Vienna’s first children and youth strategy was adopted on 28 May 2020. The strategy aims to make Vienna the most child and youth-friendly city. Among other things, it will anchor a children’s and youth budget of 1 million EUR for 2021 as well as a children’s and youth parliament.
The strategy builds on the experiences from the “Werkstadt Junge Wien”, the largest child and youth participation project in the history of Vienna. Over 22,500 children and young people have brought in ideas and suggestions for the future of the city.
Mayor Michael Ludwig said: “The city of Vienna is a pioneer when it comes to child and youth participation. As a mayor, it is important to me that children and young people can experience democracy in concrete terms. That is why we will be making EUR 1 million available for children and youth projects next year, children and young people can have a say in their selection.”
Participatory children’s and youth budget
By autumn 2020, concepts for children’s and youth parliaments will be worked out to ensure participation in the children’s and youth budget that is appropriate for the age group. Ideas and suggestions can be submitted, discussed and discussed in these parliaments and finally adopted on as broad a basis as possible. The goal is to have the first projects implemented as early as 2021.
Vice Mayor Birgit Hebein said: “In the young Vienna city of work, the children and young people of this city wanted very specific things: more trees, less plastic, fewer planes, a day without cars, less stress or a peaceful coexistence. It is our responsibility Giving politicians these wishes space, listening to children and young people and making decisions so that they can grow up today and tomorrow in Vienna, which is still livable and lovable Having environment and nature for our city is a clear mission, because: A child-friendly Vienna is a climate-friendly Vienna and vice versa. ”
Youth City Councilor Jürgen Czernohorszky said: “Especially now in the Corona crisis we saw that children and young people were particularly affected by the measures, but their interests were hardly taken into account in political decisions. It is important to me that the perspectives of children and young people are much stronger be anchored in political processes. I said from the beginning: The ‘Werkstadt Junge Wien’ is not a one-day project. It is the starting signal to breathe life into the right to participation, as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. to take into account the interests of children and young people in all policy areas and, on the other hand, to give them the tools to have their say and have their say. We do that in Vienna. ”
Over 190 concrete measures
For the first time, the children’s and youth strategy bundles measures from all departments, specialist departments and companies behind the common vision of making Vienna the most child-friendly city.
The strategy is divided into 9 chapters that affect all policy areas: nature and the environment, opportunities and future, health and well-being, community and togetherness, space and space, participation and opinion, security and security, mobility and transport, leisure and culture.
At the top of each topic is a goal that has been worked out with the children and young people. These include measures from all areas of the city that are intended to help achieve these goals. Overall, the children’s and youth strategy comprises 193 measures, both new and those that already exist and are being reinforced.
Read the strategy in German here or download it from below:
