Jurong has, since the 1970s, been synonymous with the blue-collar industrial town of Singapore. It played a pivotal role as the hub for the country’s general industries and manufacturing sector, which accounted for around 21% of GDP (in 2022).
Its importance as an industrial town is set to be further enhanced with the transformation of three new employment areas – Jurong Lake District (JLD), Jurong Innovation District (JID), and Tuas Port. Among them, the Jurong Lake District was unveiled as Singapore’s second Central Business District as part of the 2008 Master Plan. By 2050, it is expected to provide 100,000 new jobs and 20,000 new homes, adding to the one million residents already residing in the West region.
The JLD is not only meant to be a focal point for the growth of businesses in the future economy but also champion green initiatives as part of its overall town planning. As such, more flexibility is given in terms of zoning, land tenure, and phasing than in other districts to encourage companies to experiment with new development concepts and innovative ways to integrate live, work, and play.
The Jurong Lake District Will Be A Model For Urban Sustainability And To Attract New Jobs In Green Innovation
The 360-hectare Jurong Lake District (JLD) is envisioned as a model district for urban sustainability by incorporating the six pillars under the Singapore Green Plan 2030. These include pursuing sustainable transport, moving towards net zero emissions, producing zero waste, enabling healthy living, building a city in nature, and advancing sustainability through partnership and technology.
As the largest mixed-use business district outside the city centre, it is expected to not only attract a new generation of firms from the technology, e-commerce, sustainability, and business services sectors but also support the growth of new jobs in green innovation.
In support of the long-term aim of the town and to create further synergies with other companies with strong Environment, Social, and Government (ESG) ambitions, government agencies leading Singapore’s sustainability, environmental, development, and transport strategies will move to JLD in phases.
Jurong Lake District Consists Of Three Distinct Precincts
The JLD features three distinct precincts: Jurong Gateway, Lakeside, and Lakeside Gateway.
Jurong Gateway
The Jurong Gateway will occupy a total area of 70-hectares and will serve as the commercial heart of the district. It will feature state-of-the-art office spaces, research facilities, and innovation clusters that cater to a diverse mix of companies, including technology startups, financial institutions, and multinational corporations.
We may see further development activities in the precinct with the URA releasing a 6.5-hectare White site for tender at the Jurong Gateway site in June 2023. The plot area could yield at least 146,000 sqm of office space, about 1,700 dwelling units, and 73,000 sqm for complementary uses such as shopping and food-and-beverage businesses.
Lakeside Gateway
The Lakeside Gateway, a 112-hectare site located between Jurong Gateway and Lakeside, is earmarked as a new mixed-use business precinct. It was also the proposed site for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail terminus before the project was dropped.
Aside from the continuous waterfront access for the residents and visitors, the future developments at Lakeside Gateway could be integrated with the surrounding areas, such as the International Business Park to the east, as well as Teban Gardens and Pandan Gardens to the south.
Lakeside
The lakeside, home to Jurong Lake Gardens, the third national garden of Singapore, and the upcoming new science centre, is the leisure and recreational area of the district.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced plans for the development of an integrated tourism development at a 6.8-hectare site next to Jurong Lake – though there are no successful takers yet. The new lifestyle and tourism hub is expected to comprise high-quality accommodation as well as a mix of attractions, retail, F&B, and entertainment offerings, with a focus on technology, “edutainment,” and sustainability.
A Hub For Businesses Of The Future Economy That Allows For Experimentation With New Development Concepts
Jurong Lake District (JLD) is positioned to become an economic powerhouse as it seeks to attract a wide range of businesses and industries from the current sectors such as professional services and construction, finance, insurance, information & communications, wholesale and retail trade, energy, transport & storage, sustainability, and public administration that operate in the district.
