{"id":558,"date":"2025-04-15T12:06:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T12:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/?p=558"},"modified":"2025-04-27T12:13:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T12:13:43","slug":"young-voices-active-spaces-mid-term-meeting-of-youth-placemaking-balkans-in-skopje","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/?p=558","title":{"rendered":"Young Voices, Active Spaces: Mid-Term Meeting of Youth Placemaking Balkans in Skopje"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Young Voices, Active Spaces: Mid-Term Meeting of Youth Placemaking Balkans in Skopje<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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From 9-11 April, representatives from six partner organizations across the Balkans (Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, North Macedonia, Greece, and Croatia) came together in Skopje for the mid-term meeting of the\u00a0Youth Placemaking Balkans<\/i>\u00a0project, funded by the Erasmus+ Youth programme. The event marked an important milestone, offering a space for sharing progress, exchanging ideas, and strengthening regional collaboration around the topic of youth engagement in public spaces.<\/p>

Earlier in the project, all partner organizations conducted in-depth research on the needs, habits, and preferences of young people in relation to public spaces in their local contexts. Through literature review, good practices, and focus groups, the research gathered valuable insights into how youth perceive and use public areas, what barriers they face, and what types of spaces they desire. This participatory process not only informed the development of the online course but also laid the foundation for the upcoming youth-led placemaking interventions, ensuring they are grounded in the real experiences and aspirations of local young people.<\/p>

A key highlight of the meeting was the collective work on the\u00a0Youth Placemaking for Active Recreation<\/i>\u00a0online course, a joint resource designed to empower young people to engage with and transform public spaces in their communities. The course aims to build capacity among youth and local actors to foster more inclusive, dynamic, and youth-friendly environments across the region.<\/p>

Each partner organization also presented their upcoming youth-led placemaking interventions to be carried out by the end of the year. These creative and community-centered projects include revitalizing city squares, transforming neglected school surroundings, promoting physical activity through fitness installations, and reimagining underused park areas. All initiatives will be designed\u00a0by<\/i>youth and\u00a0for<\/i>\u00a0youth, showcasing the power of young people as active agents in shaping their urban landscapes.<\/p>

The visit also included an inspiring exchange with the local government. At the invitation of the Municipality of Gjor\u010de Petrov, partners met with the Head of the Youth Work Department, who shared the municipality\u2019s youth engagement strategies and highlighted ongoing initiatives supporting local youth participation.<\/p>

The mid-term meeting in Skopje reinforced the spirit of regional cooperation and underscored the importance of youth-driven placemaking as a tool for civic engagement, creativity, and active recreation. The journey continues, with impactful interventions taking shape across the Balkans \u2014 led by young changemakers ready to make their mark.<\/p>

Initiated by BG Be Active and backed by dedicated partner organisations from five Balkan countries, Youth Placemaking Balkans is a youth movement designed to improve youth entrepreneurship and active citizenship in the democratic processes by providing them with the relevant civic skills through creating inclusive and engaging spaces for and by young people.\u00a0<\/p>

Reach out to us today to discover how you can contribute to the project, participate in our activities, or get answers to any questions you may have. Together, we are \u201cEmpowering Youth, Transforming Spaces: Uniting for Better Balkans.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\u201cYouth Placemaking Balkans (YPB) is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HRDC (Human Resource Development Center). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Young Voices, Active Spaces: Mid-Term Meeting of Youth Placemaking Balkans in Skopje From 9-11 April, representatives from six partner organizations across the Balkans (Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, North Macedonia, Greece, and Croatia) came together in Skopje for the mid-term meeting of the\u00a0Youth Placemaking Balkans\u00a0project, funded by the Erasmus+ Youth programme. The event marked an important milestone, offering a space for sharing progress, exchanging ideas, and strengthening regional collaboration around the topic of youth engagement in public spaces. Earlier in the project, all partner organizations conducted in-depth research on the needs, habits, and preferences of young people in relation to public spaces in their local contexts. Through literature review, good practices, and focus groups, the research gathered valuable insights into how youth perceive and use public areas, what barriers they face, and what types of spaces they desire. This participatory process not only informed the development of the online course but also laid the foundation for the upcoming youth-led placemaking interventions, ensuring they are grounded in the real experiences and aspirations of local young people. A key highlight of the meeting was the collective work on the\u00a0Youth Placemaking for Active Recreation\u00a0online course, a joint resource designed to empower young people to engage with and transform public spaces in their communities. The course aims to build capacity among youth and local actors to foster more inclusive, dynamic, and youth-friendly environments across the region. Each partner organization also presented their upcoming youth-led placemaking interventions to be carried out by the end of the year. These creative and community-centered projects include revitalizing city squares, transforming neglected school surroundings, promoting physical activity through fitness installations, and reimagining underused park areas. All initiatives will be designed\u00a0byyouth and\u00a0for\u00a0youth, showcasing the power of young people as active agents in shaping their urban landscapes. The visit also included an inspiring exchange with the local government. At the invitation of the Municipality of Gjor\u010de Petrov, partners met with the Head of the Youth Work Department, who shared the municipality\u2019s youth engagement strategies and highlighted ongoing initiatives supporting local youth participation. The mid-term meeting in Skopje reinforced the spirit of regional cooperation and underscored the importance of youth-driven placemaking as a tool for civic engagement, creativity, and active recreation. The journey continues, with impactful interventions taking shape across the Balkans \u2014 led by young changemakers ready to make their mark. Initiated by BG Be Active and backed by dedicated partner organisations from five Balkan countries, Youth Placemaking Balkans is a youth movement designed to improve youth entrepreneurship and active citizenship in the democratic processes by providing them with the relevant civic skills through creating inclusive and engaging spaces for and by young people.\u00a0 Reach out to us today to discover how you can contribute to the project, participate in our activities, or get answers to any questions you may have. Together, we are \u201cEmpowering Youth, Transforming Spaces: Uniting for Better Balkans.\u201d \u201cYouth Placemaking Balkans (YPB) is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HRDC (Human Resource Development Center). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":559,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1.jpg",1800,1350,false],"landscape":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1.jpg",1800,1350,false],"portraits":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1.jpg",1800,1350,false],"thumbnail":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"large":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1-1024x768.jpg",800,600,true],"1536x1536":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1-1536x1152.jpg",1536,1152,true],"2048x2048":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1.jpg",1800,1350,false],"vp_sm":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1-500x375.jpg",500,375,true],"vp_md":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1-800x600.jpg",800,600,true],"vp_lg":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1-1280x960.jpg",1280,960,true],"vp_xl":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1.jpg",1800,1350,false],"vp_sm_popup":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1-500x375.jpg",500,375,true],"vp_md_popup":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1-800x600.jpg",800,600,true],"vp_xl_popup":["http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YPB_Mid-term-meeting-1.jpg",1800,1350,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"http:\/\/www.istarskasportskaakademija.org\/?author=1"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Uncategorized<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Young Voices, Active Spaces: Mid-Term Meeting of Youth Placemaking Balkans in Skopje From 9-11 April, representatives from six partner organizations across the Balkans (Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, North Macedonia, Greece, and Croatia) came together in Skopje for the mid-term meeting of the\u00a0Youth Placemaking Balkans\u00a0project, funded by the Erasmus+ Youth programme. 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