Pasir Ris

Pasir Ris (IPA: /ˌpɑːsər ˈrɪs, -seɪ-/ pah-sir RISS or pah-say RISS) is a planning area and residential town located in the East Region of Singapore. It is bordered by Tampines and Paya Lebar to the south, Sengkang to the southwest and Changi to the east. The planning area also shares riverine boundary with Punggol to the west, separated by the Serangoon River, as well as having a maritime boundary with the North-Eastern Islands planning area, across the Straits of Johor.

Like other new towns, public transport facilities were factored into the development of Pasir Ris. Pasir Ris is easily accessible via bus services at Pasir Ris Bus Interchange and the Mass Rapid Transit at Pasir Ris MRT station. Today, landmarks in the area include the NTUC Downtown East, Pasir Ris Beach Park and White Sands Shopping Mall.

The first reference to a village of Pasir Ris, Passier Reis (or Passier Rice), appeared in early 1800s. The second part of the city name, Ris, in Malay, means bolt rope. Pasir Ris may also mean "white sand" in Malay. Pasir Ris Town is named after the long stretch of sandy white beach along the north-east coastline of Singapore, facing Pulau Ubin.

Pasir Ris was originally a low lying, undeveloped area with Malay kampongs like Kampong Pasir Ris, Kampong Bahru and Kampong Loyang Besar, and the various Chinese kampongs along Elias Road. The area was well known for its many plantation estates including the Singapore United Plantations, Loh Lam Estate, Hun Yeang and Thai Min Estates. The beach was a popular resort for water skiing in the 1950s. There was also the Pasir Ris Hotel, venue of many memorable parties and picnic gatherings in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.

The development of Pasir Ris Town began in 1983 with Phase 1 being an Elias Road/Pasir Ris Estate, followed by Loyang N1 and N2 by 1989–90, N4 from 1992 to 1993, N5 from 1995 and N6 in 1997 together with N7.^{[citation needed]} Pasir Ris Neighbourhood 8 will begin construction after the announcement of Elias MRT station in 2021, of which MINDEF is giving up the land. Today, White Sands Shopping Centre, located next to Pasir Ris MRT station, embodies the local place name.

As part of the Remaking Our Heartland 3 (ROH3) plans, the town will be rejuvenated and envisioned as 'Our Urban Sanctuary' within the next five to ten years. The plans will focus on four key areas: Town Centre, park spaces and building homes close to parks, creating new spaces, and enhancing the walking and cycling experience within the town.

A 1.2 km 'Central Greenway' is planned from Pasir Ris Park, through the town centre, and ends near Costa Ris, a housing estate near the end of the Tampines Expressway. Approximately 500m will be elevated above ground, with ramps connecting it to the ground level, without having to stop and wait at the traffic lights. On top of pedestrian walkways, the 'Central Greenway' will also feature bicycle paths for cyclists. This will be a feature unique only to Pasir Ris and make Pasir Ris Park even more readily accessible.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) plans to develop 2,000 public housing units adjacent to the Pasir Ris Park, offering views of the park and Sungei Api Api. The first batch of flats have been released for sale as part of the August 2020 BTO exercise. The development is named Costa Grove and offers a total of 1,070 units, housed in nine residential blocks with varying heights from nine to eighteen storeys.