30/09/2022
DO YOU KNOW ?
Tampines is home to about 232,700 HDB residents!
History of Tampines:
Tampines was named after the ‘Tempinis’ tree which grew abundantly in the area.
In its early days, farmers and villagers in scattered squatter settlements dotted its otherwise barren landscape. A visitor to Tampines in the 1970s would have been greeted by undulating hillocks and deep craters formed as a result of sand quarrying. At its peak, there were more than 26 sand quarries in the area. The high plains in the vicinity were cut away to further level the area, resulting in 45 million m3 of sand that was later used as fill material for the East Coast Reclamation project.
Evolving Through The Years:
In the early stages of the town’s development, HDB took over 10 years to resettle around 3,720 villagers to make way for the infrastructure works.
HDB began to develop Tampines Town in the early 1980s. The planning of Tampines Town was based on the Neighbourhood and Precinct Planning Concept. The first housing precinct was built at Tampines Neighbouhood 2 to mark a milestone in the evolution of HDB’s residential development typology in the early years of HDB history. The Town Centre was planned as an hourglass shape to create a unique urban design form for the town.
In October 1992, Tampines Town was awarded the World Habitat Award in the Developed Country Category by the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) of the United Nations. The award recognises innovative and successful human settlements.
Tampines Town has been designated as a regional centre since the early 1990s. Today, Tampines Town has one of the most developed regional centres, serving the Eastern part of Singapore.
In September 2013, HDB launched the ‘Future Homes, Better Lives’ exhibition for 3 new development areas at Bidadari, Tampines North and Punggol Matilda. Tampines North is envisioned as a new ‘green shoot’ and extension of Tampines Town, akin to the growth of the leaf with budding new shoots. Guided by its vision, ‘Tampines in Bloom: Budding Communities within a Green Tapestry’, Tampines North will capitalise on its existing greenery and proximity to Tampines Regional Centre to create an attractive living environment for residents. HDB launched the first public housing parcel in November 2014 – Tampines GreenRidges with 1,900 flats in Tampines North. Depending on the housing demand, Tampines North is estimated to be developed further within the next 10 to 15 years.
Notable Places:
Tampines Eco-green was opened in 2011. Showcasing different types of natural habitats such as freshwater wetlands and a secondary rainforest, the place is conveniently connected via the Tampines Biking Trail and Sun Plaza Park.
The Our Tampines Hub was officially opened on 6 August 2017. It is Singapore’s first integrated community and lifestyle hub, housing a variety of sports facilities, a regional library, a hawker centre, a Public Service Centre, a Festive Arts Theatre, and many other facilities under one roof for the convenience and enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.
