The Greater One-North – a Lookback of How Far It Has Come

The Greater one-north area is known to be Singapore’s knowledge hub. Since the 2000s when plans for one-north were first mooted, there has been rapid development led by JTC to develop Singapore’s research and development (R&D) and high technology cluster. Its location was specially chosen due to its proximity to National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Polytechnic to foster strong industry-academia collaborations.

To attract foreign firms to invest into Singapore, one-north was earmarked as a location to grow the biomedical, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industries. Since starting out on these plans more than two decades ago, Singapore has made steady progress. In the same vein, the neighbouring Singapore Science Park 1 and 2 was designed for scientific innovation and technology, bringing together firms in the science and research industry.

Today, global firms such as Procter & Gamble, Wilmar International and Thales have established a strong presence within this high-tech business park. Precincts like LaunchPad and Ayer Rajah, which focus on start-ups and incubators, have also enabled local enterprises to scale. Success stories such as Carousell, 99 Group and IglooHome are a testament to this vibrant ecosystem.

Beyond industry clustering, one-north also provides another option for firms to relocate to as part of the broader decentralisation strategy. Firms seeking commercial spaces outside the Central Business District can also consider one-north if they meet the requirements.

Dover-Medway

In the recent Draft Master Plan 2025, the Urban and Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced plans to revitalise some neighbourhoods. Among those earmarked is Dover-Medway, located in the Greater one-north area. It will be a new housing neighbourhood consisting of a mix of as many as 6,000 new public and private homes with amenities.

This complements the existing private developments located within one-north. Presently, there are 1,711 units, with another 345 units expected to launch in 2026.

Table 1: Developments within one-north

Adding more homes within one-north may not be as viable as the estate’s primary purpose is still a business park. This means that there could also be competing land uses within, as well as buffers set aside between residential and heavy-industrial sites. As such, adding homes along Dover Road will supplement existing private homes within the Greater one-north. Plans are action are already underway. In November 2025, the first mixed-use site will be launched for tender under the 2H 2025 Government Land Sales (GLS) programme’s Confirmed List. The site will feature an estimated 625 residential units, along with 3,000 sqm of commercial space. With these future homes and more, the Greater one-north will be moving one step closer to becoming a dynamic live-work-play-learn hub.

Future Changes Seen in Draft Masterplan 2025

The Greater one-north sees many sites have been re-zoned into or will include a ‘Residential’ component.

As announced by URA, a mix of public and private homes, along with amenities is set to be introduced. Thus, some land parcels have been rezoned from ’Reserve Site’ to ‘Residential’. In addition, the Gross Plot Ratio (GPR) has already been assigned for some sites. Hence, we can expect more sites to be released under the GLS list or HDB Build-to-order (BTO) flats in the near future. This includes the GLS site that will be launch in November 2025.

Image 1: Change in zoning at Dover-Medway 

Along the fringes of one-north, a Business-1 Industrial site along Commonwealth Avenue, beside Biopolis has been rezoned for ‘Residential’ use. Within the estate, several sites have been rezoned from “Business Park” to “Residential with commercial at first storey.”

Image 2: Change in zoning at one-north

Similarly, the Singapore Science Park has a business park site adjacent to Galen, which has also been rezoned from 'Business Park' to 'Residential'.

Image 3: Change in zoning at Singapore Science Park

Increasing Its Liveability – the Game Changer to One-North’s Success

Traditionally, many Singaporeans have viewed One-North as a one-dimensional, single-use industrial area. It's primarily seen as an estate housing offices and labs for knowledge-intensive firms, rather than a mixed-use development.

Connectivity-wise, there are only two MRT stations – Buona Vista and one-north which serves residents and staff in the eight precincts. This makes some precincts less connected, while amenities remain sparse and concentrated in certain areas.

With the lack of residents and visitors, it may not be economically viable for commercial activities and transport nodes. Lacking ridership and usership, these amenities become under-utilized and do not justify the investments put in. Hence, most Singaporeans may not have bought into the idea of living there yet.

However, over the years, new improvements have been progressively planned and implemented. For example, JTC introduced an on-demand shuttle bus service that connects commuters to stops in and around the business park, including MRT stations and hawker centres. Most recently, in January 2025, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced the trial of autonomous public buses around the precincts. To increase the estate’s accessibility, the network of cycling paths and covered walkways/linkways is progressively expanded to improve first-and-last-mile connectivity. Improving mobility by making streets walkable and cyclable provides a pleasant experience for users.

Concurrently, land parcels have been sold via the Government Land Sales Programme to inject a larger live-in population. As more firms relocate to one-north, such as Wilmar International in 2021 followed by Grab in 2022, more homes are required to support the expanding workforce. In addition, the influx of residents will enhance the estate’s vibrancy and add more ‘life’ beyond typical 9-5 routine. These improvements to enhances quality of life in the estate. Therefore, it is unsurprising to see the recent take-up rates of launches in one-north have been encouraging. It has given home buyers confidence to live, with the successful plans and implementations.

Why the Masterplan Can Continue to Draw Investors to Singapore

Over the past two decades, Singapore has shown commitment to the masterplan development. This has transformed Singapore into a world class city with top notch infrastructure. While previous masterplans have already borne fruit, changes to the masterplan can take its success to the next level. This is helpful in attracting more foreign direct investments (FDI), with firms setting up presence in Singapore to create good jobs. The commitment put in by the government in spending, long-term planning and provision of an educated skilled-workforce in their pursuit to attract top-tier foreign firms to establish themselves in Singapore.

Moreover, masterplans are also important because it designate areas and sites for industry development. This can create an agglomeration, where firms in the same sectors to cluster for stronger synergy, as seen at one-north. JTC leads the development of the estate and some buildings that caters to industry-specific technical requirements to house their operations. At the same time, as international firms establish themselves here, good jobs are created. This boosts demand for housing close to workplaces. More residential GLS sites sold and BTO flats will provide fresh supply to house the population. This mix of both public and private housing will cater to different aspirations of Singaporeans.

Most importantly, the new estates will be a mixed-use estate. It combines commercial, residential and industrial use, rather than focusing on one predominant use. Weaving in community and green spaces for leisure, placemaking and community-centric activities will also make the place livelier and more vibrant. This way, the estate will not lose its appeal in the long run.

Will the masterplan propel One-North to the next level? As Singapore continues to attract global investments and talent, the Greater One-North is poised to become a hub for companies in key high-tech sectors. A track record of commitment to previous master plans also gives businesses the confidence to anchor here. Thus, the development of Dover-Medway is well-positioned to propel one-north forward in line with Singapore’s economic strategy.