Young voices, big impact: Why engaging young people in the built environment is child’s play

 by Annick Matthews at the Quality of Life Foundation.

When it comes to designing the spaces we live, work, and play in, who better to ask than the people who will inherit them? Including children and young people in the built environment and placemaking isn’t just a box to tick – it’s a way to unlock fresh ideas and create better communities as part of the brief, design, build and use of places.  

In this blog we share takeaway tips and tricks from our recent Quality of Life Associates webinar titled: ‘Child’s Play: including children and young people in your decision making’. Chaired by the Quality of Life Foundation’s Melissa Lacide with panellists Victoria Thornton (OBE) of the Thornton Education Trust, and Azzees Minott, Director and COO of 2-3 Degrees.

Look outside of an afternoon and it is young people who are walking through the streets, chatting with friends, meandering. They have intimate knowledge of their environment because they engage with it daily. To harness this knowledge in the development and planning process requires genuine collaboration with children and young people. But what does this mean?

It means supporting children and young people to engage and participate with the creative element of the built environment be it through virtual reality, role plays, and collaborations. 

It means that engagement must go hand-in-hand with equipping young people with skills that they can use for life. This could be providing opportunities to: grow self confidence, articulate themselves, or network with key professionals.

 

What’s the approach?

Every group of children and young people is different. Where do they live? How do they connect to the neighbourhood and development site? What engagement activities will spark their interest? Spoiler: it’s unlikely to be yet another committee!  The design of an engagement programme for children and young people should be approached with creativity and adaptability.

And budgets matter too. Treating young participants as Youth Consultants, like 2-3 Degrees does, also means covering their time, food, and travel. Removing barriers like these ensures engagement is meaningful and impactful. It’s a two-way-street, so it’s important to articulate what skills and value we are offering the young people through the process. 

Tips and tricks tricks for meaningful engagement from our panellists

  • Celebrate positivity: Embrace the fresh, optimistic perspectives that children and young people bring to the table. Adults are too quick to find the ‘but’. 
  • Flip the mindset: Instead of a top-down approach, think about how much value young people contribute to planning and development projects. 
  • Research how others do it: Child-friendly policies are already being used across the planning process and it’s possible to learn from their experiences, an example being at Cambridge City Council which won awards at the Inspire Future Generations Awards, initiated by Thornton Education Trust (TET). 
  • Think big: Aim for developments to address wider community needs and desires which may mean communities are more invested in your plans.
  • Plan for continuity: Ensure a strategy is in place for rolling over youth engagement and participation as projects evolve over time. Grow skills as part of the national curriculum.
  • Budget wisely: Allocate funds for all phases of engagement, from pre-planning, post-planning, to planning obligations/section 106. Youth involvement is an investment, not a cost.
  • Expand timescales: Engagement plans need to reflect the time it takes for meaningful collaboration. Invest in quality to build good relations and avoid damage to communities or reputations.
  • Measure impact: Models for evaluating youth engagement provide evidence to advocate for its continued use, there are many examples but here is one from the National Youth Agency.

Join the conversation

What stood out from the discussion, was Victoria and Azzees’ infectious enthusiasm for their work in advocating for change in the built environment industry. As they explained, when we invest in youth engagement, everyone wins. Developments are better for their future inhabitants, communities thrive, and reputations shine. Be the leader in your organisation and industry by creating the space and funding for youth engagement, and talk about it with your peers. 

The more evidence we have on how impactful young people’s voices are, the more appreciated they will be. Let’s build a future where young voices are not just heard but are genuinely involved and celebrated

Our Quality of Life support and training provides more information about ways to ‘learn and grow’ – building your skills, knowledge and confidence in community consultation and engagement practice. See the Code of Practice page for more information.