Due to limited land mass and high population growth, many parks in Singapore are built on reclaimed land. Similar to East Coast Park and Pasir Ris Park, West Coast Park was developed on a piece of reclaimed land. The park was completed in 1979. Another reclamation project was later undertaken by PSA Singapore in the 1980s for port development. This latter project mostly removed access to the coastline, surrounded most of the park by high-traffic roads, and spoilt the ambience by giant cranes and other structures built for the adjacent container terminal. Subsequently, visitorship declined considerably. National Parks Board then introduced a redevelopment project for West Coast Park in 1998 to remediate the problem. By 2000, Phase 1 development that covers the western portion of the park was completed. The park was revitalized with an improvement in infrastructure, along with the addition of facilities and features.
Community Efforts
The Marsh Garden within the park has undergone a rejuvenation project, which was launched in conjunction with Earth Day 2008 on 22 April 2008. The 1-hectare garden was home to 15 species of birds and 10 species of plants. A collaboration with the public, private and people sectors, partners in this project include Shell Oil Company, National Parks Board, nature enthusiasts and residents in the South West district. A total of 200 new saplings was planted in phases to rejuvenate the biodiversity of the mangrove habitat.
Activities & Facilities
In area 3 lies the Adventure Play Area which is divided into age-specific zones. Each area caters to the activity preferences and levels for its specific age group. The playground in the West Coast Park is one of the largest in Singapore, with play equipment such as a tall rope pyramid and 'flying fox'. Also available are barbecue pits, camping areas, bicycle obstacle course, sand play area and many more. A small, shadeless dog run area has been fenced off at the eastern end of the park, one of only two public places in Singapore where dogs may walk off-leash, and the only such place that is freely accessible. The wester part of the park has a McDonald'sfast-food outlet and a Grand Lawn which has an open space of 3 hectares.
