Downtown Core

This article is about the planning area in Singapore. For the more general discussion, see Downtown.
Downtown Core
Planning Area
Other transcription(s)
  Chinese 市中心
  Pinyin Shì zhōngxīn
  Hokkien Chhī-tiong-sim
  Malay Pusat Bandar Kor
  Tamil டவுன்டவுன் கோர்
  Tamil romanisation Ṭavuṉṭavuṉ kōr
From top left to right: Aerial view of the Civic District, Raffles Place, Parliament House, The Helix Bridge with Marina Bay Sands in the background, Old Supreme Court Building, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, The Merlion with the Marina Bay Financial Centre in the background
Downtown Core

Location of the Downtown Core within Singapore

Coordinates: SG 1°17′12.11″N 103°51′12.63″E / 1.2866972°N 103.8535083°E / 1.2866972; 103.8535083
Country  Singapore
Region

Central Region


CDC
Town council
  • Jalan Besar Town Council
Constituency
1st DGP exhibited
2nd DGP exhibited
PA incorporated
  • 22 January 1999[1]
Government
  Mayor

Central Singapore CDC


  Members of Parliament

Jalan Besar GRC

Area[2]
  Total 4.34 km2 (1.68 sq mi)
Area rank 44th
Population (2015)[2][3]
  Total 3,720
  Rank 32nd
  Density 857.1/km2 (2,220/sq mi)
  Density rank 34th
Ethnic groups[3]
  Chinese 2,970
  Malays 40
  Indians 320
  Others 390
Postal district 1, 6, 7

The Downtown Core (Chinese: 市中心, Malay: Pusat Bandar Kor, Tamil: டவுன்டவுன் கோர்) is the historical and downtown epicenter of the city-state of Singapore. It is one of the eleven planning areas located within the Central Area,[4] forming the latter's dense urban core. It is bounded by Rochor to the north, Kallang to the northeast, Marina East and Marina South to the east, Straits View to the southeast, Bukit Merah to the south, as well as Outram, Museum and Singapore River to the west.

As the financial heart of Singapore, the Downtown Core houses the headquarters and offices of numerous corporations, as well as the Singapore Exchange. The area is also home to a large number of governmental institutions, notably the seat of Parliament and the Supreme Court of Singapore.

Singapore's modern history began in this area, when Stamford Raffles and representatives of the British East India Company landed along the banks of the Singapore River to set up a free port in Southeast Asia. As the old harbour grew along the mouth of the river bank, the city naturally expanded around it, creating what is now the Central Area.

The name "Downtown Core" remains relatively unheard of and the term Central Business District (CBD) is commonly used in conversation instead. However, the area known as the CBD actually compromises a smaller area within the Downtown Core itself, taking up the south-western and western portions of the planning area. It is made up of seven subzones, Anson, Cecil, Clifford Pier, Maxwell, Phillip, Raffles Place and Tanjong Pagar.[4] The core of the CBD has since extended well beyond its boundaries and the term is even often at times used to refer to the Central Area as a whole.

History

Main article: History of Singapore

As a fledgling colony, the area which is now known as the Downtown Core was the financial, administrative and commercial centre of the colony. In 1823, Singapore was reorganised according to the Raffles Plan of Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles, which specified elements like the Commercial Square (now Raffles Place) and the European Town as well as various other commercial and administrative entities located between them. This area later became the Downtown Core.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.