Changi Region Masterplan

by | Dec 17, 2022

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Changi Region Masterplan

Intro 9 1

As air travel and freight demand rise, Changi Region is preparing to become a primary international commercial hub. To do this, it will leverage local synergies and Changi airport’s connectivity.

Introduction 

The Draft Master Plan 2019 (DMP 2019) was released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) last month, giving a preview of upcoming developments. The public can observe the improvements to different regions proposed as part of the DMP 2019 on the URA website. The future Terminal 5 of the airport is getting built at Changi, one of these areas. Improved rapid transit network coverage is one of the main topics investigated in the proposals described.

Improvements for Changi Airport’s Terminal 5 construction include the investigation of Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and Cross Island Line (CRL) alignments from termini at Sungei Bedok and Aviation Park, respectively, to a prospective station at the Terminal 5 ground transportation hub.

Considering some of the tenders that the Land Transport Authority has called, it is likely that the extension will beget disclosed in the next Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP), which is due this coming year (LTA). Contracts T316 for building underground infrastructure and T3056 for creating the architectural and engineering plans for conceivably developing underground transportation infrastructure. After Terminal 5’s intended operations start in the middle of 2020, both contracts have delivery dates in 2030.

About Changi Region Masterplan

When you mention Changi, most people quickly conjure up images of Changi Airport and Jewel Changi Airport, the most recent and ostensibly most impressive structure in the world. Changi is the most advanced center in the east for business, aviation, technology, and logistics with these attractions.

The Changi Region masterplan takes advantage of its advantageous proximity to Changi Airport and includes vital areas like Changi Aviation Park and the Changi East Urban District.

Changi Aviation Park, which has been established as a bustling aviation hub and has a direct connection to the airport, is well situated to serve the lucrative aircraft servicing and aviation financing sectors.

With access to the upcoming Terminal 5, the emerging Changi East Urban District will house conference rooms, hotels, and serviced apartments in addition to smart work centers

. The Changi region will get changed into an integrated work-live-play environment thanks to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in the upcoming years.

And the 71-hectare Changi Business Park (CBP), which houses a network of eight sites owned by CapitaLand, lies at the center of Changi’s thriving ecosystem. With a focus on freight, aviation technology, machine learning, and automation, CBP is a top business and research hub. 

Changi Region Masterplan

Changi Aviation Park: New businesses involved in aviation

With the development of the Changi East Industrial Zone, the current air cargo cluster can get widened to accommodate new aviation-related industries and companies that depend on global air connectivity.

 

ChangiAviationPark

Changi City’s waterfront neighborhood

It offers thrilling new recreational and tourism opportunities, seamless inter-modal “fly-ferry” linkages from Terminal 5, and what could eventually become a waterfront district.

WaterfrontDistrict

Changi City: Changi Business Park & SUTD, an innovative lifestyle business district

An innovative ecosystem with a live-in community would draw companies and institutions engaged in freight transportation/aviation-related research and development, including robotics and artificial intelligence technology. This ecosystem would build on the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Changi Business Park (CBP).

Innovative lifestyle and business district in Changi City’s Changi East Urban District

The new Changi East Urban District may contain brand-new offices, Smart work centres, adaptable conference rooms and halls, hotels, and serviced apartments, all of which would be situated right outside Terminal 5’s proposed Terminal 5 entrance. These structures would get surrounded by lushly landscaped public spaces.

ChangiEastUrbanDistrict

Changi Region set to transform.

2019’s Drat Masterplan will focus on the Changi Region, home to businesses that benefit from Changi Airport’s synergies. As air traffic and freight demands increase, the Changi Region will continue to change.

With the construction of Terminal 1 being complete and Jewel Changi Airport set to open in the middle of April 2019, Changi Airport is gradually expanding its capacity and improving its offers. The future development of Terminal 5, Changi East industrial estates, and Changi East Urban District will add capacity for Changi Airport’s expansion.

Changi Region to Become Well-Connected, Mixed-Use District, Linking Businesses, Employees, Residents, and Tourists

URA stated that it would enhance connections to the Changi Region to facilitate Changi Airport’s expansion. In addition to reducing travel times to Changi Region, the recently planned Cross Island Line Phase 1 will complement existing MRT lines.

It is also looking to extend the Thomson-East Coast Line and Cross Island Line to serve Changi Airport. New road corridors and other enhancements to the roads will get made. There may be seamless “fly-ferry” linkages since the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal is next to the upcoming Terminal 5.

Present-day key employment centers are Changi Airport and Changi Business Park. With the 2019 Changi Region Draft Masterplan, more jobs in the aviation landscape sector. Residents of the Changi Region already enjoy a wide variety of green spaces and play spaces thanks to an integrated network connecting various green, blue, and play areas. 

