Youth participation under the motto “Thinking ahead in the city center”
The Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulations has worked with Munich residents and stakeholders from urban society, politics and administration in a process lasting around one year to develop a concept for the city center for the next twenty years.
The perspectives of young people were also taken into account: In a special youth participation format, workshops were held in February and March 2023, open surveys were conducted and the exhibition “In All Public Places” was visited. Five school classes with pupils aged between 15 and 18 took part in a total of eight dates.
The youth program for the exhibition takes place every year. The special feature of 2023 was that the methods and participation tools, as well as the results, were implemented completely digitally. The young people worked at touch tables and tablets and developed podcasts, graphics and infographics together.
The aim was to incorporate the findings and experiences of the young target group into the development of the vision and measures for the action area concept for Munich’s city center. At the same time, the findings from the use of new tools and methods for the Connected Urban Twins project are to be evaluated: “Our findings regarding the methods and target group-specific participation formats, as well as the concept tendering process, are also to be used for future participation processes,” says Anais Wiedenhöfer, CUT project member.
The results: Young people’s perspectives on Munich’s city center
In a final report, the central thematic focuses were identified, which are expressed in the statements and media contributions and represent the diversity of needs and ideas: The need for more greenery in the city is clearly evident in the youth participation. Pupils consider green spaces, green facades and places where people can relax away from the hustle and bustle of the city to be important. Culture is also an important factor for young people. A wide range of cultural activities and a lively party scene are considered important, especially if these activities are inexpensive or even free. At the same time, a positive environmental awareness is noticeable, as many voices spoke out in favour of minimizing car traffic and waste. A car-reduced city center with more pedestrian zones and the expansion of cycle paths and public transport are desired in order to reduce noise and exhaust pollution.