Photo: Singapore Housing and Development Board

Singapore Is Building a Car-Free Eco-Town Covered in Jungle Greenery

News National Parks
by Dayana Aleksandrova Apr 19, 2021

Singapore is building a new “forest town” that will offer an abundance of nature with the promise of improving future residents’ health and well-being. The construction is taking place in Tengah — once a military training ground covered in bricks and concrete — located in the West Region of Singapore.

The eco-town, which is centered around wellness and sustainability, will offer a safe zone for pedestrians to walk and cycle as vehicles will run underground. With an urban area that is free from traffic, Tengah will be the first car-free town in Singapore.

Residents will be able to travel to the neighboring towns by bus or via the Jurong Region Line which will be part of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system. A 328-foot-long forest corridor that will run directly through the heart of the town will connect Tengah with a nature reserve and water catchment area, providing a safe passage for wildlife.

Tengah will also offer 42,000 homes to those who would like to live in unison with nature. There will be five distinct districts — Garden, Park, Brickland, Forest Hill, and Plantation. The homes will be located alongside two other developments — the Jurong Innovation District and Jurong Lake District, which are planned to be Tengah’s second business district.

The buildings in Tengah will be covered in greenery and there will be dedicated spaces for community farming. Singapore’s Housing and Development Board is using computer simulations to construct a town that will work alongside the natural environment by accounting for elements such as wind flow in order to minimize heat. The innovative metropolis will also run smart lights that will automatically turn on and off in empty areas to minimize energy usage and waste collection will be transported along a conveyance system offering a more hygienic living environment.

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