Some 1,040 residential units in Tengah will be up for sale in August's Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise, according to the Housing Development Board (HDB).

Announced on Aug. 10, the units will make up the first batch of flats in Tengah's Park District — described by HDB as the "hub and heart" of town.

It will also be Singapore's first "car-free" town centre.

12 Residential blocks, "car-free" town centre

The district's first estate is called Parc Residences @ Tengah and will be made up of 12 residential blocks for a total of 1,044 units.

The flat mix includes two-room, three-room, four-room, and five-room units.

According to HDB, roads in the town centre will run underground, freeing up space at the ground level.

"With this separation of pedestrian roads from motor traffic, the heart of the town centre will be safe and friendly for walking, cycling, as well as for recreational activities," said HDB.

The town centre will serve residents' daily need, providing commercial and retail spaces, eateries, a sports centre, and a future MRT station — one of four stations on the Jurong Region Line.

Meanwhile, a neighbourhood centre — estimated to be completed by 2025 — right on the doorstep of Parc Residences @ Tengah will have a polyclinic and about 40 shops providing food and retail options, services, a foodcourt, and a supermarket.

"At Home with Nature"

The Park District is the third of five districts that will make up Tengah.

Like the previous and future districts, it will have an abundance of green spaces, in line with Tengah's motto of being "At Home with Nature".

This includes the town's centrepiece, Central Park, which will feature a "forest stream", made by naturalising and landscaping and existing canal.

A 1.5km-long rainforest walk will snake through housing estates, connecting residents with Central Park and the 15 to 20m-wide forest fringe that runs the district's eastern border.

The rainforest walk will house children's playground, fitness stations, open green spaces, and seating areas.

Even Park District's multi-storey carpark will have green features; a rooftop garden is set to feature jogging track as well as more playgrounds and fitness stations.

According to HDB, the biophilic designs are meant to increase the overall well-being of residents by bringing them more closely to nature.

Overall, about 20 per cent of the land in Tengah will be set aside for green spaces.

Smart Technology

HDB's 24th and newest town will cover a land area of 700 hectares — roughly the size of Bishan — and provide about 42,000 homes when the development is completed.

It is the first HDB town to be planned with smart technologies in mind from the outset, including smart lighting and a system which collects rainwater for irrigation to wash common areas.

Its first launch 1,044 flats will be among the 7,800 BTO flats on offer in August.

Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Choa Chu Kang, Geylang, Pasir Ris, Tampines, and Woodlands will also be part of the BTO exercise.

Top image from HDB