empowering young people to shape the future of their cities by placing youth voices at the heart of urban planning, design, and decision-making across Europe.
Description
Y-PLAN (Youth for Participatory and Localized Action in Neighborhoods) is an Erasmus+ project (2025–2027) that empowers young people to actively shape the future of their cities by strengthening their role in urban planning and local decision-making.
Coordinated by SocialTech Lab, the project is implemented in partnership with URBANA (Greece), OPU Collective (Cyprus), Mladi Ambasadori (Serbia), and Toestand (Belgium), bringing together expertise in youth engagement, participatory urban design, innovation methodologies, and community-led action.
Across Cyprus, Greece, Serbia, and Belgium, Y-PLAN equips young people with practical skills in GIS mapping, data visualization, and participatory design, while creating safe spaces for dialogue between youth, municipalities, urban planners, and local stakeholders. Through trainings, co-design workshops, youth camps, and pilot urban interventions, participants translate community needs into concrete, evidence-based proposals for more inclusive, sustainable, and people-centered neighborhoods.
By combining digital tools, hands-on experimentation, and policy engagement, Y-PLAN supports the emergence of a new generation of youth-led, community-driven cities—where young voices are heard, ideas are visualized, and change begins at the neighborhood level.
Project Structure & Activities
-
Training Programme: Interactive learning modules on cities, GIS mapping, data visualisation, participatory design, and community action.
-
Youth Camp (Cyprus): A hands-on, transnational experience focused on co-creation, peer learning, and applied urban experimentation.
-
Co-Design Workshops: Local participatory sessions where youth collaborate with residents, planners, and authorities to co-create neighbourhood plans.
-
Pilot Urban Interventions: Small-scale, youth-led tactical urbanism actions testing ideas in real public spaces.
-
Digital & Physical Urban Archive: A shared repository of data, community insights, and youth-generated urban proposals to support advocacy.
-
Replication Guidebook: A practical, step-by-step guide enabling cities and organisations to replicate youth-led urban co-creation models.
-
Policy & Advocacy Actions: Meetings and recommendations aimed at embedding meaningful youth participation in urban governance.
Impact
Strengthens youth capacities
in urban planning, digital tools, and civic participation
Enables young people
to articulate community needs and visualise actionable solutions
Creates tested, youth-led
urban interventions rooted in real neighbourhood challenges
Builds stronger links between
youth, municipalities, and urban stakeholders
Contributes scalable tools
and methodologies for youth participation across Europe
Supports a new generation of
community-driven, inclusive, and sustainable cities
Ready to create impact together?
We’re always looking to partner with organisations and changemakers who share our vision for a more inclusive and innovative future. Book a call with us to explore how we can collaborate and grow impact side by side.