New 2.2km section of Pasir Panjang Park opens; features repurposed shipping containers
NParks will also enhance 13 parks within Singapore's southern region.
Visitors can now walk a continuous route from Labrador Nature Park to West Coast Park through Pasir Panjang Park, due to enhanced connectivity between these locations.
The National Parks Board (NParks) opened a new 2.2km section of Pasir Panjang Park on Saturday (Sep 16), stretching from Pasir Panjang Food Centre to West Coast Park.
The new section also features three repurposed shipping containers donated by PSA Singapore to serve as shelters. This pays tribute to Pasir Panjang’s significance as one of Singapore’s major port terminals.
The shelters have been designed to include environmentally friendly features like solar panels and green roofs. They also feature murals by Argentine street artist Martin Ron.
Two of the shelters exhibit maritime artefacts from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, as well as a cannon that was previously displayed in the old Pasir Panjang Park.
Visitors can also learn more about Singapore’s maritime heritage through heritage boards and old stories and photos of the area contributed by the public. NParks shared that this is an idea that was incorporated from the community.
To reflect the area’s formerly sandy coastline, the newly opened section incorporates a coastal habitat with sandy beach forest vegetation, including species of conservation importance. Some of these trees include the Sea Teak, Jeliti, Common Putat and Elephant Apple.
NParks first opened a 450m section of Pasir Panjang Park in 2021, extending from Pasir Panjang MRT station to the Jalan Pelepah residential estate.
The board said that the new section is an integral component of a 17km route extending from Labrador Nature Park to Jurong Central Park. This route traverses through Pasir Panjang Park and West Coast Park in the southern region and further extends westward to Jurong Lake Gardens.
When fully completed, the approximately 9ha Pasir Panjang Park will facilitate uninterrupted connectivity from Labrador Nature Park to West Coast Park.
It will also bolster recreational links between the various green spaces within Singapore’s southern region, concurrently supporting the revitalisation initiatives outlined for the Greater Southern Waterfront area.
Additionally, NParks intends to enhance 13 parks within Singapore’s southern region, encompassing three forthcoming Destination Parks.
Destination Parks are large, distinctive regional parks developed thematically to attract Singaporeans from across the island. The three upcoming ones are — Hortpark, Labrador Park and West Coast Park.
The 13 parks that will be enhanced are Alexandra Nature Park, Berlayer Creek Nature Park, Clementi Woods Park, HortPark, Kent Ridge Park, Labrador Nature Park, Mount Faber Park, Park at Keppel Club, Park at King’s Dock, Pasir Panjang Park, the new extension of Pasir Panjang Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and West Coast Park.
Themed trails will also be curated to link up these 13 parks. This is to offer the public increased opportunities for nature-centric recreation and play along the Southern Ridges and the west coast.
NParks said that the rejuvenation of these green spaces will contribute to the ongoing transformation of Singapore’s southern region and complement its Labrador Nature Park Network.
It will also host public engagement sessions, including ideation sessions and focus group discussions, to gather inputs from relevant stakeholders on their views on the proposed enhancement works for the three planned Destination Parks.
Currently, the enhanced West Coast Park is poised to be the western gateway to the Greater Southern Waterfront. It will offer a range of active to passive family-centric experiences for nature lovers, fitness enthusiasts and the community alike.
Labrador Nature Park will be a key node in the Labrador Nature Park Network, with ecological corridors that will link to various biodiversity sites within the network.
HortPark will undergo enhancements to develop into a dynamic gardening and lifestyle centre, featuring dedicated spaces where diverse communities can gather and foster connections.
The public can also contribute their ideas for the three Destination Parks with NParks by expressing their interest in the engagement sessions.
