Tengah is Singapore’s newest HDB town and its most ambitious urban experiment — a 700-hectare, 42,000-home district in the western corridor (District 24) engineered from the ground up to put pedestrians first, cars underground, and sustainability at the centre. With the Jurong Region Line’s Tengah Plantation and Tengah Park stations due to open in 2028, three executive condominiums (Copen Grand, Novo Place, Otto Place) already launched, and two neighbourhood centres now serving residents, the case for buying here is fast moving from speculative to concrete. (as of 2026-05)
Picture arriving home in the evening, stepping off an elevated MRT station and walking through a shaded forest corridor — no traffic lights to dodge, no engine noise, just a green spine that links your block to the nearest hawker centre. That is not a concept render from a developer’s brochure: it is the daily reality taking shape in Tengah, the town HDB has been building in District 24 since the first BTO launch in 2018.
What makes Tengah structurally different from every other HDB estate in Singapore is not any single green feature but the sequencing of its design constraints: the car-free town centre was planned first, and everything else — roads, carparks, amenities, cycling paths — was designed around that constraint. The result is a fundamentally different street-level experience that, as the town fills out in 2026–2029, will become an increasingly rare product in Singapore’s land-scarce property market. (as of 2026-05)
Background & planning context. Tengah was announced as Singapore’s 24th HDB town in 2016. The URA Master Plan designates the land around the former Tengah Air Base and surrounding forest reserve as a major residential node in the western corridor, complementing the Jurong Lake District as Singapore’s second CBD. (as of 2026-05)
Five districts, one spine. Tengah is divided into five residential precincts: Plantation (first to launch, ~10,000 homes), Garden, Park, Brickland (named after Tengah’s brick-making industrial past), and Forest Hill. Each precinct has its own neighbourhood centre and character, but all are linked by the 5-km Tengah Forest Corridor — a continuous green belt maintained by NParks connecting Tengah to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
Car-free town centre mechanism. The most widely cited feature of Tengah is its car-free town centre, where all vehicular roads are routed underground. Surface-level streets are reserved for pedestrians and cyclists. This is enforced at the master-plan level: the underground road network serving carparks was a civil engineering requirement, not an afterthought, and is unique among all existing HDB towns. LTA’s Jurong Region Line feeds directly into this vision, with stations designed to be walkable from most Tengah blocks. (as of 2026-05)
Centralized Cooling System (CCS). HDB, in partnership with Keppel and SP Group, operates a district-level centralized cooling system for selected Plantation District BTO projects. Chilled water is piped from rooftop chillers to individual flats, replacing conventional wall-mounted air-conditioning units. The system saves up to 30% in life-cycle costs versus split-unit aircon and is projected to cut CO⊂2; equivalent to removing 4,500 cars from the roads annually. Residents control usage via a smartphone app. The Pneumatic Waste Conveyance System (PWCS) removes the need for rubbish chutes — waste travels through underground pipes to a central collection station. HDB’s Tengah Smart Energy Town page provides the technical details. EV charging points (up to 10% of carpark lots) are pre-installed across all new Tengah blocks. (as of 2026-05)
- Districts covered: D24
- Active condos tracked: 4
- Median PSF: $1,989 psf
- Median rent: $6,000/mo
Area Overview
Tengah is Singapore's newest town, designed from the ground up as the nation's first car-free estate. Located in District 24, it features underground vehicular roads, extensive greenery, and a focus on sustainable living. This guide examines the property landscape and investment potential as the town takes shape.
Districts covered: District 24 (Lim Chu Kang, Tengah).
Price Data by District
| District | Segment | Median PSF | Median Price | YoY | Transactions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 24 (Lim Chu Kang, Tengah) | OCR | $1,989 psf | $1,722,000 | ↑ 18.3% | 1,466 |
Rental Market
| District | Segment | Median Rent | YoY | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 24 (Lim Chu Kang, Tengah) | OCR | $6,000/mo | — | 1 |
Top Condos
| Condo | District | Segment | Tenure | Avg PSF | Transactions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TENGAH GARDEN RESIDENCES | D24 | OCR | 99 years leasehold | $2,103 psf | 857 |
| COPEN GRAND | D24 | OCR | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2021 | $1,341 psf | 638 |
| OTTO PLACE | D24 | OCR | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | $1,759 psf | 590 |
| NOVO PLACE | D24 | OCR | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2023 | $1,654 psf | 504 |
Investment Outlook
- Tengah is planned as Singapore's first car-free town, with a focus on sustainability and green living.
- The new town will feature dedicated cycling and walking paths, with vehicles routed underground.
- Property values may appreciate as infrastructure and amenities are progressively delivered.
- The JRL will eventually serve Tengah, adding MRT connectivity to the estate.
