Tampines
Tampines is the regional centre of the East Region of Singapore. With a population of 290,090 living across its five subzones as of 2025, it is the most populous planning area in Singapore. Tampines is bordered to the west by Bedok and Paya Lebar, to the north by Pasir Ris, to the east by Changi, and to the south by the Straits of Singapore. Situated in the historical region of Tanah Merah, its present-day terrain is particularly flat due to large-scale sand quarrying in the 1960s.
Tampines is composed of five subzones — Tampines North, Tampines East, Tampines West, Simei and Xilin. These subzones were created in the early 1990s predominantly for urban planning purposes and have no relation to the three political constituencies in Tampines. All subzones are largely residential with the exception of Xilin, which has a mix of commercial, industrial and recreational facilities. Xilin is home to Singapore Expo, the largest convention center in Singapore, and features the largest agglomeration of golf courses in Singapore.
Located approximately east of the city-centre, it was the first regional centre in Singapore, having progressed from a remote neighbourhood in the 1980s to a vibrant commercial hub. As a regional centre, it serves to decentralise economic activity to other parts of the island, an idea which was first proposed in the 1991 Concept Plan. Several large insurance companies, real estate corporations and financial institutions, such as OCBC and UOB, have shifted their back-end operations to the regional centre. According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority, it now has 200,000 m2 of office space and 112,000 m2 of retail space. Tampines is also home to Changi Business Park, Singapore’s largest integrated business park. It is a 71,000 m2 project that houses many multinational corporations, including J.P. Morgan, Credit Suisse, IBM and Standard Chartered. As of 2016, it has 152,400 resident working persons, the second-highest in Singapore, according to the Department of Statistics.
Tampines New Town in the north is a densely populated residential town, and regarded as the core of the planning area. Its boundaries, as delineated by the Housing Development Board, exclude Xilin and the private housing estates of Simei. It spans 1,200 hectares, of which 549 hectares is residential area, the largest of any town in Singapore. As of 2024, it is the most populous HDB town in Singapore, with 242,610 residents residing in HDB flats. Tampines is expected to continue its rapid growth with a projected ultimate of 110,000 dwelling units, amidst ongoing development in Tampines North and Tampines West. Regarded as a mature estate by the Government, it is the first estate in Singapore to employ its own municipal services office, given the variety of municipal issues it has to handle. Enforcement of certain minor infractions has also been delegated to Tampines Municipal Services through its enforcement officers.
Etymology
The name Tampines traces back to the Franklin and Jackson map of 1828, one of the earliest detailed surveys of Singapore. It is named after Sungei Tampines, a river that flows through the northern part of the region. The river, in turn, derived its name from the tempinis trees that were said to be growing by it.According to the National Heritage Board, the tempinis tree population became virtually extinct in Singapore, due to unsustainable exploitation during the early stages of Singapore’s development. In 1995, a replanting initiative was launched to reintroduce the tree across various parts of Tampines.
The spelling "Tampines" reflects its colonial-era anglicisation, with letters modified from the original Malay name.
History
Early history
In the past, Tampines was covered by forests, swamps, and sand quarries. Riau ironwood trees, or tempinis in Malay, grew abundantly.One of the earliest known roads in the area, Tampines Road, began as a bridle path for horses and pedestrians before being converted into a cart track in 1864. The road stretched from the 6th milestone of Serangoon Road to Changi Road in the east. Early settlers established villages along this route, including Kampong Teban, Teck Hock Village, Hun Yeang Village, and Kampong Tampines. Most residents lived in zinc and attap houses.
1900s: Plantations
By the turn of the 20th century, Tampines became a major plantation zone, with coconut palms, rubber and fruit trees. One of the earliest and most prominent was owned by Tempenis Para and Coconut Plantations Limited, which held over 3,000 acres of land in 1910. Its board included notable figures such as Tan Chay Yan and Lim Boon Keng. Other key plantation owners included Khoo Hun Yeang and Lim Nee Soon. A 1932 map showed Tampines dotted with plantations, including the Yeo Tek Ho, Yap, Thai Hin, Hun Yeang, and Loh Lam estates, as well as land owned by Bukit Sembawang Estates Limited and the Singapore United Rubber Plantation. Tampines Road continued to serve as the main access route for workers.Livestock rearing and vegetable farming were modest. The area also served as part of a military training area until about 1987.
