Young people possess an innate curiosity to explore the city, ask important questions, and to imagine possibilities.
Just by traveling from home to school, biking to the park, or hanging out with friends on the block, they become expert evaluators of neighborhood spaces.
Still, they are often left out of public processes that decide the future of the spaces they use and live in. We think that engaging youth in the practice of planning not only helps to create better places, but also deepens young people’s understanding of the power and importance of civic involvement.
Young
Planners Network (YPN) consists of Young Planners & Adult Allies
working to ‘create a place at the table’ for youth in planning
processes, by both incorporating planning content into K-12 education
and by advocating for change in planning practice.
YPN seeks to -
- Connect adults and youth engaged in this work,
- Support efforts to increase authentic youth participation in the field of urban planning, and
- Celebrate contributions youth have made to successful planning in their communities.