Young Smart Cities Learning Situation on:
SMART PARTICIPATION – Engaging Young People in Public Decisions
KNOWLEDGE PILLS relevant to this SMART theme are:
Driving Question
What smart digital solutions can help increase young people’s engagement in public decisions?
Learning Situation
In many cities, young people feel that public decisions are distant, difficult to understand, or disconnected from their everyday lives. Even though digital tools are widely used, they are not always effective in informing young residents or involving them in civic processes. Local authorities want to improve transparency, trust, and participation, but they also face challenges related to data protection, accountability, and trust. Smart digital solutions — including technologies such as blockchain — can help make participation more transparent, secure, and meaningful.
Task
Design an evidence-based proposal responding to your local authority’s request to improve youth participation in public decisions. Working in groups, you will identify a participation or communication challenge affecting young people and design a smart digital solution, such as an app, platform, or digital campaign. Your proposal should show how the solution supports information, interaction, and participation, and explain how transparency and data protection are ensured. Your goal is to demonstrate that your solution is realistic, trustworthy, and beneficial for young people and public institutions.
Make sure you follow an enquiry-based approach so your proposal is grounded in solid, evidence-based reasoning. You will move through these stages:
Explore → Research → Analyse → Ideate → Present → Reflect