Central Area - Description

Description

Before independence, the central business district in the Central Area consisted of what is now the Downtown Core, Museum, Newton, Orchard, Outram, River Valley, Rochor, and the Singapore River planning areas. These included areas such as Dhoby Ghaut and Raffles Place. These planning areas were themselves designated and set apart only recently. Each of these districts have a heavy and dense commercial presence, especially in the Downtown Core, Orchard and Singapore River planning areas.

Rochor, Newton, River Valley and Outram are commercially thriving, but have less skyscrapers and generally include a more substantial residential presence. Schools, condominiums and Housing Development Board apartments may be located in these areas, albeit at a high price.

In an attempt to expand the Central Area from the 1970s, the Government of Singapore and the Urban Redevelopment Authority have reclaimed land portions from Marina Bay. Newly created portions of land surrounding Marina Bay have been organised and labelled into Marina East, Marina South, Straits View, with their own separate plans. The development of the reclaimed land surrounding Marina Bay, such as the construction of infrastructure, was similar to that of Jurong and Jurong Island, with the exception to use the land for commercial purposes. Many construction projects have been completed on the reclaimed lands since their creation, but much of it is still under consolidation or development.

The area tends to be more densely packed than other parts of Singapore, and a great number of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations tend to be concentrated in this area, especially interchange stations and stations along the Circle MRT Line.