Can Jurong Lake District Become Singapore’s Second Central Business District?

The Town Hall Link site is the first “white” site launched within the new Jurong Lake Central precinct in JLD, adding new mixed-use space on top of the commercial cluster around Jurong East MRT station. Rather than prescribing density based on a single development site, the white-site zoning gives developers the flexibility to curate an optimal mix of uses and partner with the Government to shape the land into a choice location for businesses, quality housing, and recreational facilities.

The site illustrates the ambition behind JLD. As a mixed-use “white site,” it gives developers the flexibility to combine 46,000 sq m of offices, 1,300 private homes, and 44,000 sq m of complementary retail, hotel, recreational and community uses within a single development. It sits at the intersection of four MRT lines: the two existing North-South and East-West lines, and the two new JLD line and Cross Island Line Phase 2, which is expected to open in phases. The upcoming Jurong Region Line and Gateway Hub will add further interchange options.

A planned 1.6 million sq m of office space will expand the existing commercial footprint in Jurong East by nearly seven times, amounting to almost a third of the CBD. The space will anchor companies from logistics, wholesale and retail trade, advanced manufacturing, biomedical, chemicals and energy, engineering, ICT, electronics, and maritime sectors, drawing multinational and regional firms to set up headquarters in the area.

JLD will see a higher concentration of government offices, with JTC, the Building and Construction Authority, and Singapore Food Agency already anchored there. More agencies, including the Land Transport Authority, are expected to move in. Around 20,000 new homes will be added alongside the existing Jurong and Taman Jurong condominiums, bringing the west region population spanning Jurong, Tengah, Bukit Batok, Clementi, Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang to nearly double the existing population in the east and north regions.

With major transport networks connecting JLD to the rest of Singapore, the district will be 30 minutes from the Central Business District and 50 minutes from Changi Airport Terminal 5 by MRT. The new Woodlands Gateway district, connected to the RTS Link station and Woodlands North MRT station, will serve as Singapore’s northern gateway to the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.

JLD is being designed around public transport, walking and cycling, with future developments linked by pedestrian-friendly infrastructure including an elevated weatherproof network of walkways and integrated with multiple MRT lines. A transit corridor with bus-only lanes, supported by wider footpaths and cycling paths, will separate car and human traffic to allow safe, comfortable and seamless movement within the district.

Sustainability initiatives include district-level energy and waste management systems, super low-energy buildings, the use of low- and zero-carbon construction materials, and the extensive deployment of solar panels. The district is also being planned to support autonomous vehicles for both passenger and freight transport, while a growing network of EV charging points will facilitate the transition to electric vehicles.

Together with Woodlands Gateway, Seletar Aerospace Park, and Punggol Digital District, JLD will form a well-connected economic and technology corridor encircling the western and northern regions. Meanwhile, Punggol Digital District, integrated with the Singapore Institute of Technology campus, will house digital clusters in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics and fintech. The rejuvenated Jurong Lake Gardens, the Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden, together with the future Science Centre and other recreational attractions, will help create a distinctive lakeside destination.