Dusseldorf's Youth Exploring Political Engagement
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The city of Düsseldorf is taking strides to increase political youth participation with the launch of the "Co-Creating Our City" project. This innovative initiative, designed by Lea Gronenberg, Dr. Christine Hübner, the Department of Social Affairs and Youth, and the Youth Council, aims to engage young people in shaping their urban environment and decision-making processes.
The project, which has been following the City Science approach since August 2024, has been actively involving young people who are traditionally not interested or less involved in politics. It has been employing strategies that focus on engaging youth directly, such as collaborative workshops and creative spaces, connecting city and university worlds, and utilizing accessible communication channels like social media.
Dr. Christine Hübner, a youth researcher at the University of Sheffield, expressed concern about the lack of youth involvement in Düsseldorf politics. She suggests that schools could be a means to reach more youth, with an emphasis on the need for an app. Hannah (17) and Vincent (19), two participants in the project, emphasize the importance of social media presence to reach youth. They also stress that content should be designed and presented by youth, not adults.
The project did not spark a desire in Hannah and Vincent to engage politically in a party, but they both personally benefited from participating in the project. Vincent stated that he was unaware of the numerous participation opportunities for youth in Düsseldorf before the project.
The "Co-Creating Our City" project involved 15 Düsseldorf youth aged 16 to 19 and five representatives from politics and administration. The project carried out five events, and a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina was offered as part of the project, where results were compared with a similar project being carried out there. The results of the project were presented at the "House of Youth" on Lacombletstraße on Friday, June 27th.
While specific operational details for Düsseldorf’s "Co-Creating Our City" project are limited in the search results, the emphasis on youth-driven innovation and inclusion aligns with contemporary youth participation frameworks that prioritize empowerment, co-creation, and informal engagement methods. If more details on the project’s strategies become available, particularly from official city or project-specific sources, they would provide additional insights.
Lea Gronenberg is associated with d|part Thinktank for political participation, and Dr. Christine Hübner is a youth researcher at the University of Sheffield. The Gambrell Foundation, based in Charlotte, is the main financial sponsor of the project.
The "Co-Creating Our City" project targets political youth participation by fostering inclusive, creative co-creation spaces and by actively engaging youth in ways that resonate beyond formal politics, aiming to involve even those initially uninterested in political processes.
- Despite initially not demonstrating an interest in party politics, the "Co-Creating Our City" project has shown Hannah and Vincent the numerous opportunities for youth participation in Düsseldorf, reinforcing the project's purpose of engendering political youth participation through unconventional tactics.
- Aside from politics, the "Co-Creating Our City" project champions education-and-self-development and lifestyle improvements by emphasizing youth-led innovation, collaboration, and creative expression in shaping their urban environment.
