Youth-Led Community Engagement

Youth-led consultation is an important and effective way of approaching public engagement and encouraging young people to interact with people they might not normally have contact with. A youth-led approach can encourage public consultation to be brought into unexpected places and out from behind closed doors. It widens the discussion about what people want through bridging generational and socio-economic divides, but it also helps to stimulate discussion, which can produce better solutions.

When young people guide and lead these activities, we have found that increased numbers of young people feel inspired to improve their built environment.

There are also numerous benefits to young people through developing wider skills:

• Presenting a positive view of young people in a public setting
• Intergenerational contact building
• Debating with professionals and decision-makers
• Motivating the wider community to create positive changes

Youth-led engagement can also have a positive impact on the industry by carrying out wide-reaching surveys to help inform London’s built environment policy; it uses valuable methods that decision-makers can replicate and promotes young people’s understanding of the built environment.

Who are you?

• Planning professional
• Built environment professional
• Housing association
• Neighbourhood leader
• Youth worker
• Young person

Impact in London

• Influencing policy
• Advising locally
• Supporting practice
• Case studies