Engaging Youth in Transportation Decision-Making: Lessons from BC, Canada

Engaging Youth in Transportation Decision-MakingLessons from British Columbia, Canada

Victor NgoBrandon Yan

Velo-city Global 2012 ConferenceVancouver, Canada - June 26, 2012

Introduction

• Victor Ngoo B.A. Geography & Urban Studies

Student at the University of British Columbia

o Research Assistant, UBC School of Community and Regional Planning

• Brandon Yano Graduate Diploma Urban Studies

Student at Simon Fraser Universityo Coordinator, Vancouver Public Space

Network

Background Image: Say It With a Print

Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA)Regional Youth Summit

“Facilitate the exchange of ideas on transit and sustainable urban transportation issues with youth, aiming to build teamwork and

leadership skills, to give a foundation of the principles of urban and transit planning, to discuss youth targeted programs, and to discuss

active transportation and community marketing.”

Bike Vancouver / David Lewis

Lindsey Donovan - www.lindseydonovan.com

Who Are We?

Three Age Groups

1. Middle childhood (elementary school)2. Adolescence (secondary school)3. Young adults (post-secondary)

Mobility Equity1 + 2

Lifestyle Preferences

3

Climate Justice

1 + 2 + 3

1. Mobility Equity

• Many children under the age of 18 are dependent on their parents and/or guardians for mobility

• Necessary to provide active and alternative transportation options for youth as they don't have a choice in where they choose to live:o Walkingo Cyclingo Skateboardingo Scooterso Rollerblades

Photo: Aaron Pruzaniec

2. Lifestyle Preferences

• Young adults prefer living in a walkable and bikeable community with nearby amenitieso The new real estate mantra:

“Transit, transit, transit.”(Bob Rennie, Rennie Marketing Systems)

“We have to face the growing reality that today young people don't seem to be as interested in cars as previous generations.”(Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales USA President)

Photo: Andrew Barton

Photo: Chris Keam

Photo: Mark Dreger

UBC students to battle B.C. premier Christy Clark on Enbridge pipelinePhoto: Jon Chiang / Special to the Vancouver Sun

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/students+battle+premier+Christy+Clark+Enbridge+pipeline/6369575/story.html

3. Climate Justice

• Youth are increasingly recognizing the urgency of mobilizing for climate change mitigation and adaptation

• Providing sustainable transportation choices and shifting attitudes and behaviours play a crucial role in planning for climate change

“As tomorrow’s adults, the role of young people as future stakeholders is obvious—they will inherit the outcomes of our decisions regarding physical development patterns.” (C. Santo, N. Ferguson, & A. Trippel 2010)

Photo: Next Year Country

Photo: REUTERS / Christinne MuschiThousands of students march as they protest against tuition hikes in downtown Montreal, Quebec, March 22, 2012.

Why Engage Us?

Why Engage Youth?

• Planners and adults have an ethical and professional obligation to engage youth

”Participation enhances civic capacity, adults gain a better understanding of youth (and vice versa), and society as a whole

advances the standing of young people.” (K.I. Frank 2006)

Benefits for Youth and Communities

• Gaining and enhancing civic and planning literacy• Supporting cognitive and affective development• Providing a platform for youth to develop as responsible and active citizens

through experience and by forging social connections• Access to learn about and affect change to local community

”Youth participation in planning resulted in new information, recommendations, and implemented projects that addressed both youth-specific and community wide concerns. The issues that youth tackled and their proposals for improvement were those that are widely recognized as important for community

livability.” (K.I. Frank 2006)

Frank, K.I. (2006). The Potential of Youth Participation in Planning. Journal of Planning Literature, 20(4), 351-371.

Five lessons for effective youth participation:1. Give youth responsibility2. Build youth capacity3. Encourage youthful styles of working4. Involve adults throughout the process5. Adapt the sociopolitical context

• Official body enables access to political landscape by giving youth legitimacy in the community through traditional forms of decision-making

• Fosters sense of ownership by providing access to stakeholders and resources for effective mobilization

• Platform for civic learning and personal & professional development

1. Youth Advisory Bodies

City of Edmonton Youth Council’s Transit Ninjas

Edmonton hosts first LRT Dance PartyCTV Edmonton

Over 100 people turned out to get on board for Edmonton's first LRT Dance Party Saturday night.

The event was planned by the Edmonton Youth Council with help from the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Transit.

"It's just part of their Transit Ninjas initiative, which is to promote transit to new riders and raise awareness of the importance of transit to building a city that can attract and entertain young people," Coun. Iveson explained.

