Thirty-one youth delegates, selected from suburban, urban, and rural communities across the country, brought their special brand of enthusiasm to participate in the 2nd annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference held in New Orleans, January 29-February 1, 2003. Nominated by a variety of sources such as education centers and schools, regional coalitions, APA, HUD, and community-based organizations, these emerging leaders showed that they were the New Partners for smart growth and deserved a seat at the policy-making table.

Their rather full conference agenda included participating at all conference sessions, as featured presenters in breakout sessions, and finally, presenting their smart growth policy priorities at the closing session. The four priority issues identified by the delegation, based on a survey of 300 of their peers, interviews with community development professional, group discussions, and conference workshops, were:

(1) The development of more compact, mixed-use neighborhoods to combat sprawl
(2) The design of communities with reliable, accessible public transit and pedestrian-friendly
(3) Creating diverse, mixed-income neighborhoods
(4) Educating and engaging youth on smart growth principles

Each youth delegate is responsible for a follow-up activity or report to his/her community. The primary sponsor for the Youth Delegation came from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with additional support provided by the American Planning Association, the Local Government Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, and several local sponsors. The participation of the Youth Delegation is coordinated by the California Center for Civic Participation and Youth Development.

For information, contact the California Center.