But with expanded community facilities and improved connections, the Draft Masterplan 2019 will provide inhabitants with higher opportunities. Changi Point will retain its beloved rustic, laid-back charm because it gets recognized as an identity node. More leisure options will get delicately added with additional pathways, improved foliage, and increased biodiversity.

Changi Region gets Planned as a Popular Lifestyle Destination for Those Near and Far.

According to URA, Changi Region will be more than merely a hub for employment. There may be a wide variety of tourist and entertainment attractions there. The Round Island Route and cycling networks will connect different leisure sites, from the rich, rural heritage of Changi Point to the renowned lifestyle and entertainment opportunities within Jewel Changi Airport. The long-term development of a waterfront path could bring fascinating new leisure attractions and tourism opportunities.

The Changi Region’s Changi Aviation Park will aid emerging aviation-related enterprises.

With the series of development of the Changi East Industrial Zone, the current air cargo cluster can get widened to accommodate new aviation-related industries and companies that depend on global air connectivity.

The 2019 Draft Masterplan calls for Changi City to become a Waterfront District.

It offers thrilling new recreational and tourism opportunities, seamless inter-modal “fly-ferry” linkages from Terminal 5, and what could eventually become a waterfront district.

With SUTD & Changi Business Park Central at its center, Changi City will be a cutting-edge lifestyle business area.

An innovative ecosystem with a live-in community would draw companies and institutions engaged in freight transportation/aviation-related research and development, including robotics and artificial intelligence technology. This ecosystem would build on the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Changi Business Park (CBP).

With Changi East Urban District, Changi City might serve as an innovative lifestyle and business hub.

In the new Changi East Urban District, next to Terminal 5, there may be a brand-new Innovative lifestyle business center, Smart work centres, adaptable meeting rooms and halls, hotels, and serviced residences surrounded by beautifully landscaped public areas.

Around the airport, Changi Region will be a thriving live, work, play, and learn ecosystem.

To facilitate Changi Airport’s expansion, the URA said it would enhance connectivity to the Changi Region. In addition to reducing travel time to Changi Region, the recently planned Cross Island Line Phase 1 will complement existing MRT lines. We are extending the Thomson-East Coast Line and Cross Island Line to serve Changi Airport. New road corridors and other enhancements to the roads will get made. There may be seamless “fly-ferry” connections since the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal is next to the upcoming Terminal 5.

The URA further stated that the Changi Region offers a wide variety of leisure and tourism activities and is much more than just an employment hub.

From Changi Point’s rich, rural heritage to Jewel Changi Airport’s renowned lifestyle hub and entertainment options, a wide range of specific leisure activities will get connected by the Round Island Route and bicycle network. The long-term development of a waterfront zone could bring about fascinating new leisure and tourism opportunities.

According to a Policy Watch analysis by renowned real estate services company Cushman & Wakefield, Singapore planners’ concept of attaining sustainable growth through ongoing innovation to increase the city’s appeal gets reflected in the Draft Masterplan 2019. (C&W). According to the research, Singapore will progress toward becoming a sustainable and livable city in the future growth – thanks to the core strategies outlined in the Draft Masterplan 2019.

The Eastern Economic Gateway

Four economic gateways were designated to offer real estate prospects for the future economy in the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) 2019 draught master plan released. These gateways, which include crucial employment node and infrastructure that connects Singapore to the rest of the world, will be further developed to improve ties to foreign markets and the island nation’s hub status.

The Eastern Gateway, specifically the Changi Region, is expected to experience rapid growth over the next ten years. The goal is to become more competitive in the world of aviation and to make Singapore’s aviation industry one of its main economic engines.

Changi’s next phase of ambitious plans, Jewel Changi Airport, has begun.

Jewel Changi Airport is the newest showcase of an icon for Singapore. It was formally opened on April 17 and has received numerous international mentions. The new 10-story mixed-use complex by Changi Airport Group and CapitaLand joint-venture, redeveloped on the site of the previous open-air carpark for a price of S$1.7 billion, raises the bar for dining, retail, and entertainment. The Jewel, with its 1.46 million square feet of floor space and stunning green and blue elements, is home to the world’s highest indoor waterfall, the “Rain Vortex,” 40 meters high, and a four-story, 227,000 square foot “Forest Valley.” 

Visitors and passengers are kept longer and happier in the Jewel by the more than 280 food and shopping options – the play area at Canopy Park and the Sky Nets attraction. At YOTELAIR, there are travel-related amenities like flexible lodging alternatives, early check-in options, and baggage storage facilities to meet the customer’s demands.

