Don’t Play Play: The Serious Work of Building Playgrounds (and Fitness Corners).
Fun times in Telok Blangah! Find out how Tanjong Pagar Town Council is planning to rejuvenate the division, one playground at a time.
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Twenty-eight-year-old John Tan is the youngest property manager in our town. Two years into his first job out of university, he is the man behind the ambitious plan to refurbish thirteen playgrounds and fitness corners in Telok Blangah.
Half the age of his oldest property officer, John brings a youthful vigour to the division. “I want it to be rejuvenated,” he says, when asked about his vision for Telok Blangah. Hence, the 13 projects.
John noted that the rejuvenation plan was already in the pipeline when Tanjong Pagar Town Council took over Telok Blangah from West Coast Town Council. Before taking over the role, John had spent some time going through the handover materials with West Coast Town Council whilst learning the ropes, so he could hit the ground running. Moreover, John does not intend to stop at 13. By 2029, he hopes to have rejuvenated 90% of the playgrounds and fitness corners in Telok Blangah.
It is not an easy task. It takes at least six to eight months to build a playground or fitness corner, starting from identifying the most suitable sites. Then a tender is called, the project is awarded, the architect’s plans are presented, the residents’ opinions are solicited, the advisor is consulted, and only then can construction begin.
“I really want to change Telok Blangah,” John says. “Not just the blocks themselves, but the landscaping and the whole area.” The Town Council regularly upkeeps the HDB blocks in the area through Repair & Redecoration (R&R) works. But, R&R only covers the blocks themselves. “You wouldn’t want your block to be repainted nicely, but then leave your playground in bad condition,” John points out.
On the Ground
Between Blocks 112B and 113 Depot Rd, there is a covered staircase. The elderly, which make up the majority of residents in the area, prefer to use the slopes of the open-air carpark instead. The sun is a willing price they pay to avoid the stairs. When it rains however, it becomes a whole other problem.
Building a covered ramp in that location has become a priority for John and his Telok Blangah team. Rejuvenating the division is not just about building slides, sometimes you have to build ramps.
Knowing the ground requires walking the ground. John is a hands-on property manager. He enjoys human interaction, and frequently chooses to join his advisor, MP of Telok Blangah, Ms. Rachel Ong, on walkabouts, to hear the comments residents have about their estate.
He does not have to be there; that is usually a job for property officers, not managers. “I don’t like to coop myself up in the office. I like to get my hands dirty,” John explains. His active approach is a winning one; his willingness to step in personally is one of the ways he earned the respect of his team, despite being the youngest.
John has also won the respect of his residents. Though he himself did not volunteer this information, his colleagues were often quick to point out that he has received many compliments from the residents. When pressed, John demurred, saying that those compliments all drive him to do better, and is more interested in talking about the challenges, not triumphs, of the job.
Though he is acutely aware that he cannot please every resident, John is rather optimistic about his job. Thinking of ways to benefit a majority of residents on a limited budget, and then brainstorming ways to support the remaining is an exciting challenge he relishes. The building of a recent senior fitness corner demonstrates this best. Built to cater to an area with mostly elderly residents, John got wind of a request from a young family to install a pull-up bar. Though out of place in a senior fitness corner, John was more than happy to include the pull-up bar for them.
Amongst the People
On 3rd October 2026, the first batch of renovated amenities was launched; a playground at Block 51 Telok Blangah Drive, and two fitness corners at Block 14 Dover East Close and Block 41 Telok Blangah Drive. These were unveiled to the public in an ambitious three-site launch event, allowing Ms. Ong to meet the residents and gather their feedback.
When it was suggested to hold a single event to commemorate all 13 launches, Ms. Ong insisted on visiting each site personally.
Ms. Ong’s personal touch can be felt in all 13 projects. Throughout the process, John worked closely with her, meeting in person to go through the plans. According to him, Ms. Ong has an eye for colour, and would make suggestions to liven the aesthetics of the amenities to be built. The equipment, however, is wholly chosen by residents through the Residents’ Networks (RNs).
Five minutes before the launch event at Block 14 was supposed to start, there was only a smattering of residents waiting beside the new fitness corner. However, as Ms. Ong appeared, so did the crowds. While the children were drawn to the shiny new equipment, it was clear that the main draw of the event was the MP herself.