"It's a great promotion for youth council. A great way to show people that taking transit can be fun and sustainable and a great place to meet other people.”

Source: http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111127/EDM_lrtdance_111127/20111127/?hub=EdmontonHome

2. Youth Ambassadors

• Peer-to-peer engagement: partner with youth and provide them with clear objectives, resources and knowledge

• Youth are better able to engage other youth than adults

• Professional development opportunity for ambassadors

• Co-curricular learningo Walking tours and cycling workshops in Physical Education and local

government & land use/transportation planning in Social Studies

• Showcasing student worko Emily Carr University of Art + Design's “Art on Transit”

• The city as the classroomo CityStudio Vancouver and the “Greenest City 2020 Action Plan”o Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure's “Making Great Places”

• Youth led-development organizationso Sustainable Cities internships and fee-for-service workshops

(Comox-Helmcken Greenway Project)

3. Partnering with Educational Institutions and Other Organizations

• Many youth are not initially interested in attending traditional town hall meetings, open houses, etc.

• Connect with youth at:o Major transit stops; on bus and rapid transito High school and university/college campuseso Community centerso Skateparks

• Start with casual and/or informal engagement in order to build awareness and trust, and then transition into more formal methods

• Be transparent in the process and provide clear outcomes in accessible language youth can understand

3. Go Where the Youth Are

• Democratization of visioning, ideation, and decision-making to a broader cross-section of the population

• Mechanism to enhance—not replace—traditional engagement

• Two pillars of social media:1. Two-way conversation2. User-generated content

• Not a silver bulleto Additional work for additional value

4. Social and Digital Media

M. Senbel, J. Frantz, M. Brown, E. Blair, & V.D. Ngo (2012)UBC School of Community and Regional Planning

“From Communities of Interest to Communities of Practice: Digital Media as Catalysts for Climate Action Campaigns”

• Shorter term projects with clear and tangible outcomes

• Physical infrastructure

• Mobility and access to spaces to "have fun" and "hang out"

• Pricing and affordability

• Safety

• Legitimizing other alternative modes of transportation(e.g. skateboarding)

(Some) Issues Youth Are Interested In

• Staff dedicated and/or trained for youth engagemento Youth are not a homogeneous group; variety of socio-economic and

developmental backgrounds

• "Don't do it if you don't mean it."o Avoid tokenismo Assemble the necessary resources, support, and money

• Improper implementation of youth engagement can:o Be counter-productive and foster apathyo Lead to youth concerns being ignored or dismissed as being naive and

idealistico Facilitate sense of powerlessness and cynicism about political

involvement

Requirements and Considerations

Questions+

Discussion

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the Canadian Urban Transit Association, BC Transit, TransLinkand the TransLink BC Youth Summit organizing committee for sponsoring our registration and making it possible to attend Velo-city Global 2012.

Contact

Victor [email protected]@victorngo

Brandon [email protected]@pre_planner

References

• BackgroundSay It With a Print (2012). http://sayitwithaprint.blogspot.ca/2010/10/i-love-my-bike-print_03.html

• Slide 11Aaron Pruzaniec (2005). http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:No_Skateboarding.jpg

• Slide 12Andrew Barton (2010). http://actsofminortreason.blogspot.ca/2010/09/tunnel-visions-vancouvers-skytrain.htmlChris Keam (2010). http://www.chriskeam.com/2010/11/10/where-to-eat-drink-and-shop-on-vancouvers-downtown-bike-lanes/Mark Dreger (2012). http://www.sanfranciscoize.com/2012/01/noriega-streets-new-parklet-is-full-of.html

• Slide 13Jon Chiang (2012). http://www.vancouversun.com/business/students+battle+premier+Christy+Clark+Enbridge+pipeline/6369575/story.html

• Slide 14Next Year Country (2012). http://nextyearcountrynews.blogspot.ca/2012/01/climate-justice-movement-in-saskatoon.html

• Slide 16REUTERS / Christinne Muschi (2012). http://ca.news.yahoo.com/photos/quebec-students-protest-tuition-hikes-slideshow/thousands-students-march-protest-against-tuition-hikes-downtown-photo-201047396.html

• Slide 23 + 24Edmonton Transit Ninjas (2011). https://www.facebook.com/transitninjas

• Slide 30http://promotionalplr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Social-Media-Icons.png

Engaging Youth in Transportation Decision-Making: Lessons from BC, Canada

Technology

Transcript of Engaging Youth in Transportation Decision-Making: Lessons from BC, Canada