SINGAPORE — To support Singapore’s expanded population of up to 6.9 million by 2030, more land will be freed up for new homes, offices and other infrastructure.

This will be done by reclaiming and converting existing land, as well as creating office areas nearer to homes.

According to a paper on land use planning issued today by the Ministry of National Development (MND) — to complement the Population White Paper released on Monday — three new towns will also be developed in Bidadari, Tampines North and Tengah.

New housing estates will also be added at the former Bukit Turf Club, Kallang Riverside, Keppel and Bukit Brown areas.

Punggol Town will be developed further, making it eventually one of the largest HDB towns, with new homes slated for existing estates across Singapore.

According to the MND, the bulk of land that can be reclaimed, if needed, is at Pulau Tekong and Tuas.

Plans to convert existing areas such as military training areas, and some golf courses – once their leases end — are also in the pipeline.

One key strategy is to move offices closer to homes, so residents do not have to travel so much.

To that end, commercial nodes are planned island-wide – in the north, the south, Jurong Lake District, one-north, and Paya Lebar Central.

In the paper, the ministry said that a “North Coast Innovation Corridor” and a “Southern Waterfront City” will be created.

The former, spanning from Woodlands Regional Centre, Sembwang and Punggol, will be slated for industries in the fields of technology, such as the Seletar Aerospace Park.

The southern waterfront city will extend from Marina Bay, through Telok Blangah to Pasir Panjang Terminal. This will be redeveloped for commerical and housing areas.

Existing container-port operations — the City Terminals and Pasir Panjang Terminal — will be moved to Tuas Port.

The authority also addressed issues of liveability within a more dense city. More greenery, such as rooftop greenery, will be introduced within estates, and there will be more park connectors.

It reiterated that the transport network is being ramped up to support the increased population.

In addition, the feasibility of a “reversible flow” scheme along certain expressways is being studied, where the traffic flow is heavy in one direction during morning peak hours, and in the opposite direction in the evenings.

More rail lines will be built, with a rail density that is comparable to London. Eight in ten homes will be within a ten-minute walk from a train station.