1940s: Japanese occupation
During the Japanese Occupation, a tennis court in Tampines served as a military screening centre where over 300 men were detained and interrogated by Japanese forces. The detainees were held under tight surveillance for two nights as they awaited questioning by military police.Among them were 22 men from a single family linked to war hero Lim Bo Seng, who was actively sought by the Japanese. Soldiers had raided their home early one morning, forcibly separating the men and women before tying up the men and marching them to the screening site. Of those from that family, nine were taken away and never returned.
1960s: Sand quarrying boom
Sand quarrying in Tampines began as early as 1912, but it was during the 1960s quarrying boom that the industry rapidly expanded due to high demand for sand driven by urban redevelopment. At its peak, Tampines hosted over 20 sand quarries, drawing local farmers and fishermen into new roles. This marked a key transformation in the landscape of Tampines.However, the industry caused severe environmental damage. Silt and mud runoff polluted nearby waterways, leading to landslides and floods that devastated farmland. The air was constantly thick with dust clouds during this period. In response to growing environmental concerns, the Singapore government began regulating quarry operations in 1981.
By 1991, all quarrying in Tampines had ceased. Some of the abandoned quarries were repurposed by entrepreneurs into fishing ponds and recreational areas. Others were reclaimed as part of the development of Tampines New Town. Notably, one former quarry became Bedok Reservoir, while another quarry near Tampines Avenue 10 still remains disused today.
1980s: Development boom
Tampines New Town was established in 1978. Construction of Neighbourhoods 1 and 2 began shortly after and was prioritised, with completion taking place between 1983 and 1987. Development of Neighbourhoods 8 and 9 followed between 1985 and 1989. Neighbourhood 5 was completed in 1989, together with the Tampines Town Centre. Neighbourhood 4 was completed with the new Tampines North Division between 1986 and 1988. Due to its rapid growth, Tampines New Town was divided into four divisions: Tampines East, Tampines West, Tampines North, and Tampines Changkat.Early Singapore MRT planning documents referenced "Tampines North" and "Tampines South" as part of the proposed transit network. These provisional names reflected the perception that both areas were part of a single larger township. They were officially renamed in 1985 to Tampines and Simei, respectively.
New construction methods expedited the development of the town's infrastructure. More attractive designs, colours, and finishings were incorporated into Tampines than earlier public housing, which consisted of uniform slabs of concrete laid out row after row with more thought given to function than form. The Town Centre was planned as an hourglass shape to create a unique urban design form. The Housing and Development Board 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 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 to recognise an outstanding contribution towards human settlement and development.
Neighbourhoods 3 and 7 were only fully completed in 1997, and the constituencies had been reformed to include the new Tampines Central division.
2010s: Residential expansion
Construction was paused until the developments of Tampines Central were started in 2010, which consists of The Premiere @ Tampines, Tampines GreenLeaf, Centrale 8, Tampines Trilliant, and Citylife @ Tampines, including some of the other leftover pockets of residential developments such as Tampines GreenTerrace, Arc @ Tampines, Q Bay Residences and The Santorini.Neighbourhood 6, which is also known as Tampines North New Town, has started construction with the first Build-To-Order flats Tampines GreenRidges being announced at the end of November 2014. Tampines GreenRidges is also part of the first phase of the Tampines North New Town's Park West District, which is the first district to be constructed in the Tampines North New Town development.
Tampines Court, had been en-bloc since July 2017 and all residents vacated their premises by 12 December 2018. It is a former HUDC flat that was privatised in 2002. It was replaced by the condominium Treasure at Tampines in 2023.