104 Abu Dhabi Neighbourhood Parks / SLA. Image © Jon Wallis
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https://www.archdaily.com/1033012/international-youth-day-three-educational-initiatives-for-community-led-urban-change
August 12, designated by the United Nations as International Youth Day since 1998, was conceived as an occasion to bring youth issues to the forefront of the international agenda and to celebrate the contributions of young people to today’s global society. Each year, the observance focuses on a specific theme. In 2025, it is “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” emphasizing the role of youth in transforming global ambitions into community-driven realities. The aim is to highlight how young people help implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within local contexts and bridge the gap between policy and practice. In this spirit, we present three educational programs, in Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States, that empower youth to deepen their understanding of the built environment and envision a more sustainable, people-friendly urban future.
Public Utilities / Outpost Office. Festival Concéntrico 10, 2024. Image © Laurian GhinitoiuDecoding the Urban Fabric: Urban Learners Initiative
In the United Kingdom, URBAN LEARNERS, an education and design agency, has been creating and delivering art and architecture programs in the City of London since 2018. Its mission is to expand creative, heritage, and cultural opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds, particularly those from non-traditional or under-represented communities. Programs, events, toolkits, and resources are tailored to specific people, places, cultures, and curricula. The agency’s activities include art, architecture, and heritage trails and tours; co-creation processes that result in educational encounters and installations; and collaborative research.
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Courtesy of IE University
Prioritizing experiential learning through collective processes, URBAN LEARNERS works both with youth groups and with professionals seeking training to deliver educational activities related to London’s architecture and art. Examples include Sculpture in the City, which takes students into central London to explore public art installations through trails and creative workshops; The Recycled Room, where participants design and build with repurposed materials to encourage creativity and environmental awareness; and the Museum of Brutalist Architecture, in which students help curate exhibitions, create digital content, and design interactive resources celebrating Brutalist buildings, blending heritage appreciation with skills in research, design, and storytelling.
Learning the Language of Space: De-a Arhitectura Program
In Romania, De-a Arhitectura is a women-led educational initiative that engages young people, particularly in their early school years, through programs focused on architecture and the built environment. Since 2011, it has built a community of professionals and teachers to equip the next generation with tools for active participation in community development. Its goal is to foster active, spatially aware, and engaged young citizens through playful, experiential education rooted in real-world civic and design contexts. Activities aim to develop critical thinking, creativity, and civic responsibility toward the built and natural environment in children from the age of three.
¡Saca las sillas! / ESD Madrid. Festival Concéntrico 10, 2024. Image © Josema Cutillas
Through targeted programs for private and public schools, participatory design initiatives, and broader educational dialogues, such as the De-a Arhitectura TALKS held in June 2025, the initiative brings together educators, architects, and cultural professionals to explore how the built environment can be a living pedagogical tool. Programs based on experiential learning offer opportunities for teachers in Romanian public or private schools, volunteer architects and architecture students who co-deliver lessons, entire schools or classes participating as a group, and lower secondary students engaged in specific participatory design projects.
From Crisis to Catalyst: The Building Better Cities Collaborative
In the United States, New York University (NYU) recently launched the Building Better Cities Collaborative, described as “a platform to develop urban leadership, unlock strategic value, and drive civic change.” This two-semester leadership fellowship, hosted by NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate, is aimed at mid-career professionals across the built environment. Focused on the future of cities, its goal is to prepare urban leaders to address challenges such as climate volatility, housing crises, social inequity, and fiscal stress. In partnership with Schack’s Urban Lab, NYU’s center for learning and teaching at the intersection of real estate and social economics, participants will engage in collaborative research projects, monthly reviews with public officials, investors, and field experts, masterclasses, and studio sessions in systems thinking, leadership, and urban foresight. Expressions of interest opened in July 2025, with the full program launch scheduled for spring 2026.
Hursey Center at University of Hartford / Payette. Image © Robert Benson
Other recent developments in architectural education include Lesley Lokko’s launch of the Nomadic African Studio to lead architecture workshops across Africa, and the creation of the Zaha Hadid Scholars Program at the American University of Beirut, alongside other architect-initiated global education programs. In a recent ArchDaily interview, Sir Peter Cook discussed current challenges in architectural education, while Harvard University Graduate School of Design announced architect Mauro Marinelli as the winner of the 2025 Wheelwright Prize, supporting emerging architects in conducting investigative research addressing contemporary architectural challenges from a global perspective.