CNN reported that Canberra Plaza will provide a "complete live-work-play-learn environment for residents and signifies Singapore's public housing for the future".

In 2004, with the completion of Pioneer Mall and Punggol Plaza, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) stopped building neighbourhood centres (NCs).

[6] However, this caused much inconvenience for residents that moved into the newer towns early on as private developers normally constructed NCs only when a substantial catchment for a particular NC was present so as to generate enough revenue.

[7] CNN further reported that Canberra Plaza will provide a "complete live-work-play-learn environment for residents and signifies Singapore's public housing for the future".

[13] In addition, the Singapore subsidiaries of multinational corporations such as Murata Manufacturing and ASM Assembly Systems are located within the industrial park.

[14][15] The Singapore Civil Defence Force 3rd Division Headquarters (co-located within Yishun Fire Station) and foreign migrant workers dormitories (Simpang Lodges 1 & 2) are located nearby.

[16][17] Canberra Plaza is designed with three commercial stories that have a combined gross floor area of 11,000 square metres (120,000 sq ft) The main anchor tenants include a supermarket and food courts.