The
Nashville Civic Design Center has a youth education initiative called Design Your Neighborhood (DYN) that engages the next generation in how the world is built around them. Through classroom curriculum and extra-curricular programs, DYN teaches the principles of place-based design and civic engagement in order to support youth to have a more powerful voice in shaping their city. DYN is essential education for having a civically-active citizenry that understands and values good design and its power to create healthy, functional, and beautiful cities for all. In this workshop, we will describe the scope, goals, and target outcomes of DYN. We will show case studies of extra-curricular program implementation in both rural and urban settings and outline a school system partnership that is currently allowing DYN to reach 2,000 students in Metro Nashville Public Schools. Participants will then engage in activities from the DYN curriculum that facilitate place-based design. The presentation will conclude by sharing DYN’s online resources that are available for any community to use and facilitate their own DYN program. We will also conclude by sharing preliminary research results that are measuring how youth action and engagement in place-based design affects the development, well-being, and health of the young people who participate, and also to understand broader effects of these types of action in their neighborhoods, schools, and communities. Our workshop offers a space for practitioners, policy-makers, and public space advocates to explore the potential impact of bringing youth-driven placemaking to their community.