“I just saw your grandchildren,” Ms. Ong told an elderly resident. She congratulated another resident on her third pregnancy, and complimented a third on how spritely they looked, despite their age. There were a surprising number of first names being thrown around. More than anything, it felt like a block party, attended by the young and old.
Grandparents brought their grandchildren, who attacked the fitness corner with youthful vigour, despite the fact that, as one child noted, “this is not a playground.” The older residents also took their turns on the machines, taking their job of providing feedback seriously.
Many of them approached John, who was on site to take in any feedback. In his usual friendly and open manner, he would explain to residents what feedback he could incorporate, and what he couldn’t. When asked how he dealt with residents that were still unsatisfied, John says all he can do is tell them that he has heard their feedback and will try to improve for future projects. He offers them a final comfort, “This won’t be here forever.”
John himself had tested all the equipment during the handover the week before. He had noted that in one case, the balancing swing bridge was swinging just a bit too much, and had gotten the contractor to reduce the range of motion. Still, one resident commented, “it’s a bit scary”, a comment that John noted down and would share with the contractor.
Overall, the feedback from the residents were generally positive. A good portion noted the aesthetics of the fitness corner: the striking orange equipment contrasted with the deep-sea green of the rubber flooring, injecting the area with a new energy. The orange also matched the terracotta flooring of the open area, a testament to Ms. Ong’s eye for colour. She would admit, at the end of the day, that she felt that of the three sites, the orange looked the best.
Ms. Ong would continue to spend unhurried time with the residents, before heading over to Block 51, for the opening of a playground.
Seriously Designed for Fun
In his 2025 National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong encouraged children to play outdoors, and “grow and gain confidence in the real world, not the virtual one.”
Even before Ms. Ong could officially open the playground at Block 51 Telok Blangah Drive, a kid had already managed to jump off the top of the open-top slide. A covered tube slide would have been safer, a resident commented. John had to explain that open-top slides allowed children to see what was on the slide, before hurling themselves down at speed, preventing kids from getting stuck. Hence, why HDB’s safety guidelines deemed such slides to be safer.
It so happened that the opening of this playground coincided with Children’s Day, so Ms. Ong was handing out goodie bags to children and encouraging them to join the celebrations at Telok Blangah CC the next day. Playgrounds are more than just play areas for children; they are spaces for families to catch up with their communities.
Just a street away was the last site: the fitness corner at Block 45. The audience could not have been more different, the crowd was almost only elderly, with some in wheelchairs, but the fun familial vibes were not. Instead of children running up and down a playground, senior citizens, encouraged by Ms. Ong and their fellow residents, tried out the new equipment. “Just try!” Ms Ong would cajole them.
The residents were impressed with the thought that went into the equipment, with their adjustable seats, adjustable resistance, and wheelchair-friendliness. When a resident commented that the pull-up bar was perhaps too high for some to reach, John was quickly on hand to offer a remedy; plans were made to install a bottom step.
Giving Back
Throughout the afternoon, at all three sites, if Ms. Ong was not in conversation with a resident, she would be taking another by the hand to try out the equipment. In her earnest interactions with her residents, it was evident that these launches were not really about celebration. Yes, there was food, drinks, and music, but what these events truly were, were opportunities to mingle with the residents and to listen to their suggestions. So, it didn’t matter that the events were small and intimate, that was the point.
It was really all about the people, the residents, and the property team. At each of the three launches that afternoon, Ms. Ong would unreservedly give credit for the project, and the launch, to the Town Council property team, more specifically, John’s property team.
Launching a playground or fitness corner is not the end of their work. It’s only the start. Maintenance and incorporating resident feedback are important next steps of the work.
The entire afternoon, John had been fielding feedback from residents, from simple enquiries about why something was done some way, to requests for improvements to lifts, parks, equipment, and other common areas. Facts, figures, and dates all at his fingertips, he was quick to explain, assure, and excite residents about the improvements happening to Telok Blangah.
What keeps John so motivated? “I also stay in HDB,” John explains. “I just want to give back to the residents.” When asked if he was part of said “residents”, he laughed it off, “Not yet, my BTO is only ready in 2031.”
