History
In the past, Tampines was covered by forests, swamp and sand quarries. Ironwood trees, or tempinis, grew abundantly here and thus gave the area its name. Also it was part of military training area until about 1987.
The name Tampines goes back to the Franklin & Jackson map of 1828. It is named after Sungei Tampenus, which in turn got its name from the tampines trees (Sloctia siderozylon) which are said to be growing there. The oldest road in the area, Tampines Road, dates back to 1864, when it was a cart tract. At the turn of the 19th to 20th century, Tampines was a rubber plantation. Among the plantations here were Teo Tek Ho estate and Hun Yeang estate.
The new town started in 1978. Construction began for Neighbourhoods 1 and 2 and was completed between 1983 and 1987 although it was given the priority. Neighbourhoods 8 and 9 started in 1985 - 1989, followed by Neighbourhood 5 which was completed in 1989 together with the Tampines Town Centre. Neighbourhood 4 was completed with the new Tampines North Division. Neighbourhoods 3 and 7 was only later completed, with fully completed in 1997.
New construction methods expedited the development of the town's infrastructure. Using prefabricated parts, a block of high-rise flats could be built in a month. More attractive designs, colours and finishings were also incorporated into Tampines, compared to earlier public housing which consisted of uniform slabs of concrete laid out row after row with more thought given to function than form. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) managed the construction of the town until 1991, when it handed the reins over to the Tampines Town Council. The Town Council is run by grassroot leaders and the residents themselves.
The Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) of the United Nations awarded the World Habitat Award to Tampines, which was selected as a representative of Singapore's new towns, on 5 October 1992. The award was given in recognition of an outstanding contribution towards human settlement and development.
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