BTO launch history & pipeline (as of 2026-05). Tengah’s first BTO exercise was in 2018. The Plantation District saw the earliest completions: Plantation Creek (713 units, launched February 2022) and Plantation Edge I & II (launched October 2023) are on track for key collection between 2026 and 2027. HDB has confirmed ~19,600 BTO flats across Singapore in 2026 across three exercises (February, June, October), with Brickland District blocks among the expected D24 launches. Check HDB’s flat-sales portal for the latest launch schedules.
Executive Condominium (EC) pricing trajectory. Three ECs have launched in Tengah, each marking a clear upward price progression:
| Project | Launch Year | Avg PSF | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copen Grand | 2022 | ~S$1,300 | 639 |
| Novo Place | Nov 2024 | ~S$1,654 | 504 |
| Otto Place | 2025 | ~S$1,700 | 600 |
Otto Place, located in the Plantation District, sold 58.5% of its 600 units on launch day at an average of S$1,700 psf under the Normal Payment Scheme. 3-bedroom Deluxe units started from S$1.41M; 4-bedroom Plus Study Luxury units reached S$2.18M. The EC premium over BTO reflects the private-estate finish and the 5-year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) pathway to full privatization.
Connectivity: Jurong Region Line (JRL) update. The JRL was delayed by pandemic-related construction setbacks. As of 2026-05, Stage 1 opening is now targeted for mid-2028, not the original 2027. For Tengah specifically, the Tengah Plantation and Tengah Park stations are part of Stage 2 (seven stations on the JRL East branch), expected to open in 2028. Until the MRT opens, residents rely on trunk bus services along Plantation Drive and Tengah Boulevard. The walk from MRT to most Tengah Plantation blocks is projected at under 10 minutes via covered linkways. (as of 2026-05)
Amenities timeline. Plantation Plaza neighbourhood centre (75 shops, supermarket, food court) opened June 2024. Parc Point, the second neighbourhood centre, opened in Q1 2026, housing a polyclinic (opened 28 February 2026) as well as a supermarket and food court. Primary schools confirmed for Tengah: two sites are reserved in the master plan, with HDB indicating opening timelines aligned with population build-up.
What to do depending on where you are in the buying journey:
- First-time BTO applicants. Check your eligibility for CPF Housing Grants including EHG and PHG before applying — Tengah BTO exercises typically fall under non-mature-estate classification, which attracts the maximum Enhanced Housing Grant (up to S$120,000 for eligible families). Use the Affordability Calculator to size your loan before committing. Also review BTO vs SBF vs OBF to understand which application type suits your timeline. (as of 2026-05)
- HDB upgraders post-MOP. If your Tengah BTO MOP falls between 2027 and 2030, you have a predictable window. Run through the Post-MOP upgrade planning guide at least 12 months before your MOP date, as the Stamp Duty Calculator will show the ABSD exposure for concurrent ownership. The 6-month remission rule (see ABSD Singapore guide) applies only if you sell your HDB before or within 6 months of the new purchase. (as of 2026-05)
- EC buyers. With Otto Place 58.5% sold on day one and only ~250 EC units left across all Singapore launches, the EC supply window in Tengah is narrowing. Study the EC complete buying guide for the income ceiling (S$16,000/month household), the MOP rules, and the 10-year full privatization path. If you qualify for HDB grants, check whether you can use them for an EC purchase. (as of 2026-05)
- Investors and upgraders sizing a condo move. Tengah’s current new-launch private pipeline is thin — Tengah Garden Residences is the main private condominium project in the area. For buyers weighing affordability, the best-value condos for HDB upgraders guide covers the S$1M–S$1.5M bracket. For financial structuring, see HDB upgrader financial planning and the bridging loan guide if you are buying before selling.
- Tech-sensitive buyers. If the centralized cooling system and smart-home features are decision-drivers, compare Tengah’s infrastructure with other smart developments covered in the smart home condos technology guide. Ask the HDB sales team specifically which Tengah blocks are CCS-enabled — not all blocks subscribe to the district-cooling contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is unique about Tengah Town?
Will Tengah have MRT stations?
Are there private condos in Tengah?
What is the Centralized Cooling System and how much does it cost?
The Centralized Cooling System (CCS) is a district-level chilled-water network operated by SP Group and Keppel for selected Tengah BTO blocks. Instead of owning and maintaining individual air-conditioning units, residents subscribe to the service and receive chilled water piped directly to their flat. HDB estimates life-cycle cost savings of up to 30% versus conventional split-unit aircon over the system’s lifespan. Not all Tengah blocks are CCS-enabled — check at the point of BTO flat selection which blocks are covered under the CCS contract. (as of 2026-05)
Methodology & Sources
The dataset behind this report spans districts D24; we refresh it annually.
Transaction data sourced from URA REALIS.
- Planning data from URA Master Plan.
- Rental data from URA rental contracts.
Price-per-square-foot (PSF) here means the median deal in the period; means are reserved for volume-weighted aggregates explicitly labelled as such.