Youth Forum at the APA National Conference

Saturday, April 13, 2002

Introduction
Over 90 youth from the Chicago metropolitan area came together on April 13 to talk about their communities, the region, and the importance of planning and civic involvement. This was an unprecedented opportunity for young people to come together and be heard on issues pertinent to regional planning. The Forum was held in downtown Chicago as part of the American Planning Association National Conference. Professional planners from across the country had the opportunity to drop in and observe this civic engagement in process.

Participants shared with each other what they value in their own communities, learning from each other about the region and creating a set of values about the places they live or would like to live. The youth then discussed what opportunities and threats exist for the region over the next 20-30 years. They concluded with a discussion about continued youth involvement in the planning and public decision making process.

Common Ground is using the information gathered at this unprecedented forum as a critical component in the formation of the next regional plan. Common Ground will look for ways to increase youth involvement in planning, ensuring that the values, concerns and insights of young people are heard, and furthermore, look for ways for young people to play a meaningful role in the decisions that will impact their lives. A complete report is available in Common Ground Reports.

Who was there?
Seventy-one percent of the participants were between the ages of 14 and 19. The majority of attendees were from the City of Chicago (72%) with the remainder from the surrounding suburbs. The group was racially diverse. In response to a question on race, 35% of the group identified themselves as white, 32% identified themselves as black or African-American, 19% as another race, and 14% as two or more races. Separately, 23% of the group identified themselves as Hispanic. There were slightly more females (59%) than males.

What did they have to say?
During the discussion about their communities, students emphasized a wide array of amenities, activities, places, and people that they valued. Five values, though, were present in much of the discussion:

• Accessibility to good schools, community activities, and other amenities
• Lake Michigan and open space
• Plenty of good jobs and strong commercial centers
• Quality, affordable housing and supportive communities
• Safe and livable communities

Table discussion and follow-up keypad polling about opportunities developed several focus points for planning officials, community leaders, and citizens alike. The participants voted that building cultural and racial tolerance was critical to the development of the region. Other important priorities included equitable access to education, health care, and job opportunities, as well as cleaning and preserving our environment and natural resources.

Discussion and keypad polling about threats facing the region produced a set of critical problems. The highest ranked threat was increased ethnic and racial intolerance, which complemented the strongest opportunity from the proceeding discussion. Following that, the youth also placed high concern on increased economic disparity, poor education, and pollution.

To conclude the meeting, participants shared ideas about continued civic involvement. They answered questions about what should be done to build a successful youth involvement program. The answers provided through the table discussion and keypad polling emphasized youth involvement throughout the entire process, with consistent dialogue between youth and adults, and continued opportunities such as this meeting to talk with other youth from across the region.