Govt piloting different ways of engaging citizens for neighbourhood renewal in Boon Lay, Canberra

Noting that there are more than 2,600 state properties in Singapore, he said: “Imagine the energy that will be brought to our neighbourhoods if just a segment of them are converted to such Community Regeneration Stations.”

Secondly, he said the HDB can consider enhancing NRP to include a component for participatory budgeting, on top of the base layer of improvements under the programme.

He cited the participatory budgeting trial in Spottiswoode Park estate in his ward, where residents can propose ideas and vote on neighbourhood improvements with a $200,000 budget.

Thirdly, he suggested letting each estate develop and implement its own tailored system for recycling or to dispose of food waste, with support from the Government.

In response, Ms Goh called “democracy of deeds” a simple yet powerful idea. She added that there is an ongoing shift from “government for the people” to “government with the people”.

On deepening citizen participation in plans and policies, she cited national water agency PUB’s Our Coastal Conversations as an example where the public discussed how they can protect Singapore’s land against rising sea levels.

The Government is also open to resident-led efforts that strengthen the Republic’s recycling ecosystem, she said, adding that the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment is supporting Zero Waste SG’s trial of dedicated recycling bins for clean stream recyclables in Pioneer.

Replying to Mr Foo’s suggestion on state properties, she said social and community value are already key considerations in how such properties are allocated.

SLA will continue to engage social start-ups and non-governmental organisations to understand their needs, and work with agencies to unlock more state properties for social impact, she added.

Ms Goh said the spirit of collaboration is just as vital for the next generation.

That is why the National Youth Council introduced the Youth Panels in 2023 for young Singaporeans to be co-authors of national issues and policies, she said, adding that the next run of this initiative will be launched later in 2026 for more youth to step forward and contribute.

On encouraging more volunteering, she said Youth Corps Singapore has been championing youth volunteerism by bringing together young people to do good. In 2025, more than 10,000 Youth Corps Leaders and volunteers contributed over 75,000 hours of service, impacting some 6,500 beneficiaries, she noted.

In addition, the islandwide network of 24 SG Cares Volunteer Centres works with community partners to identify town-level needs such as senior befriending.

Turning to citizen-led initiatives, she highlighted the National Heritage Board’s Heritage Activation Nodes.

She said community partners and residents in Katong-Joo Chiat, Clementi and Punggol have been creating heritage programmes, mobilising 460 volunteers and forging close to 120 partnerships since 2024. These nodes will be expanded to more neighbourhoods, including Tiong Bahru and Telok Blangah, in 2026.

The Somerset Belt Youth CoLab will also be launched, where a team of 15 youth leaders will be given dedicated spots and funding to activate spaces across *SCAPE and Somerset Belt.

On its part, the Government is “investing in the structures, skills and culture to engage citizens meaningfully”, Ms Goh said.

“We will continue pressing on to build a public service that is ready to partner citizens sincerely and wholeheartedly – and become better partners that citizens can count on,” she said.