Title page 1

Contents 6

Foreword 4

Acknowledgements 5

Executive summary 8

1. Challenges, needs and opportunities for youth in cities 10

Framing the issue 10

Trends and challenges affecting youth in EU cities 10

Why inclusion of youth matters for growth in cities 18

2. Policies and good practices to support youth and promote inclusive growth in cities 19

Introduction 19

Education 19

Labour market 21

Housing and the built environment 23

Public infrastructures and services 25

Fair climate action 27

3. Enablers of effective action for youth in cities 30

Introduction 30

Building coherent youth policy through vertical co-ordination and cross-sectoral action 30

Empowering young people as partners in local public policy design 31

Building robust data systems to design and evaluate effective inclusive growth policies for youth in cities 33

Strengthening youth policy delivery through innovative financing tools 34

Building the capacity to deliver youth-centred policies 35

Harnessing youth perspectives and digital tools for inclusive policy evaluation 36

Engaging youth and local stakeholders to foster trust and political support 37

4. Conclusions and considerations 39

Policy priorities to support youth in cities and foster inclusive growth 39

Enabling conditions to support sustained reductions youth exclusion in cities 40

Annex A. Trends and challenges affecting youth in EU cities 42

Annex B. EU recommendations and policies 47

References 48

Notes 56

Figure A A.1. The share of young people declined in almost all EU countries 42

Figure A A.2. Demographic shifts are expected to play out unevenly across EU regions 43

Figure A A.3. Education and training offers a strong safeguard against youth long-term remaining outside the labour market long term and unemployment 44

Figure A A.4. Youth in the EU face higher risks of poverty than the total population 44

Figure A A.5. The share of NEETs in the EU was lowest in cities and highest in rural areas 45

Figure A A.6. Young people experience a disproportionate housing cost burden compared to the total population 45

Figure A A.7. Capital-city regions in the OECD are leading the shift toward greener jobs 46

Annex Boxes 7

Box A B.1. EU recommendations and policies to strengthen foundational and civic skills through integrated education systems 47