Written by:
Louise Dennison
Too often, young people’s voices are excluded from conversations about placemaking, often labelled as hard to reach or stereotyped as the perpetrators of anti-social behaviour in our towns and cities. Yet, young people have unique insights into how places function and thrive. What could happen if we actively involved them as placemakers?
This month’s chat explored the vital role young people can play in shaping the places they live, learn, and play in. How can we create space for them as active citizens and place leaders today, rather than just consultees and those who will inherit in the future what we create for them today?
Key Themes
The session opened with a thought-provoking question: How can we empower young people to be active citizens today? This framed the discussion, emphasising the need to view young people not just as future stakeholders but as present contributors to the places they live, learn and play in.
The conversation touched on children and young people within a broad spectrum of ages, but some common themes emerged across them. Participants explored three key themes: the importance of connecting past, present, and future perspectives in placemaking; creating spaces for young people to connect with other generations to innovate and create and explore, and establishing collaborative platforms to share innovative and inspiring youth-focused projects.
Connecting the Past, Present and Future
A recurring theme was the importance of integrating young people into placemaking processes by focusing on their present needs and contributions rather than exclusively asking about their visions for the future. One participant noted, “Too often, young people are asked what they would like in the future, but we overlook their potential to shape their surroundings right now.”
Discussions highlighted the need to foster intergenerational dialogue that connects the experiences of past and present residents with both the current reality and the aspirations of young people. This approach not only helps communities honor their history but also builds a shared vision for the future that includes the voices of all generations.
There was also some discussion about the funding structures which might be to blame for creating the narrative of young people as future citizens. We felt that this context needs to be shifted in order to encourage more projects and initiatives to focus on young people’s voices on their present needs as citizens.
Participants shared examples of successful initiatives, such as youth councils, that actively involve young people in discussions about current community challenges and opportunities. These platforms enable young people to advocate for their needs while also gaining insights into the broader context of placemaking. Recognising and valuing the contributions of young people today is essential for creating places that reflect the diversity and vibrancy of their communities.
Participants pointed out that young people’s energy, creativity, and real-life experiences are key to building inclusive and vibrant communities. They also mentioned that the sector needs to rethink its current practices and embrace more inclusive ways of integrating these contributions.
Creating Spaces for Young People
The conversation highlighted how young people can be innovators and creators when they’re given the space and tools to play, create and explore their ideas. One example shared was a gaming project where young people used virtual environments to design their dream neighborhoods and they worked together on real-world design challenges. These initiatives showed how young people’s creativity and natural tech-savvy skills can offer fresh ideas and solutions to real life placemaking challenges.
Everyone agreed that to spark innovation among young people, we need to create spaces where they feel encouraged to experiment, collaborate, and take risks. These spaces can be anything from physical meanwhile spaces, structured workshops to casual meetups, offering chances for young people to dive into placemaking in ways that match their interests and skills. As one participant mentioned, “When young people are trusted to lead and create, they can produce extraordinary results that inspire all of us.”
The session also touched on the role of intergenerational learning and mentorship. Pairing young people with experienced professionals helps ground their creative ideas and ensures they have a lasting impact, whilst bringing new energy and innovation to practice.
Sharing Projects and Collaboration
Our Chat participants were very generous and shared many examples of projects and initiatives from across the UK. One key takeaway was the need for more spaces, where people working and interested in this field can share successful, innovative and exciting projects involving children and young people in placemaking. Participants imagined a space where organisations, individuals and communities could showcase their work, swap ideas, and learn from each other’s experiences.
By encouraging this kind of collaboration, we could also spot and amplify successful models, which would help ensure more young people get the chance to take part in placemaking projects. Our participants were eager to share and learn about each other’s projects and examples, so perhaps platforms like this GH Chat could spotlight a wide range of initiatives from small, community-led efforts to large-scale programmes. Additionally, having a shared resource where knowledge and materials are easily accessible was discussed and could be a simple way of empowering young people and making the sector stronger as a whole.
Wrapping Up
This month’s discussion really highlighted how important it is to see young people as active placemakers right now, not just as future citizens. By recognising what they’re already contributing, supporting their creativity and innovation, and giving them spaces to collaborate and share ideas, we can help unlock their full potential as place ‘activators’.
The session shared some inspiring examples of how young people are already making a difference in their communities, and stressed the need to keep investing in their voices and ideas. In the end, the conversation made it clear: young people aren’t just the future of placemaking, they’re an important voice in shaping it today.