YOUTH FRIENDLY MUNICIPALITY

Encourage participants (young people together with youth workers and decision-makers) to consider what is the actual meaning of “youth-friendly”, to understand the needs of young people, and to offer different measures which could improve the situation in the municipality.

TIME REQUIRED

Half an hour to 1 hour

RESOURCES

Table (can use the floor or walls), large sheets of paper, markers (enough for the number of participants), soft background music

ACTION

Participants are presented with the objectives.

This task needs all the venue, table, walls and floor, using the flipchart paper sheets on which different activities of the municipality are listed. The objective is to make these municipal activities more “youth friendly”. Depending on the size of the group and the number of questions, participants are given 20-30 minutes to move around the room, develop ideas, and record them on the flipcharts (or post-its and place them on the sheet with a question).

Possible municipal activities:

• public spaces
• public transport
• development of residential areas
• leisure space and opportunities
• activities of youth organizations and their place in town
• cultural life
• health and lifestyle
• business / business environment
• “urban myths”: what would or could the residents be proud of (history? landscape? industry? snow arena?) etc

DISCUSSION

• Which ideas have surprised you?
• Which ideas could be easily realized?
• Who should initiate the implementation of these ideas?

COMMENTS

The groups is given time to get into the issue, there are several options:

• ask participants whether their city / municipality is youth friendly? We propose to use the “mission statements” framework. Once you discuss the issue, you can propose a method.
• give the participants 5-7 minutes to think individually and imagine what their town/ municipality should be like in the next 3 years in order to become more “youth friendly”.

FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

If some of the developed ideas receive further support, we would suggest organizing a planning group meeting. The meeting could significantly improve feasibility of those ideas and of the implementation plan.