Clementi New Town

Clementi New Town straddles Upper Ayer Rajah Road and includes the National University of Singapore at Kent Ridge as one of its key landmarks. Other prominent spots include the Clementi MRT Station, the Clementi Bus Interchange. The Ayer Rajah Expressway is a major link to this town. Part of the town was originally swampland which was then reclaimed by earth-fill from hills in the north of the area. Other sections had been kampongs and villages with squatter-type homes, backyard trades, cottage industries, and farms, most of which sprang up in the early 19th Century.

The new town, developed between 1975 - 1979, was the 8th town to be developed by the Housing and Development Board. Planned to accommodate 1/4 million people, it was designed on the principle of neighbourhoods. The main town centre has amenities like schools, shopping centres, banks, and leisure facilities include a Community Centre and the Clementi Stadium, making it almost self-contained. Along Clementi Road are educational institutions like the National University of Singapore and the Japanese School.

The name Clementi came from Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner (1887 - 1893). The name for the estate was probably influenced by the now famous Clementi Road.



Author
Vernon Cornelius



References 
Edwards, N. & Keys, P. (1988). Singapore: A guide to buildings, streets, places (p. 309). Singapore: Times Books International.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 EDW)

Ramachandra, S. (1961). Singapore landmarks, past and present (p. 309). Singapore: Eastern Universities Press.
(Call no.: RCLOS 959.57 RAM)

Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore). (1996). Clementi planning area : planning report (pp. 4, 6, 9). Singapore: Urban Redevelopment Authority.
(Call no.: RSING 711.4095957 SIN)


Further Readings
Development Guide Plans: Clementi planning report 1996. (1998). Retrieved October 29, 2003, from
http://www.ura.gov.sg/dgp_reports/clementi/main.html



The information in this article is valid as at 1999 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Architecture and Landscape>>Streets and Places
Suburbs--Singapore
Cities and towns--Singapore
Urbanization--Singapore
Arts>>Architecture>>Public and commercial buildings
Law and government>>National development>>Urban development

Librarian Recommendations
>> Clementi Road
>> Cecil Clementi Smith


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