My City Too – Young Londoners' Campaign
'A lot of adults don't trust young people. They are suspicious of us and they feel threatened by groups of us hanging out together. I want to be free of those prejudices, and this project is one way to start changing people's opinion.'
Glen (aged 15)
Young people are our future. Yet research shows that many of them feel that they have little or no influence in decisions about their city. Young people must be fully involved in placemaking and policy-making if they are going to value, respect and take ownership of the spaces and places around them.
My City Too is a groundbreaking city-wide campaign created by Open House to enable young people to voice their ideas, aspirations and solutions for the future of London. My City Too places young people at the heart of built environment policy and
inspires them to take an active role in London's future development.
Since its launch in 2007, over 100 young Londoners aged 12 – 19 have
come together to develop and progress the campaign. Activity has included:
an online survey of the views and ideas of over 1000 young people across
22 London boroughs; local community projects; the publication of a teenagers’
manifesto for better places in the capital; and My City Too hustings
for mayoral candidates at City Hall.
My City Too Phase 2 (2009–11)
Open House is actively seeking new partners, sponsors and supporters for Phase 2 of My City Too. Through Phase 1, local action research projects have proved to be a successful way to engage young people with their local and regional environment with positive and lasting benefits.
Phase 2 will be delivered in part through the Young Planners Programme funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which pioneers a new and more sustainable approach to youth participation in shaping their environments: involving young people in decision-making processes around their built environment at local level to ensure that future spaces deliver the five Every Child Matters outcomes.
This programme also has the potential to meet the particular needs of an individual local authority, exploring how current or future spaces in that borough are or will be used by young people, and will identify what these young people’s priorities are.
We’re always keen to get more young people involved in My City Too and ensure as many young Londoners’ views are heard as possible in improving the spaces and places they use. That’s why we’ve been working with the My City Too Ambassadors to produce another survey to go out to your peers. The results of the new survey will be used in the run up to the elections to ensure young people’s views are heard by the most senior decision makers. We need your help in getting as many 12-19 year olds as possible to fill in the survey.
Please take a couple of minutes to fill out the online survey HERE and be in with a chance of winning the latest ipod shuffle.
For more information about My City Too or to get involved in the campaign, please email Magdalena Novoa, My City Too Coordinator, or call 020 7383 5722
My City Too Phase 1 supporters include:
Corporate partner: Tesco
Principal sponsor: Corus
Media and communications partners: Building, Property Week, RIBA Journal, FD Tamesis
Project sponsors: Abbey Charitable Trust, Arup, First Base, Make, Media Box, Southwark London
Exhibition sponsors: Development Securities, First Base, More London
My City Too Phase 2 supporters confirmed to date are:
City Bridge Trust
Young Planners is funded by:
DCSF Children, Young People and Families Grant Programme
Young Planners Champion Boroughs:
London Borough of Bexley
London Borough of Havering
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