Summary
What can be built next to a home in Singapore is set out in the Master Plan, the statutory land use plan that guides development over the next 10 to 15 years. It shows the permissible land use and density for developments and is reviewed every five years, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) says. The current edition, Master Plan 2025, was gazetted on 1 Dec 2025.
Density is set as a plot ratio, and on sites zoned Residential, URA's building height guidelines tie it to the number of storeys: up to 24 at a gross plot ratio of 2.1, up to 36 at 2.8, and more than 36 above that. The plan also changes between reviews. On 23 Oct 2026, URA gave notice of proposals to raise the plot ratio on housing land at Upper Changi Road from 2.1 to as much as 3.5, re-set plot ratios at Boon Lay Drive and rezone land at Slim Barracks Rise for homes. Objections can be filed until 6 Nov.
What this means for Singapore buyers
What the zones mean
The Master Plan Written Statement 2025 describes each zone. These matter most when you look at the land around a home:
| Zone | What the Written Statement says it is for |
|---|---|
| Residential | Mainly residential development |
| Residential with Commercial at 1st Storey | Mainly residential, with commercial use at the first storey only |
| Commercial & Residential | Mainly mixed commercial and residential development |
| White | A combination of two or more uses as a mixed development |
| Reserve Site | A use that has yet to be determined |
| Open Space | Open space |
Source: URA, Master Plan Written Statement 2025.
A Reserve Site beside a home means its future use has not been decided.
Plot ratio and height
Plot ratio is "the ratio between the floor area of the building and site area", and the figures on the plan are the maximum permissible intensity, the Written Statement says. The competent authority can approve less, and the plan states that it does not confer development rights or an entitlement to build to the maximum.
Illustration only. ProprKey calculation using the Written Statement's definition. On a 10,000 square metre site, a plot ratio of 2.1 allows up to 21,000 square metres of floor area. At 3.5, the ceiling is 35,000 square metres, two-thirds more.
For flats and condominiums, URA's guidelines set storey limits by plot ratio on sites zoned Residential only:
| Gross plot ratio | Maximum storeys | Near the Singapore Botanic Gardens |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 | 5 | 4 |
| 1.6 | 12 | 10 |
| 2.1 | 24 | 20 |
| 2.8 | 36 | 30 |
| Above 2.8 | More than 36 | More than 30 |
Source: URA, Development Control, Flats and Condominiums: Building Height (updated 7 Jun 2026).
Other controls can set a lower height, including technical height controls on URA's Building Height Plan, street block controls, and conservation or urban design requirements. Where a site has mixed-use zoning or a non-standard plot ratio, URA decides the storey limit when it assesses the development application.
How the plan changes between reviews
Under Rule 4 of the Planning (Master Plan) Rules, URA publishes a notice when proposals to amend the Master Plan have been submitted to the Minister for National Development. A certified copy can be inspected at the URA Centre until the notice deadline, and objections go in writing to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Development (MND) and must state their grounds, under Rule 5.
The two latest notices that cover housing land:
| Notice | Location | Proposed change | Objections by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 2026 | Upper Changi Road / Upper Changi Link | Residential at a plot ratio of 2.1 raised to a maximum of 3.5; road land rezoned Residential at 3.5 | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 23 Oct 2026 | Slim Barracks Rise / Nepal Park / North Buona Vista Road | White and road land to Residential with Commercial at 1st Storey at up to 5.5; commercial and road land to Residential at up to 2.0 | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 23 Oct 2026 | Boon Lay Drive | Residential land at 2.8 and 3.0 re-set at up to 2.8 or 3.2; some land to open space and road, and road land to Residential at 2.8 | 6 Nov 2026 |
| 2 Oct 2026 | Tomlinson Road | Residential at 2.8 raised to a maximum of 3.5 | 31 Oct 2026 |
| 2 Oct 2026 | Brickland Close | Commercial & Residential at 3.0 raised to a maximum of 4.0 | 31 Oct 2026 |
Source: URA, notices of proposed amendments to Master Plan 2025, 2 and 23 Oct 2026.
The notices do not give reasons for the changes. Read against URA's height table, the Upper Changi proposal would move the land from the 24-storey band to the band of more than 36 storeys, subject to URA's other height controls.
What it means when you buy
For a buyer paying for a view, the zoning and plot ratio of the land between the home and that view say more than today's skyline. Residential land at 2.1 beside a low-rise block can, under URA's guidelines, take a building of up to 24 storeys, and a rise to 3.5 lifts that band above 36. A higher plot ratio next door also allows more floor area to be built there.
Owners near a proposed change have a short window to respond. The 23 Oct notice runs for two weeks, and an objection has to set out its grounds.
Education only — not tax, legal or investment advice. Confirm with a licensed professional.
What to do next
- Look up the home and the plots around it on URA SPACE's Master Plan map, and note each plot's zone and plot ratio.
- Use URA's height table to turn those plot ratios into storey bands, and note any Reserve Site or White site nearby.
- Before you pay an option fee, check URA's list of proposed amendments for the area, and file any objection in writing to MND before the notice deadline.
- Browse homes for sale and compare their surroundings: https://proprkey.com/en/properties?segment=buyer&mode=buy
- Ask a verified conveyancing lawyer to check planning matters on the property: https://proprkey.com/en/pros?segment=legalFinance