Formulation of Temburong Eco Town Master Plan in Brunei Darussalam

Brunei Darussalam’s ‘Wawasan Brunei 2035’ vision assumes a sustainable society for the future and advocates a departure from oil dependence, development of human resources, creation of new industry, and development of small and medium-sized enterprises. In Temburong district, tourism will increase with the opening of the new bridge from Bandar Seri Begawan district in 2020. To ensure compatibility between development and nature conservation, this project sets the vision of a carbon-neutral society for wildlife preservation in Borneo. It proposes strategic development through the following approaches or key concepts: a) Living lab: diverse community, creative work and life style; b) Carbon-neutral: renewable energy, sustainable mobility system, sustainable architecture/agroforestry, small economy; c) Learning tourism, featuring Temburong and Borneo, and a Showcase of Smart Tech. Based on the above vision, Bangar and Labu Estate were positioned as growth centres. Bangar will have district office, hospital, market, and residential functions, as the centre of administrative services in Temburong. This study proposes to improve the internal road and new bridge connecting the two areas divided by the Temburong River, and to make the road in front of the current commercial area along the river a pedestrian priority area to make it a bustling riverfront. Labu Estate will have university, R&D, hotel, convention, tourism centre, and residential functions as the centre of education, R&D, and tourism. By clustering universities, R&D, and houses in close proximity, the formation of a diverse community that fosters interaction and innovation is proposed.