🗞️ Engaging Youth in City Planning, Growing Support for an APA Interest Group, Hosting Our First Happy Hour, & more!
August 7, 2024 edition
EngagingCities shares outstanding work by our network of planners and changemakers, who actively involve their communities in creating better places and a brighter future.
🔥 Fireside Chat with Corrin Wendell
Empowering Future Leaders: The Importance of Engaging Youth in City Planning
Corrin Wendell is the Founder and Executive Director of YEP! Youth Engagement Planning. YEP! is a non-profit organization focused on educating young people in grades K-12 about urban planning and civic engagement. They create opportunities for youth to meaningfully advocate for change in their own communities and built environments. This episode underscores the value of youth contributions in community decisions and provides practical tips for planners to incorporate youth perspectives in urban planning projects.
Corrin shares her background in urban planning and the origins of YEP!, highlighting successful projects such as a park master plan in Little Canada and involvement in the Imagine 2050 plan. She also introduces resources like the first-ever children's book on city planning, 'Ava Tanner, the City Planner,' and a Girl Scout urban planning patch aimed at fostering early interest in city planning.
Main Takeaways
Early Education: Introducing urban planning concepts to youth can foster community interest and advocacy from a young age. Educators and planners should prioritize this integration to build a knowledgeable future generation.
Dialogue Importance: Regular discussions about youth perspectives in planning can lead to more inclusive community engagement strategies. Planners often overlook valuable insights by not actively seeking youth input.
Resource Accessibility: Providing free resources and workshops helps planners effectively engage with youth, making the integration easier and more feasible for communities of all sizes.
Full Circle Involvement: Engaging youth from planning to implementation creates a sense of ownership and accountability, leading to meaningful community participation.
Collaboration Opportunities: Partnerships with organizations like schools and Girl Scouts can enhance outreach and provide structured engagement frameworks for youth.
Lasting Change: Including youth in planning processes can shift perceptions and practices, encouraging planners to continually seek youth input in future projects.
Diverse Participation: Recognizing the unique perspectives of youth, especially from various backgrounds, enriches the planning process and leads to more comprehensive community solutions.
“We want to ensure that [kids] have a seat at the table and that they feel comfortable going to a city council meeting or planning commission meeting and seeing the process happen. Being a part of that local government process where they really can be change makers. And they can really have a voice that no one else has at the table. Their perspective is so unique and it's so valued and deserves to be a part of that.”
Corrin Wendell, Founder and Executive Director of YEP!
👀 Watch the Fireside Chat on YouTube.
👂 Listen to the Fireside Chat on Spotify or Apple.
📧 Contact Corrin Wendell on LinkedIn.
🌐 Visit the YEP! website at youthengagementplanning.com.
📕 Buy a copy of Ava Tanner the City Planner on Amazon.
🎙️ Liked this Fireside Chat? Listen to more podcast episodes here.
🙌 Support for APA Interest Group
We believe the practice of Community Engagement should have its own Interest Group within the American Planning Association (APA) as a place to network, find inspiration, and share best practices. Help EngagingCities make the case by filling out this online form to express your support and get updates along the way. You may view the existing Divisions and Interest Groups within APA here for reference.
🍻 EngagingCities Happy Hour
📌 Happy Hour at WYOPASS / Western Planner conference
EngagingCities is hosting our first happy hour for those who are passionate about community engagement! Come join us for a fun and casual Community Engagement Happy Hour at the Fireside Bar located at the Red Lion Hotel & Conference Center Cheyenne. It's a great opportunity to network, mingle, and unwind after a day of learning and collaboration at the conference (and before heading out to the Bar Crawl). Connect with fellow planners, professionals, and enthusiasts in a relaxed setting right at the conference venue and discover new possibilities for community involvement.
Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to network and enjoy free drinks, paid for by our sponsor Konveio. Secure your spot on Eventbrite now. See you there, and stay tuned for more happy hour announcements!
📅 Thursday, August 8 from 5 - 6:30pm MDT
Check out the WYOPASS conference website for registration and other information.
🚀 More Fresh Insights
💡 Great Creative Placemaking Needs Placekeeping
By integrating arts, culture, and community-engagement into public spaces, it transforms neighbourhoods, making them more vibrant, inclusive, and economically robust. But for all its benefits, creative placemaking can fall short without a crucial component—placekeeping.
— Shared by Philippe Demers
💡 Why Public Space Matters for Civic Engagement
"Public spaces — where people from all walks of life play, work, meet, talk, read, think, debate, and protest — are vital to a healthy civic life."
Setha Low explains how public space contributes to a flourishing society through promoting social justice and democratic practices. Thriving public spaces also enhance creativity, health, urban resilience, and environmental sustainability.
— Shared by Madeleine Spencer
💡 Join Challenger Cities to Transform Your Community
Are you looking to accelerate collaboration, define a bold vision, and invest in pillar projects that make your city great? Challenger Cities are driving the next wave of community-led innovation and economic prosperity in Canada. Not ones to sit idle in the shadow of the big cities, these small and mid-sized cities are ready to make bold bets that attract investment, create jobs, and accelerate innovation. Program details and mentors will launch soon, but interested folks can begin applying now at https://www.thegoodfuture.co/city-accelerator.
— Shared by Jasmine Palardy
✨ Read more fresh insights here.
➡️ Visit EngagingCities.org and follow us on X and LinkedIn for more stories like these!
💬 Do you have an interesting story or event to share? Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Email us at hello@engagingcities.org
The EngagingCities Newsletter is proudly sponsored by Konveio
