estate’s green initiatives, the park will be a connector linking the residential blocks with trails that weave and connect seamlessly throughout the estate. 

Said to be inspired by well-loved cartoon series, Winnie the Pooh, the park will be designed to resemble the fictional Hundred Acre Wood and will also feature a playground named Adventure Playwoods. 

Furthermore, the extension of Bidadari Park will be transformed into a sanctuary for birds of all species such as hornbills and owls. Bird lovers can look forward to admiring these feathery creatures from vantage points that will be built at rooftop gardens of Woodleigh Glen. 

HDB has definitely brought nature to the doorstep of the residents of Bidadari Estate and these measures are slated to be a game-changer for housing estates in Singapore in the future. 

Jurong

Commonly referred to as the new Orchard in the making, Jurong has garnered much attention from flat buyers over the years. However, what makes Jurong even more appealing apart from the multitude of malls are the government efforts to incorporate nature into the new built-to-order (BTO) flats in the west side of Jurong.

These new BTO flats feature rooftop gardens which are linked to the estate’s car parks. Take a stroll through the estate and you will see play areas for children and gathering areas located within close proximity to all things green in the estate. 

The East side of Jurong is also not forgotten as the government ramp up their efforts to promote a sustainable living in Singapore. 38 blocks in Jurong East have been chosen to undergo Housing Development Boards’s (HDB) sustainable upgrading programme and upon completion, flats in Jurong will feature energy saving lights, storage tanks and many other eco-friendly measures. 

This is indeed a step in the right direction to HDB’s “Roadmap to better living” and it seems like we can all look forward to a smarter nation with a brighter future. 

Tengah

A garden within the city. That’s what the highly anticipated new estate, Tengah , aims to become. When completed, the new built-to-order (BTO) estate will be Singapore’s first car-free housing estate with all traffic running under the town. Roads within the area will be replaced with trees, fountains and all things friendly to the environment. Additionally, walking and cycling trails will be incorporated throughout the eco-town, allowing residents to walk, cycle and ride simultaneously. 

As a step into sustainable living in Singapore, the town will contain five districts (Plantation, Garden, Park, Brickland, Forest Hill) which in turn houses a five kilometres long forest corridor hiking trail known as the forest fringe. 

Other green initiatives include community farming, an automated waste system and most impressively, a computer simulation tool UN-MIST (Urban Microclimate Multi - Physics Integrated Simulation Tool) which will be used to facilitate natural ventilation within the town.