How do we engage young people more meaningfully in the design of their built environment?

Fulfilling social value commitments requires the involvement of all stakeholders, yet the needs of children and young people (CYP) are often overlooked. To address this industry gap, engaging CYP in the built environment through outreach initiatives is crucial, extending beyond mere tick-box exercises. But there is also a need to recognise the value of outreach and engagement beyond built projects and planning applications.

'Engagement' in the built environment can take an array of forms, from one off activities through consultations to long-term co-design processes. ENGAGE seeks to illuminate this diversity, spotlighting the opportunities and challenges of involving children and young people in urban planning and design.

Last autumn, we organised the ENGAGE Symposium discussing this issue with a number of key stakeholders and a recording of each speaker’s contribution is available below.

This year the ENGAGE Toolkit. This toolkit emphasises why engagement is essential, providing examples of best practices and adaptable outreach methods for meaningful engagement with children and young people in the built environment. A further toolkit is to be created by and for young people to give them a clear voice in all engagement in local development.

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