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Description
The project responds to the needs of young people for active participation in decision-making and shaping public unused spaces that young people have defined in youth strategies. The lack of public spaces in which young people can participate has led to several social problems going on for years: public spaces for young people with no participation of youth; low level of trust in decision makers, lack of information and insufficiently developed knowledge and skills for their inclusion in social processes. All this contributes to the situation where young people are the key stakeholders in community development while the society develops urban planning without consulting them.
It is important for every city to include all residents in the development processes, especially youth who have the potential to create it. It is the “ownership” over public spaces, including parks and streets, that is the key factor for social inclusion. Through the obtained information and developed knowledge through interactive participatory workshops, young people will develop the skill of critical thinking about shaping publicly unused space in the local community. Through art-based methods, they will conduct placemaking of the space and design its presentation to acquaint the general public with the ways and possibilities of youth participation in decision-making on social issues, creating partnerships with all relevant stakeholders (City, conservators). The results of the project will show that young people are key stakeholders for effective decision-making in the local community, which ultimately contributes to the development of society as a whole. By creating public space in the city, they also contribute to the urban development of the city, participate in important decisions for the local environment, but more importantly become more active and responsible members of society who also advocate transparent decision-making in public space planning