Strengthening Changi’s position as a premier air transportation hub and improving its appeal as a stopover location for travelers were the goals for the building of Jewel, as well as establishing a desirable new shopping and leisure destination for the inhabitants.

As shown in the URA draft master plan 2019, Jewel exemplifies what the Singapore government hopes to achieve: a new, thriving ecosystem through mixed-use developments and districts built with work-live-play-learn components injected throughout the nation.

Singapore’s Changi International Airport: Background and Overview

One of the principal airports in Asia, more specifically Southeast Asia, is Changi Airport in Singapore. An airport at Paya Lebar provided all of Singapore’s needs before the construction of Changi Airport. The Singaporean government initially proposed expanding the airport by adding a second runway in Paya Lebar Airbase due to increased demand for travel services. This plan was considered a modest one due to the Limited Time required for construction and the cost of land acquisition (Airport Master Plan, 1985; Karamijit, 2007; Probert, 2006).

However, there was the pressing issue of pollution, as the airport’s additional capacity would have resulted in severe noise and air pollution for the City Airport residents (Operators Association, 2001). The government changed its tactics in response to this, deciding to build a new airport in Changi at a decidedly higher cost after conducting many studies (ACI, 1995). 

Paya Lebar’s expansion was more expensive than anticipated, and the access roads from the city to the new airport were not taken into account by the planners (AIP, 2009; Karamijit, 200). 70% of the roughly 1,300 Ha of land designated for Changi Airport’s construction gets reclaimed from the sea (Karamijit, 200).

Motives driving the Transformation of the Changi Region

Changi Region will get promoted as a thriving economic hub for companies that maximize synergies with Changi Airport to realize the lofty goal of becoming “the Business Gateway to the World.” 

Terminal 5 (T5) will be finished by 2030, with the Terminal 1 expansion and Jewel completion after over thirty years of preparation. T5 will eventually be able to accommodate up to 70 million people annually and will include two satellite terminals.

Changi City and Changi Aviation Park are two strategic areas that are part of the plans to revitalize the Changi Region. These locations get set aside to significantly increase Changi Airport’s capacity as it develops into a vital aviation hub, boosting Singapore’s economic growth and its stature around the globe.

City of Changi

Future eastern waterfront district development could occur in Changi City, an extended designated area. With seamless inter-modal “fly-ferry” connections to T5, it gets positioned to provide new leisure and tourism opportunities.

Changi City will take advantage of the proximity of the Singapore University of Technology and Design and Changi Business Park to build an “innovative ecosystem with a live-in community.” It attracts businesses and institutions engaged in freight transportation or aviation-related Research & Development, including artificial intelligence and robotics technology.

The new Changi East Urban District, located near T5, is close to Changi City. It will include hotels, serviced apartments, flexible conference halls, offices, Smart work centers, and hotels surrounded by beautifully landscaped public areas.

Aviation Park at Changi

The Changi East Industrial Zone will allow the air cargo cluster to grow and serve new aviation-related industries and enterprises that depend on global air connectivity, which will help the aviation industry. The location will be known as Changi Aviation Park the entire time.

Cross Island MRT Line leading to Changi

The Cross Island Line Phase 1 gets expected to be finished by 2029, increasing MRT transportation links from different parts of Singapore to Changi and enhancing its accessibility for Singaporeans, members of the working community, and foreign tourists.

This brand-new MRT line, expected to enhance Changi Region transportation systems, would boost commuter traffic throughout Singapore and reveal the potential for real estate development on land parcels close to the Cross Island Line stations.

What does this plan entail for the property market in Singapore?

The latest marvel of Jewel and the URA master plan get intended to boost Changi Airport’s growth amid rising competition in the region. These initiatives will get aided by Changi Airport’s continued status as the best airport in the world. 

The result will get vast and multifaceted for Singapore’s economy, benefiting numerous linked and complementary sectors. This result will result from the anticipated influx of travelers, enterprises, and Manpower as Changi Region changes. Real estate will benefit highly from the tourism, hospitality, and industrial sectors’ expansion in Changi Region.

Due to its improved accessibility to the airport and surrounding infrastructure, Changi will appeal to the business community in logistics and aviation-related businesses. More effort needs to get put into conceptualizing the types of offerings that will be distinctive for Changi to improve the overall “Singapore experience” and encourage visitors to visit other parts of Singapore and Changi. It will also be necessary to design with some flexibility – so that Changi’s future tourist and recreational spaces can be modified following consumer preferences and avoid competing with other existing and planned tourist attractions.

Changi Region may appeal to real estate investors.

