Downtown Core

Downtown Core
Planning area
Other transcription(s)
• Chinese	市中心
• Malay	Pusat Bandar
• Tamil	டவுன்டவுன் கோர்
Skyline of Singapore's Downtown Core Civic District Parliament House Raffles Place Helix Bridge with Marina Bay Sands in the background Old Supreme Court Building Old Supreme Court Building Theaters on the Bay, The Merlion with the Marina Bay Financial Centre in the background
Location in Central Region
Interactive map of Downtown Core
Downtown Core    Downtown Core within    Singapore Show map of Singapore Downtown Core Downtown Core (Asia) Show map of Asia Downtown Core Downtown Core (Earth) Show map of Earth
Coordinates: 1°17′12″N 103°51′13″E / 1.28667°N 103.85361°E / 1.28667; 103.85361
Country	Singapore
Region	Central Region
CDC	Central Singapore CDC
Town council	Jalan Besar Town Council Tanjong Pagar Town Council
Constituency	Jalan Besar GRC Tanjong Pagar GRC
1st DGP exhibited	19951
2nd DGP exhibited	19971
PA incorporated	22 January 19991
Government
• Mayor	Central Singapore CDC Denise Phua
• Members of Parliament	Jalan Besar GRC Denise Phua Josephine Teo Tanjong Pagar GRC Foo Cexiang
Area 2
• Total	4.34 km2 (1.68 sq mi)
• Rank	44th
Population  (2024)23
• Total	4,660
• Rank	33rd
• Density	1,070/km2 (2,780/sq mi)
• Rank	35th
Ethnic groups 4
• Chinese	2,970
• Malays	40
• Indians	320
• Others	390
Postal district	1, 6, 7

The Downtown Core is the historic urban centre of Singapore and the country's primary commercial district. It contains the main central business district (CBD), with a high concentration of skyscrapers in Raffles Place, Tanjong Pagar and Marina Bay. The Downtown Core is one of the eleven planning areas within the highly urbanised Central Area and forms the core of Singapore's central city zone. 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 many 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.⁵

The term "Downtown Core" is rarely used in everyday speech despite being the official planning designation. Instead, the area is commonly referred to as the CBD, Central, the City Area or informally as the City, terms interchangeable with the Central Area as a whole. In practice, the CBD denotes an even smaller portion of the Downtown Core, covering its south western and western sections and comprising eight subzones; Anson, Cecil, Clifford Pier, Maxwell, Phillip, Raffles Place, Tanjong Pagar and Marina Centre, where high rise commercial developments are most concentrated.⁵

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.