Placemaking with teenagers. Experiences driven from thematic workshops on urban planning

This chapter discusses topics of interest produced in the context of a pilot phase of thematic workshops on urban planning with teenagers in the Alvalade neighbourhood (Lisbon). The workshops were developed to encompass topics of interest relating to teenagers’ perceptions, representations and uses of space. Another focus was on perceptions and uses of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Finally, the workshops tackled the opportunities for participation and civic engagement and teenagers’ contribution in the design and planning of public open spaces. On the one hand, this contribution reflects on how to engage teenagers in critically thinking about the city-making process. Along this line, it reflects on teenagers’ participation and placemaking and compares initial expectations of researchers with the emerging topics of interest arising within the workshops. But also, on the other hand, it ponders on how to promote in these students a more active civic participation. It is suggested that education for citizenship can be indirectly addressed and explored through the activities conducted within the urban planning workshops. And, through this, another goal can be achieved: empowering teenagers with tools and knowledge to become more active and engaged citizens. Even though this was not initially planned, and therefore no formal evaluation of such results was conducted, it leaves room for reflection in the present and for future work.