Investors that intend to increase their portfolio of commercial and business park investments are likely to be interested in future land sites available for development in this area. Due to its prominence as a hub and gateway, ease of doing business, and transparency in urban development plans, Singapore continues to be a favorite among firms and investors in real estate. We might see some foreign investors join the fraternity of Changi’s property development and operations business if the tourism endeavor in the city’s waterfront district. It gets anticipated to be of a Large scale.

Long-term development of the business, recreational, and tourism-related sectors in the Changi Region will inevitably support the creation of new residential precincts. Both investment and owner-occupation goals, as well as a desire to take advantage of the many benefits of being close to an aviation hub, will likely drive residential developments demand for current and forthcoming private house projects. Additionally, Changi Region would be well suited for facilities connected to hospitality, and it gets predicted that investors will show a healthy interest in purchasing and developing such assets to address the needs of transient/short-term stayers.

Transforming Changi

Eight Urban Transformation projects were designated as critical growth zones in the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) 2019 Draft Master Plan to spur economic development and bring services and jobs closer to citizens.

As part of the nation’s effort to become more competitive in the world of aviation, there are grand ambitions for the Eastern Gateway, specifically the Changi Region. As air travel and freight demand rise, Changi Region is preparing to become a primary international commercial hub. To do this, it will leverage local synergies and Changi airport’s connectivity.

Within the next ten years, it gets expected that the transformation will take off dramatically, and homes in the east should see an increase in the value of the new construction.

Business Nexus That Encourages Synergy And Win-win Partnerships

CBP is a business hub that brings together businesses, research organizations, and academic institutions. DBS, Honeywell, Schneider Electric, Xilinx, and FedEx World Service Center are some of the foreign firms active in CBP. Because of this, the region serves as a hub for interaction between established global corporations and burgeoning start-ups and SMEs, fostering partnerships that benefit both parties.

The Singapore University of Technology and Design campus is inside the commercial area. It increases the possibilities for academic institutions and the corporate sector to Uwork together and shares knowledge.

Executives, students, and researchers all work, eat and socialize in the same space, so there are many opportunities for interaction and networking between the various groups. Imagine being able to discuss business strategies over coffee with like-minded colleagues or benefit from the ease of being situated in the same business district as the professionals you wish to consult.

Seamless connectivity and easy access

CBP is the perfect headquarters for domestic and foreign businesses due to its advantageous location. 

Executives have easy access to the East-West Line and Downtown Lines due to the CBP’s location directly across from the Expo MRT Station. A brief 30-minute train ride will get you to the Central Business District (CBD) in Raffles Place. The projected Cross Island Line will give CBP better accessibility to even more commercial landmarks in the ensuing decade.

CBP has easy access to the East Coast Parkway (ECP), which takes travelers less than 20 minutes to reach the commercial and financial district when traveling by automobile.

CBP is just a five-minute drive from Changi Airport for individuals who frequently travel abroad. A direct train line runs from and to Changi Airport through Expo MRT Station.

A place that combines work and plays

CBP provides a wide range of alluring leisure and lifestyle options with a well-functioning transportation system. In addition to serviced apartments and hotels for business travelers, these facilities often include pharmacies, hospitals, gyms, and childcare facilities. Beyond CBP, businesses may have a cutting-edge shopping experience and indulge in delectable cuisine at the close-by Changi City Point Mall and Jewel Changi Airport.

Sports fields get offered at Plaza 8, 1 Changi Business Park Crescent, for active professionals. These facilities can be utilized by businesses to foster teamwork among employees or to encourage an active lifestyle. The Ark is the company that runs this vibrant Live-Work-Play-Learn Ecosystem at CBP. With about 12 teams participating in each sport after work, it recently wrapped up its futsal and cricket championships. CapitaLand has constructed end-of-trip amenities for bikers, including showers, lockers, and bicycle racks at Plaza 8.

Tenants may easily stay in shape while working thanks to the regular workout classes provided at CBP with help from the Health Promotion Board.

An accomplishment for sustainable international business

CBP is home to several properties that have received the BCA Green Mark award over the years, making it appealing to those who care about the environment.

CapitaLand revealed that by the end of 2019 in July, more than 21,000 solar panels would get placed in six properties owned by its office space and industrial real estate investment trust, including 1 Changi Business Park Avenue 1 at CBP. Over 4.3 million kg of carbon emissions will be prevented annually by the combined rooftop solar facility on the six properties.

The vibrant environment that exists there and surrounds with helped CBP earn its reputation as the CBD of the East. CBP assists businesses in retaining talent by establishing a location where workers love coming to work and having a suitable work environment.

Changi Airport in Singapore will expand significantly as T5 construction plans come to fruition.

