Urban Children and Youth, inclusion and participation challenges

"We are on the verge of a socio-environmental collapse, driven by, among other factors, the relentless pursuit of infinite growth in a finite world – an unsustainable path that fails to recognize the rights of nature. Children and young people in cities, in general, are not considered in urban planning and design strategies, with only a few exceptions. Focusing our attention on how children and women live in our cities, documenting and perceiving the places, the people, women, and children, reflects a yearning for change, a sense of urgency in the present. The pressing need for effective transformations through urban design can be translated into the need to include the voices, participation, knowledge, and potential of children and young people. They can contribute significantly to the processes of urban planning and design, from micro-territorial actions to the macro-urban territory."