SG60: Reading between the lines of the Draft Master Plan 2025
This isn't a wholesale reinvention, but a quiet recalibration, adapting Singapore's planning ethos to meet an era of slower growth, more complex trade-offs, and heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
Decentralisation under pressure
The once-ambitious model of decentralising offices beyond the Central Business District (CBD) is slowing. As companies right-size and consolidate their operations, many are returning to the city core, drawn by cost-efficiency, branding visibility, and a concentration of talent and services.
The traditional rental premium once commanded by the CBD has eroded, narrowing the cost differential and weakening the incentive to decentralise – unless firms are tightly woven into local supply chains or talent pools.
This trend is not entirely new, but Covid-19 accelerated it. Hybrid work has reduced the average office footprint per firm. Large tenants are less willing to anchor fringe locations unless there are compelling ecosystem advantages. Meanwhile, commercial confidence has been tempered by global uncertainty, from US-China tensions to regional trade realignments.
In this context, even flagship decentralisation projects are evolving. Jurong Lake District, once envisioned as a major commercial node, saw the planned commercial quantum of the white site on the reserve list reduced by 30 per cent.
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While the long-term vision remains, near-term market sentiment is clearly influencing land release strategies.
The return – and repositioning – of industrial land
Beyond the commercial office market, Singapore's industrial landscape is entering a new chapter. Since 2022, roughly 36 hectares of industrial land have been returned to the state annually, a scale not seen since the 2015-2017 wave that preceded the last Master Plan.
Then, as now, this land return reflects deeper structural shifts. Manufacturing is becoming less land-hungry. As companies digitalise and relocate lower-value operations to neighbouring countries, plots once allocated for logistics, clean tech or light manufacturing are being reassessed.
The Draft Master Plan 2025 aims to stay ahead of this curve. While there are no radical rezoning moves in the downtown, the government is signalling flexibility. Incentives such as the CBD Incentive Scheme and the Strategic Development Incentive Scheme make it easier for older office buildings to be converted into mixed-use formats, shrinking pure office space while boosting residential and lifestyle offerings.
The shift is also evident in the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme.
There are no new confirmed downtown office sites, and only three white sites remain on the reserve list. This absence is likely intentional – a quiet nudge for landlords to explore adaptive reuse and a cue to the market that office decentralisation will now take a more tempered, organic form.
Bishan returns to the spotlight
One of the most intriguing updates is the re-designation of Bishan as a sub-regional centre, a role proposed initially in the 1991 Concept Plan. Back then, the idea was radical: decentralise Singapore's economic core and anchor new business activity in the heartlands.
Today, Bishan already boasts strong transport connectivity, public agencies and community infrastructure that serve the broader Toa Payoh-Ang Mo Kio region. Its central location and direct access to Raffles Place via MRT make it an ideal candidate for polycentric growth.
Together with Novena, Serangoon, and Toa Payoh, Bishan helps form a north-east arc of business activity – a 'string of pearls' that mirrors the southern belt stretching from Alexandra to one-north. Beyond convenience, this distributed model reflects a future in which live-work-play ecosystems are embedded into the islandwide urban fabric, rather than concentrated in a single hub.
Vertical zoning: The next planning frontier
Among the more speculative but intriguing concepts to emerge from the 2022 Long-Term Plan Review is the idea of 'vertical zoning'.
The notion, layering light industry on the lower floors, offices above that, and residences at the top, was not formally proposed in the Draft Master Plan 2025. Still, it offers a glimpse of how Singapore might evolve its planning logic in response to changing economic and spatial realities.
Seen in this light, vertical zoning is a conceptual provocation that asks whether future urban productivity might come not from expanding outwards, but from layering uses in smarter, more synergistic ways. If Singapore is serious about remaining spatially efficient and economically agile, this could be a frontier worth exploring further.
While no specific developments have been announced, the pilot in Woodlands, which raises the allowable proportion of non-industrial uses from 40 to 70 per cent, may be an early signal of willingness to experiment. It echoes previous 'Business White' trials, which allowed greater flexibility in land use within designated business zones.
If taken seriously, vertical zoning could represent a significant shift away from the traditional horizontal separation of uses that has long defined Singapore's land planning. It reflects a recognition that manufacturing today is cleaner and quieter, and that modern services are increasingly mobile and less reliant on sprawling floor plates.
Sustainable and inclusive urban living
In line with Singapore's push for environmental sustainability, new housing areas are being explored across the island, with a strong emphasis on reusing existing brownfield sites. Spaces such as Bukit Timah Turf Club, the old Keppel Golf Course, and the soon-to-be-vacated Paya Lebar Airbase are being considered for redevelopment into vibrant residential neighbourhoods.
Besides building homes, these plans also aim to create active, socially connected communities, with shared amenities that support everyday life and bring people together.
Many of these developments reflect a move towards vertical zoning, where housing is thoughtfully layered with community spaces and lifestyle facilities. A key planning principle is accessibility: Most residents will be within a 10-minute walk of parks, shops, schools, and essential services.
As part of the broader 'live-work-play' vision, new opportunities for city and fringe-city living are also being introduced. Areas around Newton MRT station, Paterson Road near Orchard, and Dover-Medway near one-north have been earmarked for mixed-use development that balances inclusivity, sustainability and a strong sense of community.
These well-connected neighbourhoods offer a good mix of amenities and entertainment, making them ideal for both families and working professionals. For instance, the idea of a new Village Square at Newton and a vibrant mixed-use hub at Paterson would help bridge luxury housing with the retail and activity of Orchard Road.
The Draft Master Plan 2025 also puts greater emphasis on senior-friendly housing, including more assisted-living options and active-ageing centres to support older residents in living independently and meaningfully.
Whether you're young or old, working or retired, the evolving urban plan seeks to make neighbourhoods more livable, connected and future-ready for everyone.
Softer touch
Even as it tackles hard economic questions, the Draft Master Plan 2025 doesn't lose sight of softer, human-scale priorities.
Included among the proposals are plans for green connectors, heritage trails, repurposed viaducts, and playful public spaces. These aren't decorative add-ons; they are essential components of a livable, imageable city.
Such spaces encourage social connection, promote mental well-being, and help Singapore remain globally competitive as a place to live, not just work.
The Draft Master Plan 2025: A vision in transition
More than a technical update, the Draft Master Plan 2025 reflects a society in flux, one that is learning from past successes, adapting to a slower-growth environment, and daring to imagine a more resilient, layered future.
It is not a call to transform everything, but an invitation to reimagine selectively. To rethink what should be intensified, repurposed, or left open-ended. In that spirit, it strikes a balance: between continuity and change, between pragmatism and vision.
The writer is head of research and consultancy, South-east Asia, at JLL
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