In around two years, work on T5 will begin, and it will likely be ready for use by travelers by the middle of the 2030s. It will have a three-runway system, be connected to the other four terminals, and be within the 1,080-hectare Changi East development. It will be within the 1,080-hectare Changi East complex. Due to the pandemic, Lee observed that the new terminal’s construction gets delayed for two years during the terminal’s architecture gets enhanced, and the long-term prospects for air travel get reevaluated.

The future of aviation is still promising. People are now traveling once more as the borders have opened. Already, passenger volume is higher than half of the pre-Covid-19 levels. The region’s rapidly developing middle class will contribute to the continued growth of air travel in the long run. 

In 2019, before the epidemic, Changi Airport handled 68.3 million passengers. Passenger traffic increased to 55% of pre-pandemic levels in July 2022 after the quarantine and testing restrictions were relaxed.

The T5 design, according to Lee, takes into account current pandemic concerns and can be scaled up or down, enabling officials to isolate passengers from various aircraft to reduce cross-infection.

The airport will include contactless technology at passenger touchpoints with improved ventilation systems. Solar panels and advanced building management systems will get established in the airport terminal to increase sustainability. District cooling and thermal energy storage will get used in the terminal building. T5 will display Singapore to the world once it gets built in the middle of the 2030s. 

Mega Development in the East Region

The URA has outlined numerous mega developments for the East Region. The government’s aim to further decentralize some of its primary sectors away from the city is likely to support it as an economic zone. Astute investors took advantage of the first-mover advantage to capitalize on the potential for expansion in the area – which is why new developments like the Parc Central Residences in Tampines and Pasir Ris 8 have sold out quickly.

Check out Sky Eden at Bedok and Seneca Residence in Tanah Merah, which will soon go on sale if you look for real estate in the east. Both are close to MRT stations and are mixed-use buildings.

Due to its strategic location between the Paya Lebar Airbase and Changi Region, designated for significant transformations, Tampines is one of Singapore’s major regional centers – but its significance going forward.

Tampines is a self-sufficient estate with various amenities like shopping centers, schools, and entertainment centers. It has been referred to as the East’s CBD and is a significant commercial hub. Many reputable foreign banks, including OCBC, DBS, UOB, Citibank, and Standard Chartered, are in Tampines Central. 

Major firms like AIA, NTUC Income, and the CPF Board are also there. All these get grouped around the bus interchange and MRT station in Tampines. Pasir Ris is close by and is only one MRT station away from Tampines. Another reputable housing development in the East is Pasir Ris. It has become one of the most sought-after places to reside because of its abundance of lush flora, nature parks, beaches, and recreational facilities.

Major commercial and manufacturing centers can get found in the east. The Pasir Ris Wafer Fabrication Park, Loyang Industrial Estate, and Changi Business Park are a few examples. The Changi Airport is also nearby. The nearby housing estates are easily accessible from these locations via the first-rate MRT network.

Naturally, Tampines and Pasir Ris houses have been in high demand as desirable places to live, work, and play. The property demand gets expanded by the significant transformation that occurs and the increase in employment possibilities.

The Changi backstory

In 1981, Changi Airport opened in place of Paya Lebar Airport, which only had one runway. In response to the growing number of passengers, work had already started on Terminal 2 by 1986. The new facility opened to the public in 1991. But what drew people’s attention was the introduction of some previously unheard-of luxuries. 

For example, Changi installed the first transit-area pool in the world in 1995, which marked the beginning of a string of upgrades that would widen the gap between it and other airports around the globe. 1998 saw the addition of a sports arena, a cinema theatre, and a news hub.

In 2008, Changi Airport Terminal 3—which boasts a gigantic slide 12 meters high and a butterfly garden—entered the scene. Terminal 4 opened in 2017. The 2019 opening of Changi Jewel provides locals without travel schedules with the purpose of the airport. The 135,700 square meters (about 1.46 million square feet) multi-use facility unites three of Changi Airport’s four terminals and has a striking doughnut-shaped façade made of steel and glass.

The Jewel has 10-floors total—five above ground and five below—and gets constructed for SG$ 1.7 billion (approximately US$1.18 billion) under the direction of famous architect Moshe Safdie. The center of attention is the 40-meter-tall (about 130-foot) HSBC Rain Vortex, described as the highest indoor waterfall in the world and cascades through a massive oculus in the heart of the building.

There is an 11-cinema IMAX theatre and Shiseido Forest Valley, a four-story garden with walking pathways situated amidst more than 235,000 square feet of vegetation with the Vortex waterfall. Since Terminal 5 won’t open for at least another ten years, Changi Airport customers will have something to look forward to at that time.

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