Young people – as pedestrians, public transit riders, and consumers – use the city differently than adults, and can offer invaluable perspective on smart urban growth. They know what’s working, what’s not, how systems can become more efficient, and what needs to change right now. By connecting city planners with youth and integrating youth perspective into planning processes, cities can better serve their entire population. By investing in youth participation, cities can build the next generation of effective, environmentally minded citizens.

In metropolitan regions across the United States, highly organized groups of young people are working to strategically address issues of violence, sustainability and quality of life in their communities, using the tools of professional planners. Several of these groups have formed a grassroots network to share best practice models, compile resources, and coordinate efforts. The Young Planners Network (YPN) is a national network of Young Planners and Adult Allies working to ‘create a place at the table’ for youth in planning processes, by incorporating planning content into K – 12 education, and advocating for change in planning practice.

In Boston, YPN will train planners to engage youth in their practice in a half-day workshop. Whether you already work with youth, or are just getting started, this interactive workshop will be informative and fun! Led by youth and adults from our Network, the training will provide lessons learned from the Youth Mapping Initiative by the Greater New Orleans Afterschool Partnership; the Academy of Urban Planning, a small public high school in Brooklyn; the Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) Initiative, integrating over 100 youth in Chicago’s 2040 metropolitan planning process; and the Portland Youth Planning Project, where youth planners play a role in year-round decision-making processes. Our training will include a discussion on ‘authentic’ youth and community engagement, an introduction to models and strategies for engaging youth (and overcoming barriers), a self-evaluation of your planning practice, and a toolkit to bring home resources and ideas for continued inspiration.

The Young Planners Network aims to connect planners of all ages to an inclusive process that improves the quality of life in the places we live. For more information about this workshop, please contact Meredith Phillips-Almeida at Meredith.urbanplanning@gmail.com. To join YPN, contact Alissa.kronovet@gmail.com. YPN is a project of the Wangari Maathai Center.