The unheard voices of youth in urban planning: using social capital as a theoretical lens in Sunshine Coast, Australia

Conceptualizing Youth Participation in Children’s Health Research: Insights from a Youth-Driven Process for Developing a Youth Advisory Council

“…This is despite the acknowledgement by governments and policy makers of the need to address children’s political, legal and social rights through policy and in practice. Young adults make up a large proportion of our communities, and are greatly susceptible to change within their environments, but their views are often not considered in the research and planning processes [19,21,22]. Frank argues that as key stakeholders within society, young adults should be given the opportunity to have an active voice in community-related research, as these decisions often directly affect the spaces in which they live, and in turn, their health [7].…”

“…As a consequence, many researchers and decision-makers turn away from involving young people in decision-making processes. This lack of engagement often leads to young people expressing feelings of inferiority and lack of decision-making power within their communities compared to adults [22]. However, these adult-led, decision-making processes directly affect the areas of concern that are addressed in research, and consequently, the spaces in which young people live, work, play, and enjoy themselves, with consequences for their quality of life, health, and wellbeing [7,22].…”

“…Young adults are immersed within their local neighborhoods and communities on a daily basis, and thus they deserve to be engaged in the planning processes, considering that they may be particularly vulnerable to place-specific effects on health [27]. This idea is supported by evidence brought forth by Osborne and colleagues, who highlight the vulnerabilities of youth, considering their local built environments influence their health-related behaviours and quality of life [22]. Horgan and colleagues also argue that the geographic and environmental contexts that youth are exposed to can be considered “thinners” or “thickeners” of youth influence [28] (p. 279).…”

“…Incorporating the voices and unique perspectives of young people also allows for the generation of research findings and outcomes that align with the views of the youth themselves [21]. The benefits associated with engaging youth in research processes include increased feelings of belonging and ownership within their communities, the development of more “youth-friendly spaces”, enhanced social development, and social and intergenerational connectedness [22] (p. 357). Young people can also gain an awareness of their own democratic rights as citizens, with positive impacts on the attachment to their local environments [29,30].…”

Young people and environmental affordances in urban sustainable development: insights into transport and green and public space in seven cities

“…Cities have also long been recognised as important sites for child and youth development [24,25]. Young people interact with and experience their environment in different ways to adults, and children and young people are often more dependent on their local environments [26][27][28][29]. Some researchers have drawn similarities between the qualities of child-friendly cities and sustainable cities [17,30].…”