A Comparative Analysis of the Role of the Youth in Localizing SDG 11 at the Local Level in the Global North and Global South

A Comparative Analysis of the Role of the Youth in Localizing SDG 11 at the Local Level in the Global North and Global South

Abstract

This paper analyzes the gaps in opportunities for the youth between the global north and the global south for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG11) and the challenges they encounter in their journey to support this goal. Data gathered from the Local Pathways Fellowship (LPF) program application and members distribution are studied in this paper and inform us about the demand for urban planning knowledge in these two regions. Additionally, this paper analyzes a conducted interactive exercise where youth from 24 different cities come together to analyze one of the targets from SDG11 and reimagine how cities can achieve SDG11 by 2030. This exercise helps us understand how the youth re-imagine their own social world and notably their urban spaces in times of crisis. Additionally, following the above pattern, this paper answers the following research question: Given the presumptions that youth in the global north have access to more opportunities than young people from the global south, one should ask: to what extent can we observe that young people globally, regardless of their city of residence, share common obstacles and opportunities when implementing SDG 11-related projects?