By Paul Ho (guest contributor)

The Punggol 21 Masterplan was rolled out twenty years ago amidst much fanfare and high expectations. Twenty years on, the Punggol 21 Masterplan remains largely unfulfilled. The Jurong Lake District idea was mooted around 2008 as part of the Masterplan, but did not garner much confidence due to the failure of Punggol 21 (those people staying in Punggol East can testify to the lack of amenities).

Apart from that, people who have witnessed the natural beauty of the British Lake District will find our Jurong Lake District a far cry from it. I thus initially dismissed the Jurong Lake District Masterplan. However, fast-forward to 2014, and various developments have mushroomed around the Jurong Gateway.

Making up for a lack of natural beauty

Whatever Singapore lacks in natural beauty, it has a way of making up for with beautifully-landscaped gardens and a wide range of amenities. ...