Historical Origins
Punggol has a long history. It is believed that one of the oldest settlements in Singapore, a Malay village named Kampong Punggol located in the vicinity of the Punggol Jetty, existed 200 years ago (before Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore). The original settlers then primarily depended on fishing for a living, with some planting of fruits and vegetables.

Punggol (also spelled Ponggol) is a Malay word meaning hurling sticks at the branches of fruit trees to bring the fruits down to the ground. It also refers to a place where fruits and forest produce are offered for wholesale.

From the mid 19th century onwards, Chinese immigrants started settling in Punggol. They were initally engaged in plantation work (mainly rubber), though poultry farming and pig rearing activities soon flourished. Farm produce, fruits and vegetables were traded in the marketplace at the former eighth milestone of Punggol Road. Fishermen sold their catch at the Serangoon River mouth where their boats were docked.

Kampong life gradually changed when basic amenities like piped water, electricity, paved roads, drainage systems and were even television were introduced in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the government began phasing out the poultry and pig farms. The vacated land were subsequently tendered out on short term leases for non-pollutive agricultural activities (eg. vegetable farming).

Punggol used to be known not only for the sumptuous seafood, but also for its many boatels that provided services like docking and renting of boats for boating, water-skiing and skin-diving lessons. These seafood restaurants and boatels have since been relocated to facilitate reclamation works.



Location and Layout
Punggol is located in the North-Eastern Region of Singapore. It is bounded by Sungei Serangoon to the east, Tampines Expressway to the south (bordering Sengkang Town), Sungei Punggol to the west (bordering Pasir Ris New Town), Selat Johor and Serangoon Harbour to the north.



Transport Facilites
The existing Punggol Road has been upgraded to better serve the town. Two additional major arterial roads also connects Punggol to the towns in the south like Sengkang Town and Hougang Town. A semi-expressway connects Punggol to Pasir Ris New Town and Seletar. The new Kallang/Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) connects residents between Punggol, Sengkang and the rest of Singapore.

The North-East MRT Line has been extended to serve Punggol. The MRT station, located at the town centre, is integrated with the LRT station to facilitate transfers.

The town is also served by the Punggol LRT network comprising of two loops that serve the housing areas and one spur line which serves the residential developments and recreational nodes north of the semi-expressway. For the residents' convenience, most LRT stations are located within 300m - 350m walking distance from their homes.



Housing Options
Punggol 21 was planned as a model for future towns, with a new lifestyle for the 21st Century.

The planned housing stock is 80,000 units with a good mix of housing types, namely, high quality HDB flats (60%), executive condominiums (30%) and private housing (10%). The variety of housing types has been integrated to forge a vibrant community.

The new design concept for HDB housing means that flats are grouped into smaller, distinctly designed estates. Each estate is pedestrian-friendly as it has integrated car parks. Also, these HDB flats come in new designs with better layout; 2 out of 3 HDB flats are 'Design and Build' or 'Design Plus'.

Aspiring home buyers will have the chance to live up close to the water's edge when new homes are built along the scenic riverfronts of Sungei Serangoon, Sungei Punggol and on the coast of Punggol.



Town Amenities & Attractions
Punggol 21 is a unique town with three rivers, namely, Sungei Punggol, Sungei Serangoon, and a new 'river' between Coney Island and mainland Singapore. With increased waterfrontage, the new 'river' will be used for recreation activities (eg. canoeing), and as a hosting venue for celebration events (eg. dragon boat racing).

The main commercial centres in Punggol are the Town Centre and the proposed Punggol East Centre, where supermarkets, air-conditioned wet markets, shops, restaurants, cafes, cinemas and other entertainment outlets will be housed. These allow residents to catch a movie, shop for the latest fashion or grab a bite from a fast-food outlet. Residents can also shop for their daily necessities at convenience shops located at LRT stations. Besides the Town Centre, residents can explore the two seaside village centres and enjoy their favourite chilli-crabs and durian chendol at the riverside restaurants.

Punggol 21's community spirit (some say kampong spirit) is fostered through clustered facilities such as schools, places of worship, community clubs and the Punggol South Children's Community Library.

For nature lovers, the Regional Park on Coney Island provides sandy beaches and a quiet getaway. Soon, they can also enjoy the Waterfront Park with its 15m wide waterfront promenades, built along the water's edge and flanking both sides of Sungei Serangoon and Sungei Punggol. Punggol Park, located at the junction of Hougang Avenue 8 and 10, was developed with the theme "Family Leisure", with many facilities for both young and old in the family.

For the sporty and health conscious, a new sports complex to be located at the junction of Punggol Drive and Punggol Road, is scheduled for completion in mid-2007. It will share a roof with a community club, community library and neighbourhood police centre.



Schools
Quality schools in the Punggol area include...

	Primary schools
	Secondary schools