Youth in Urban Space – Developments pre and post Corona, how municipalities and youth work could deal with them

23/09/202223/09/2022 mladibl conference, urban space, Youth, Youth Work

Conference – Symposium – Forum

23 January 2023 | Vienna – City Hall, Austria

This conference will present and discuss results of a partnership among four major European cities on young people and youth work in public urban space, carried out by practitioners with researchers support. It includes policy and practise recommendations

In February 2021 Organisations from Vienna, Milano, Stuttgart and Helsinki joined forces in an Erasmus+ „Youth“ found Strategic partnership on Youth in urban public space.

Several dozen youth worker took almost two years’ time to research on questions of public space in big cities concerning its usability for youth, how this has changed over time and how offerings of open Youthwork could be adapted in those four cities. The University for Continuing Education in Krems, Austria was leading research partner. Of course, this project also dealt with the effects of the Covid19 pandemic, though it had originally been planned before that.

Both quantitative and qualitative methods came into use. More than 2000 youth and more than 400 youth worker were questioned. 24 one-week observation visits gave intense insights, Focus group interviews both with young people and youth worker were conducted among other methods. Data was analysed both on regional and international level. Besides a study, he project will deliver city specific brochures in the respective countries languages. Short videos by and with youth are in production.

Key questions for the project were:

Which changes in young people’s usage and perception of public space can be observed?
Which general developments, political decisions and local strategies have an influence on this topic?
In which way are observations of the recent year influenced by the impact of the Corona Crisis?
What are possible European and local strategic approaches to gain influence on these factors?
What are the consequences regarding our lobbying activities for the interest of young people?
What are proper structural and methodological answer Open Youth Work can offer?
In which way activities and offerings of Open Youth Work in public urban space need to be adapted?

An international conference in Vienna, on 23.January 2023 will present and discuss results, policy and practitioner recommendations

Organizer: Verein Wiener Jugendzentren (Association of Viennese Youth Centres

Partner: Commune di Milano, Stuttgart Jugendhaus GGmbh, Helsinki Youth Department, Tempo per l’Infanzia, Universität für Weiterbildung Krems

Working language English

Participation is free of charge; pre-registration is required.

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More information at: SALTO