Project Spotlight: Youth Placemaking Balkans (YPB)

The Youth Placemaking Balkans (YPB) project is a regional initiative focused on supporting local, youth-led activities that encourage young people to become active citizens by creating the community spaces they imagine and need. By integrating youth voices and needs into community projects, we are empowering a new generation to take a leading role in the democratic processes of their cities.

Our partnership brings together organizations from Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Greece, and North Macedonia to establish a transnational movement with the potential to scale these inspiring examples to other communities across the region.

Our Journey and Activities

The project is structured to build skills practically, moving from research to real-world urban interventions:

  • Identifying Trends and Needs: we conducted research to map key trends in youth inclusion. This included holding 18 youth focus groups (3 per country) to better understand how young people navigate public spaces and develop a sense of belonging.

  • Interactive Learning: to provide lasting resources, we developed the Youth Placemaking for Active Recreation Online Course. This interactive tool is designed to build civic participation skills and is available in all partner languages.

  • Capacity Building Workshops: we hosted 18 national workshops (3 per country) aimed at training youth workers and young leaders in the principles of community space co-creation and empowerment.

  • Youth-Led Interventions: at the core of the project are 12 pilot interventions—one small-scale and one large-scale project in each country. These projects were entirely co-designed and led by local youth to revitalize public spaces and encourage physical activity.

  • National and Regional Dialogue: we facilitated national structured dialogues between youth and public authorities to improve youth advocacy in urban policy. Additionally, the Regional Youth Placemaking Mentorship program connects youth delegates across borders to share impressions and overcome common challenges.


By pooling expertise in non-formal education and community development, YPB has created a comprehensive model for engaging youth through the power of public space