Schmarl calls young people: Your district, your ideas!

Schmarl calls young people: Your district, your ideas!

What is happening in Schmarl, a district of Rostock with almost 9,000 inhabitants, a high proportion of whom are children and young people? The aim of the “Your Hood. Your turn” campaign is to make the voices of young people heard in district development. It is estimated that this age group - from 12 to 27 years old - has not yet been sufficiently taken into account in political discussions and decisions. District manager Carolin Hannert emphasizes that it is time to finally take the interests of young people in Schmarl seriously. “There’s something going on” – the opportunity is now good!

As part of this initiative, young people can submit their ideas for improving their living environment until August 10, 2023. The award-winning projects are intended to help make Schmarl more livable, more beautiful, more environmentally friendly and cleaner. A budget of 2,000 euros is available for the implementation of the best suggestions. “This is a great opportunity for young people,” says Hannert and calls on everyone to take action. Ideas cannot only be submitted online - you can also submit them in person at the block party on July 20, 2025 at House 12 (SBZ).

Motivation to participate

A survey shows that many young people in Germany do not feel that their concerns are adequately represented and that participation is impossible. The reasons are varied: There is often a lack of knowledge about urban development and the corresponding opportunities for participation, while schools and educators have limited resources to include these topics in lessons. The federal ministries emphasize that the inclusion of this age group in urban development processes is not a given. Projects like "Your Hood. Your turn" can be an important step in creating a sustainable culture of participation that gives young people the feeling of having a say - this is exactly what a corresponding contribution by Luzi shows.

The participation process ends with a vote that will take place online from August 31 to September 10, 2023. During this phase, citizens can vote on which ideas should be implemented. The ballot box becomes a place of participation for the young people in Schmarl. On September 14, 2023, the winning ideas will be announced at the next block party in the SBZ. “Having a good hand” when it comes to developing creative ideas is what this campaign is all about.

Successful models from other cities

If you follow the successful examples of other cities, there are numerous innovative approaches to involving young people in urban development. The city of Heidelberg is involved in projects such as “THE OTHER PARK” or the “Lively Traffic Calmed Areas”, which show how young people’s participation in urban design can be successfully implemented. The “#stadtsache” app also enables children and young people to actively discover and shape their city - ideas that could also be transferred to Schmarl.

It is hoped that “Your Hood. Your turn” not only delivers short-term results, but also lays the foundation for a long-term culture of participation. The previous model projects for youth participation in urban development have shown that there are ways to effectively involve young people. It is important to continue to use and promote these. Because only with a voice in urban affairs can real change be brought about.

Further information about the campaign and participation can be found on the initiative's website as well as on the pages of 38.1 Magazine, [Luzi](https://www.luzi.ruhr/jugend Beteiligung-in-der-stadtentwicklung/) and [BBSR].