Youth lead the way on World Habitat Day

India’s youth are starting to play a greater role in making the country’s cities more accessible, inclusive, and sustainable.

That was the message for this year’s celebration of World Habitat Day, where the global theme was “Engaging youth to create a better urban future”.

At its 2024 commemorative event in New Delhi organized by Government of India’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs along with UN-Habitat, speakers focused on the increasing influence of young people in urban design.

During his address, Honourable Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, described how young people “are a crucial and somewhat missing piece of the urban puzzle” and will be central to efforts to make Indian cities more sustainable and dynamic.

At the same event marking World Habitat Day, UN Resident Coordinator in India pointed out that 60% of urban residents will be under the age of 18 by 2030.

UN-Habitat’s Country Programme Manager Parul Agarwala noted that her agency is working with youth “to give them the resources, knowledge, and training for meaningful civic engagement and as development partners”.

In the Young Gamechangers Initiative under way in the state of Odisha, youth are learning new digital skills to help plug urban data gaps and to shape discussions on making cities safer and more accessible, especially for women and girls.

In New Delhi, UN-Habitat is working with children, caregivers, and school administrators to improve disability inclusion and make schools more accessible.

It is also partnering with local governments across the country to boost youth skills in participatory budgeting processes so that they have a greater say in decision-making at the city level.

World Habitat Day 2024 marks an open invitation– “to engage with us to find solutions and ensure that the right to housing and sustainable cities and communities is our reality” in the words of UN-Habitat’s Executive Director, Anaclaudia Rossbach.

.

***