We Want To Hear From You! How Do You Engage Youth?

4^th graders share their ideas for a planning project in Bellevue. Credit: Gwen Rousseau

Content summary: APA WA’s Youth in Planning Task Force wants to understand how Washington planners engage youth in their planning projects. Please fill out the survey by October 25.

Authors: APA WA Youth in Planning Task Force members – Elizabeth Erickson, Kate Nesse, PhD, and Stephanie Velasco

While we know young people are important members of our communities and the communities we plan for, their voices are often lost when it comes to planning for the future—their future. Additionally, research has shown that very few young people are aware of urban planning as a profession. As planners, we can be doing much more to include youth voices in our planning projects and attract young people to our profession.

But where do we start? The natural planner response is, of course, to analyze existing conditions—establish a baseline. Hence, a survey! The APA WA’s Youth in Planning Task Force invites you to complete our survey by October 25, to help us understand how Washington planners are currently engaging youth in their planning projects. View the survey link here.

Take the Survey

Survey results will be published in November’s Washington Planner, so keep an eye out next month for a follow-up article! In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about the Youth in Planning Task Force, here are a few things you can do:

Join an upcoming Youth in Planning monthly meeting, on the second Tuesday of each month, from 8:30-9:30am. Our next meeting is Tuesday, October 8. E-mail [email protected] if you’d like the meeting link.
Come meet us in person at the 2024 APA WA Conference! We will meet on Thursday, October 17, from 7:45-8:35am at Café An’Clair (10900 NE 4^th St), a 5-minute walk from the Meydenbauer Center. No need to RSVP, just show up and look for the friendly group of planners.
Visit the Youth in Planning website. The website includes links to Washington, By and By, a graphic novel about community planning in Washington State, Tips & Tricks for Planners wanting to engage youth, and examples of how planners across the state have engaged youth.