Inclusive youth development in cities requires more than isolated training projects. Young people experience education, employment, housing, public space, transport, services and participation as one connected urban system, while government programmes are often organised in separate departments.<\/p>\n
Current international guidance increasingly points toward place-based, integrated and participatory approaches<\/strong>: policies designed around how young people actually live in a city, with youth participation built into decisions rather than added after programmes are already designed.<\/p>\n In June 2026, the OECD published Advancing inclusive growth in cities for youth<\/em>. The paper highlights challenges young people face in accessing quality jobs, affordable housing, essential services and urban amenities, and recommends integrated approaches rather than siloed policy responses.<\/p>\n The OECD organises action across five policy areas:<\/p>\n It also emphasises stronger coordination between policy departments, earlier intervention, support during key life transitions, and proactive outreach that brings services closer to where young people live, study and work.<\/p>\n Source: OECD, Advancing inclusive growth in cities for youth, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n A recurring weakness in youth policy is to count participation without asking whether young people’s views changed the decision.<\/p>\n UNICEF Indonesia and national partners highlighted this problem in a 2026 report on monitoring child and adolescent participation in development planning. Existing monitoring mechanisms often focused on whether participation took place, while doing less to measure how far young people’s perspectives actually influenced planning and policy.<\/p>\n The report uses the Space-Voice-Audience-Influence<\/strong> framework to examine meaningful participation and strengthen accountability.<\/p>\n Source: Bappenas and UNICEF, Towards Meaningful Participation, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n UNICEF and UN-Habitat’s guidance on child-responsive urban policy argues that children’s and young people’s rights and interests should be integrated into planning, financing, administrative systems and structural reforms rather than handled only through stand-alone projects.<\/p>\n The guidance covers access to basic services, safe public spaces, clean air and water, opportunities to learn and grow, and meaningful participation in public decision-making.<\/p>\nWhat current OECD evidence says<\/h2>\n
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Youth participation needs influence, not attendance<\/h2>\n
Build youth needs into urban policy itself<\/h2>\n