The district, with its strategic location and excellent connectivity, offers a prime business address outside of the traditional CBD for businesses. Some of the current commercial and office space options, including their rents, are as follows:
- Jem ($6.25 per sq ft)
- JTC Summit ($5.11 per sq ft)
- Perennial Business City ($5.00 per sq ft)
- The Strategy ($4.50 per sq ft)
- The Synergy ($4.20 per sq ft)
- Vision Exchange ($5.00–$6.20 per sq ft)
- Westgate Tower ($7.75–$8.20 per sq ft)
Transport – Model For Sustainable Transportation
The district is designed to be car-lite, with 85% of all trips to and within the district commutable on walk, cycle, and ride modes. The new roads in the district will also have cycling paths, with some roads accessible only to buses, bicycles, and pedestrians.
The JLD will also be readily equipped to support the use of autonomous and electric vehicles. This includes building parking infrastructure in new developments that will be well-sized and designed to have dedicated pick-up, drop-off, and charge points for a seamless and efficient transport experience. New developments will also be designed to support emerging technologies such as the use of Autonomous Mobile Robots for last-mile deliveries.
Visitors and residents can look forward to greater accessibility and connectivity through public transportation, including an extensive public bus and MRT network. There will be two new bus interchanges (Jurong East Integrated Transport Hub and Bus Interchange at Venture Drive) to further enhance bus connectivity within the district and to other parts of the island.
By 2032, the JLD will be connected to two more MRT lines: the Jurong Regional Line (JRL) and the Cross Island Line (CRL), in addition to the existing East-West Line (EWL) and North-South Line (NSL). With these new lines, the JLD will connect people to major business and education hubs and residential enclaves in the West and Central regions within 30 minutes, including a direct connection to Changi Airport.
The greater connectivity and accessibility will enhance the attractiveness of JLD as a place to work, live, and stay.
Housing – 20,000 New Homes To Be Built By 2050
Unlike the CBD in the city centre, the JLD will offer a diverse mix of public and private housing, with around 20,000 new homes expected to be built by 2050. This provides an opportunity for individuals from all walks of life to enjoy living in the district and stay closer to their jobs.
The new housing buildings will incorporate sustainable building practises like 100% landscape replacement, pneumatic waste conveyance systems (PWCS), and thermal comfort, wind flow, and shade analysis to reduce the energy consumed for cooling.
The neighbourhoods will also be designed to be within 10- minutes reach of public transport nodes and will have generous open green spaces where residents can interact with one another. These spaces will also be integrated with the work campuses, F&B businesses, and other amenities.
The JLD could offer residents a unique living experience with its stunning waterfront views and from an investment perspective, see high capital appreciation as they could be highly sought after.
Play – Offers Over 100 Hectares Of Park And Greenery Spaces
The injection of new shopping malls such as Westgate and JEM at Jurong has breathed a new lease of life into the town as the “Orchard Road” of the West. Along with IMM, there is a diverse selection of dining options, entertainment venues, and lifestyle stores for visitors and residents.
Additionally, when the current renovations for the 90-hectare Jurong Lake Gardens, comprising the garden promenade and Chinese and Japanese Gardens, are completed by 2024, they will add to the park and greenery spaces in Jurong Lake District. Combined, there will eventually be more than 100 hectares of park and greenery spaces and a 70-hectare lake with 17km of active waterfront areas. These facilities would allow visitors and residents to enjoy breathtaking landscapes, themed gardens, nature walks, and birdwatching, among other recreational amenities.
Another old favourite that will be given a new lease of life in the JLD is the Science Centre, which is expected to be completed by 2027. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects in collaboration with Architects 61, the new Science Centre will be made up of 5 interlocking rectangular blocks, feature an observatory, and be Singapore’s biggest living tab to showcase real-world applications of science and technology. There are also plans to have an integrated tourism development next to Jurong Lake that will offer high-quality accommodation as well as a mix of attractions, retail, food and beverage, and entertainment options.
Get The Early Mover Advantage
The Jurong town is set to undergo major transformation with continued investments and development in the key employment hubs in the West region. For businesses, the JLD not only provides an avenue to experiment with new development concepts to attract and retain employees but also offers other benefits to further trade and commerce between different parties. There can also be greater synergies with the other companies in the West region due to its close proximity to the Tuas Port, Jurong Innovation District, and Nanyang Technological University.
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