Central Region, Singapore

Central Region
Region
From top left to right: Skyline of the Downtown Core, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Reflections at Keppel Bay, Fusionopolis at One North, Toa Payoh Town Centre
Planning Areas in the Central Region, excluding PAs within the Central Area
Coordinates: 1°18′2.04″N 103°49′17.97″E / 1.3005667°N 103.8216583°E / 1.3005667; 103.8216583
Country	Singapore
Planning Areas	21 Bishan Bukit Merah Bukit Timah Downtown Core Geylang Kallang Marina East Marina South Museum Newton Novena Orchard Outram Queenstown River Valley Rochor Singapore River Southern Islands Straits View Tanglin Toa Payoh
CDC	Central Singapore CDC North West CDC South East CDC South West CDC
Regional centre	Central Area (de facto)
Largest PA	Bukit Merah
Government
• Mayors	Central Singapore CDC Denise Phua North West CDC Teo Ho Pin South East CDC Maliki Osman South West CDC Low Yen Ling
Area
• Total	132.7 km2 (51.2 sq mi)
Population (2015)
• Total	939,890
• Density	7,100/km2 (18,000/sq mi)

Central Singapore CDC

North West CDC

South East CDC

South West CDC

The Central Region is one of the five regions in the city-state of Singapore and the main metropolitan region surrounding the Central Area. Comprising 13,150 hectares of land area, it includes 11 planning areas within the Central Area, as well as another 11 more outside it.

Although the Central Area is by nature chiefly commercial, especially the area in the Downtown Core, it also includes 335,400 residential housing units of various types, ranging from HDB flats to more forms of private housing, such as bungalows, which are a status symbol because land is expensive. There are also 1000 hectares of green spaces, including parks, gardens and other recreational spaces linked by 19 km of park connectors, which were built in order to make this area aesthetically pleasing.

Planning considerations for the URA Master Plan 2003 involving the Central Region took into consideration its existing strengths. Besides being the undisputed core area for business and entertainment in the city, it contains districts steeped in history, various housing types, and numerous institutions for education and community life. Despite the highly built-up character, it still boasts a rich variety of parks, open spaces, and other recreational areas. It is also well connected to the rest of the city though extensive road and rail connections, plus an international gateway to the world via the Maritime ports.

More can be done to maximise these strengths. The Urban Redevelopment Authority envisages the introduction of more homes of various types to the area, particularly in the Downtown Core which has been overwhelmingly commercial for the past decades. Supporting institutions and transport networks should then be upgraded or introduced to cater to the rising resident population in the area.