Sharing borders with Pasir Ris and Tampines to the west, Changi Bay to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east and the Serangoon Harbour to the north.

Changi, excluding the two water catchments and islands of Singapore, is the largest planning area by land size.

The early Malay place name of Changi was Tanjong Rusa (English: Deer cape), as written in the 1604 Godinho de Eredia map of Singapore.

Its heavy timber is commonly used for buildings and furniture and noted for its strength and deep rich colour.

Other sources suggests that it comes from a climbing shrub found in the area, the changi ular (Hopea sangal), or chengal asir (Thottea piperiformis).

[3] Early Changi was mostly a malaria mosquito infested swampland and jungle that had several kampongs spread across the vast area.

The place was first redeveloped by the British as a summer house and a getaway location from the city centre of Singapore in the 1890s, and was prized for its tranquillity and remoteness.

Defences along Changi's southern coast were also beefed up with the construction of machine-gun pillboxes in anticipation of the Imperial Japanese Army arrival by sea.

Construction was briefly halted during the Great Depression but was subsequently resumed as these structures were considered vital for the defence of Singapore.

However it was a bluff that drew vital resources from the west of Singapore that was the eventual landing site used by the Japanese.

The area also saw action of three giant artillery guns called the Johore Battery, though their usefulness in defending Singapore has been questionable.

[7] In 1942, after the surrender of the British in Singapore, Allied Prisoners-of-Wars (POW) were made to march from the city to Changi Prison and the surrounding barracks where they were interned.

[8] After the war in 1945, the British continued to maintain Changi for military purposes, while rebuilding up the area to include accommodations, schools and resorts.

The coast along the eastern side of Changi also saw government bungalows and resorts opened for civil servants use.

The vacated area saw many people whose livelihood and businesses depended on providing for the British forces becoming jobless and unsustainable.

[9] However, there were still contingents of ANZUK troops that were left in its place and the government of New Zealand even bolstered its presence in Singapore in the wake of the British withdrawal to maintain its interest in the region.

However, this caused further disruptions to the livelihood of the residents as they had to make way for the airport and later the many other redevelopments in the area including high tech industrial estates.

Despite the strong progress of these developments, there were several ventures that were eventually stalled, like the Changi Motorsports Hub, which was expected to open as Singapore's first permanent motor racing circuit, but was halted in 2013.

[6] The ground conditions on reclaimed land however were soft marine clay which could not support the runway and taxiways of the airport, and thus works had to carried out accordingly to drain the water and strengthen them.

[14] Besides those, the Changi Village hawker centre is renowned for its food options, with shophouses also found around the area for the convenience of its residents.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) also maintains its presence there to enforce customs, inspect and even quarantine goods entering Singapore.

By 2030 the construction of Changi East Industrial Zone is also expected to be completed on par with the opening of Terminal 5 to be able to handle the increase in cargo volume.

Changi, except for its airport, falls under the jurisdiction of the Bedok Police Division, and the Loyang Fire Post that is supplemented by the 2nd Singapore Civil Defence Force DIV HQ.

It is supported by auxiliary police like AETOS, Certis CISCO and SATS Security, that are usually deployed as front line officers for baggage and personnel screening as well as controlling entry points into transit areas, including the airfreight centre.

ICA works independently from the airport police and maintains control over immigration and customs in all terminals and air cargo entry points.

It also has two casualty clearance stations and one sea rescue base located at Changi Airport Fuel Hydrant Installation (CAFHI) Jetty.

Xilin MRT station is under construction as part of the Downtown line extension and would bring greater connectivity to Changi Business Park when it opens in 2026.