For years, much of the land around Newton MRT sat waiting for a plan. That plan is now set out in URA's Master Plan 2025: Newton is to become what URA calls an "urban village", with about 5,000 new homes around Newton Circus, Scotts Road and Monk's Hill, built around the Newton MRT interchange.
Here is what is planned, and why it matters if you are buying in the nearby prime districts, including around Bukit Timah and Dunearn Road.
What URA has planned for Newton
According to URA's Master Plan 2025 page on enhancing city neighbourhoods (last updated 7 May 2026), the Newton precinct will be a mixed-use neighbourhood with homes, new amenities, parks and heritage buildings next to the MRT interchange. The key elements:
- About 5,000 new homes in three clusters around Newton Circus, Scotts Road and Monk's Hill.
- A "Village Square": a new amenity node with a central public square next to Newton MRT interchange.
- Newton Food Centre stays. URA says it will be retained as a familiar community node next to the new square.
- Monk's Hill Road becomes a linear park, a green corridor linking residents to Newton MRT and extending to Emerald Hill.
- A series of connected neighbourhood parks, created by upgrading existing green spaces.
- Heritage kept in. Selected State properties with heritage value will be integrated into the new neighbourhood. URA traces the area's history from nutmeg plantations in the 1900s to a residential precinct.
- Walking and cycling links to the future North-South Corridor, Orchard Road and other nodes along the Inner Ring Corridor.
Newton is one of several new central neighbourhoods
Newton is not the only area getting this treatment. On the same page, URA plans more than 10,000 homes in a 45-hectare mixed-use neighbourhood at Marina South, and some 6,000 homes at the foothills of Pearl's Hill, near Outram Park. A few kilometres west, the former racecourse at Bukit Timah Turf City is being turned into a new housing estate, and that is where Dunearn House sits.
| Precinct (Master Plan 2025) | Planned homes | Transport anchor |
|---|---|---|
| Newton | About 5,000 | Newton MRT interchange (North-South and Downtown lines) |
| Pearl's Hill | Some 6,000 | Outram Park MRT |
| Marina South | More than 10,000 | Two Thomson-East Coast Line stations |
| Bukit Timah Turf City | New housing estate (see URA plan) | Future Turf City MRT (Cross Island Line) |
How Newton and Turf City compare
Both precincts follow the same idea: homes, shops, parks and transport within a short walk. URA's Turf City plan says residents will live within a 10-minute walk of an MRT station, with shops, parks and community facilities within a 10-minute walk or 5-minute cycle. It also plans to conserve 22 heritage buildings, including the two racecourse grandstands, and the 1952 art deco Dunearn Water Depot next to Dunearn House.
The difference is character. Newton is a dense, city-edge neighbourhood next to Orchard and Scotts Road. Turf City is a greener, lower-density estate in Bukit Timah, with large areas of nature retained and road widening under study for Eng Neo Avenue, Dunearn Road and Bukit Timah Road. The two are also linked by rail: Sixth Avenue station near Dunearn House and Newton are both on the Downtown Line.
The first land sale in Newton under the new plan has already drawn attention; we looked at what the Peck Hay Road tender means for Dunearn House buyers. For the wider picture of Turf City itself, see our post on the Turf City redevelopment, and for how Newton, Orchard and Turf City fit together in the prime districts, this guide to Master Plan 2025 for District 10 buyers.
What it means for buyers
- More new supply in the core central region over time. Thousands of new homes at Newton, Pearl's Hill and Marina South will come through land sales over many years, so buyers will have more choice of new city-fringe and prime homes.
- Early projects set the benchmark. The first launches in a new precinct establish its price level. That is what happened at Turf City, where Dunearn House was the first private launch.
- Look at the plan, not just the site. Amenities, parks and MRT links promised in a master plan arrive over years. Check URA's plans and timelines for the precinct you are buying into.
If you would rather buy into a new precinct that is already launched, Dunearn House at Turf City still has 2-bedroom and 4-bedroom premium homes available. See current prices and units, or WhatsApp us on +65 8866 9422 to compare it with what is coming at Newton.
This article was first published in August 2025 and was rewritten in November 2026 with the final Master Plan 2025 details. It is for general information only and is not financial or investment advice. Plans may change; check URA's website for the latest.
