Children and youth as catalysts in greening cities and neighborhoods

Bringing green spaces to the places where people live, work, learn and play is essential to reduce barriers to contact with nature, and people are more likely to use and care for these places if they have a role in designing and creating them. Participation in environmental decision-making is part of a comprehensive definition of health, as a sense of competence to shape the environment to fit daily needs is an essential dimension of well-being. Therefore the inclusion of children and youth is not only a way to ensure that green spaces are accessible and attractive for young people, but also a way to foster competencies for long-term care for the environment. A large number of studies indicate that positive experiences in nature in childhood and opportunities to take action to improve the environment are key factors in the development of stewardship. This presentation showcases methods to engage young people in evaluating their environments, identifying existing resources that they value highly as well as problems that reduce their quality of life. Around the world, young people identify the value of trees and safe green spaces and describe how these places are vital to their well-being. Through the example of the Growing Up Boulder project in Colorado, links are drawn between efforts to mainstream child and youth voices into community planning on local levels and two international programs, the Growing Up in Cities program of UNESCO and the Child Friendly Cities Initiative of UNICEF. Both programs provide tools and strategies that cities and towns can use to create mosaics of green spaces that address the needs of children and youth—and in the process, enhance access to nature for all ages.