what is today's Marina East. Settlements Historically, Kallang was home to some of Singapore's earliest settlers. Numerous villages could be found at the Kallang Basin area before modern developments took place: Kampong Kallang Pasir, Kampong Kallang Pokok, Kampong Kallang Laut, Kampong Kallang Batin, Kampong Kallang Rokok, Kampong Bugis, Kampong Soo Poo (also the name of a now-expunged road, located off Kallang Road) and Kampong Koo Chye. Today, some of their legacies are still seen – roads such as Padang Jeringau and Kampong Bugis that branch out from Kallang Road directly reference these expunged villages. In the 1950s, housing in Singapore was insufficient for its growing population. A large portion of the population was living in slum-like places with poor sanitation. As the city area became congested, the colonial government decided to build new public housing estates to tackle the problem. One of the plans was to develop Kallang into Singapore's equivalent of the Hyde Park, as reported by The Straits Times in an article dated 11 March 1955. These residential developments are known collectively as the "Old Kallang Airport Estate", located along Old Airport Road and Dakota Crescent. The low-rise residential blocks at Dakota Crescent are known for their unique architecture. Significant events On 4 December 1919, Singapore witnessed its first-ever aircraft landing at the Farrer Park Field, when Captain Ross Smith and three other crew members touched down in a Vickers Vimy en route to Darwin, Australia. This event kickstarted Singapore's aviation journey. On 17 February 1942, the troops of the British Indian Army officially surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army represented by Major Fujiwara Iwaichi at the Farrer Park Field as part of an event now called the "Farrer Park address". Captain Mohan Singh later declared the formation of the First Indian National Army and openly recruited volunteers to fight against the British Raj for the independence of India. On 29 June 1946, one of the Dakota aircraft belonging to the Royal Air Force (RAF) crashed at the Kallang Airport in a thunderstorm, killing all 20 that were on board. Officially named in 1957, Dakota Crescent and Dakota Close serve to commemorate this aviation disaster. On 13 March 1954, a Lockheed L-749A Constellation aircraft operated by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) crashed and exploded as it attempted landing at the Kallang Airport, killing 33 passengers and crew. On 15 August 1955, the People's Action Party (PAP) campaigned