The six-month engagement campaign will see youths engage directly with the precinct development team, government, and the wider community on detailed design and programming to realise the vision of Somerset Belt as a vibrant precinct built by youths, for youths, with youths.
8 February 2025, Singapore - With the transformation of the Somerset Belt targeted to take shape by 2027, youths are engaged to translate their vision and concepts into detailed design and programming through Somerset Reset – a six-month engagement campaign that was launched today. Somerset Reset invites youths to jointly work with architects, planners, and government agencies to translate the vision and concept design ideas set out in the Somerset Belt Masterplan developed by youths earlier, into specific design and programming plans as the physical redevelopment of Somerset Belt begins.
Somerset Belt as a Physical Manifestation of Youths’ Aspiration for a Future Singapore
The redevelopment of Somerset Belt has been an effort by youths, for youths since the beginning. Pre-COVID, more than 9,000 youths have been engaged in envisioning how the Somerset Belt can be transformed. The Somerset Belt Masterplan, which is a distillation of the views of youths, captures the collective vision of our youths for the Somerset Belt to be a physical manifestation of the diverse talents, aspirations, and creativity of youths in Singapore.
The Masterplan articulates the vision and planning principles for the Somerset Belt, in particular, that it shall be:
- A place with multiple dimensions and usages;
- A place for creative expression;
- A place that is welcoming to explore;
- A place that is dynamic and continuously transformed;
- A place for youths to be with community and self;
- A place empowered by community partnerships.
The Masterplan also identifies a few key nodes along the Somerset Belt area that will anchor the transformation. This includes (i) a transformed *SCAPE as a landmark that invites youths to explore the Somerset Belt, (ii) an expanded Skate Park that symbolises youth and
self-expression, (iii) leveraging the green site next Skate Park as a green heart and
contemplation space, and (iv) a youth park that opens up opportunities for experimentation,
entrepreneurship, and artistic expression.
Somerset Reset Seeks to Engage Thousands of Youths to Translate Aspirations to Reality
Since the launch of the Masterplan, *SCAPE, including its surrounding area, is undergoing physical upgrading and will be progressively ready by the end of this year. Coming up is the physical redevelopment of the rest of the Somerset Belt, which is set to kick off by the first half of 2026 and complete by the end of 2027.
Somerset Reset marks the next phase of youth involvement in the development of Somerset Belt, where youths will jointly work with architects, planners, *SCAPE, and government agencies on the detailed design of the rest of the precinct outside of *SCAPE. Youths will be partners in co-designing and co-creating the features, site layout, programmes, and activities in Somerset Belt. They will also be supported to take action on their proposed ideas for Somerset Belt, and involve the wider community in its development.
To kick-off the campaign, 30 youth leaders will be participating in a series of three workshops with the precinct development team, *SCAPE, and government agencies to develop, refine, and enrich the proposed detailed design and programming plans for the Somerset Belt, so that youths’ aspirations for the Somerset Belt can be effectively translated into reality. These youth leaders were chosen from communities of interest that are based in *SCAPE and the precinct, as well as from a call to interested youths.
The first workshop is a two-day overnight camp happening at *SCAPE, graced by Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Mr Alvin Tan said, “The Somerset Belt is a canvas for our youths to create a space they can call their own, and reshape it into a home loved and enjoyed by generations of youths.”
The participants were divided into groups to engage in brainstorming sessions designed to encourage open discussion and creative thinking, with the aim of generating innovative ideas that could further enhance the Somerset Belt.
In addition to the daytime activities and presentations, the participants were invited to an overnight camping experience to immerse themselves in the environment and gain a deeper understanding of the project site. They attended a guided tour of Somerset Belt at night, which provided a firsthand look at the intended spaces and how they would be utilised, as well as how these would interact with the community and neighbours. This will support the youths in making informed suggestions to improve their design and functionality.
At subsequent workshops, youths will get to see their ideas for the Somerset Belt come alive through an immersive and interactive sandbox environment constructed within the Roblox Metaverse. This virtual platform allows them to observe how their plans would look when implemented so they can envision its impact and make further adjustments.
After each workshop, youth leaders will also be divided into specialised groups, each responsible for a specific aspect of the Somerset Belt project such as site layout, features, and activities. They will also take the lead to develop plans to engage more youths as part of Somerset Reset, allowing them to refine their ideas and ensure that the proposed initiatives resonate with the wider youth community.
The inputs from the youths will be factored into the detailed design plans by the architects and multidisciplinary team implementing the physical redevelopment of the Somerset Belt.
Rallying Youths and Community for Somerset Belt
Over the next few months, members of the public can look forward to an array of events and initiatives rolled out to engage the youth and wider community in shaping the precinct's future.
These include interactive roadshows showcasing the selected design concepts for the area, providing an opportunity for the public to visualise and experience the proposed transformation. They will be complemented by youth-led activities and events designed to encourage and gather public feedback to ensure that the youth community's voice is central to the precinct's redevelopment, especially in terms of enriching the programming for the Somerset Belt.
Find out more about the Somerset Reset at https://somersetbelt.sg/reset/.
About Somerset Reset
The Somerset Reset campaign takes a phased approach to empower youth by actively involving them in shaping Somerset Belt. Through engagement, collaboration, and creative ownership, the campaign showcases the evolution of Somerset as a dynamic, youth-driven space where ideas come to life and communities thrive.
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