Magically Interested, Willing &

ExperiencedYouth Involvement in

Downtown Revitalization

About Us

Stephanie WaplesHometown: Danville, IACollege: Iowa State UniversityMajor: ArchitectureMinor: Sustainability

Conner BrakevilleHometown: Mediapolis, IACollege: University of Northern IowaMajor: History and Public AdministrationMinor: Political Science

OVERVIEWIdentifying the Problems of Youth Involvement

The Central Problem

The lack of youth involvement in downtown communities and the downtown’s inability to connect with and attract young generations is detrimental to the community as a whole.

The Importance of Youth Involvement

Eventually, we will be the ones preserving the history and shaping the community.

Future economic advantages: A large population of young people means a strong customer base for years to come.

Opportunity for community investment: Young people will be searching for residences and are interested in culturally-rich downtown areas.

Reasons for the Lack of Youth Involvement

Communication between generations is either ineffective or absent.

Each generation’s motivations and interests are misunderstood by the other.

Societal and technological change has proceeded much more rapidly than in previous years. This has widened the gap between the generations and magnified the problem.

Lack of Communication

Societal level Institutional level Individual level

Motivations and Interests

Young people desire an interconnected and culturally-rich living environment with access to dining, entertainment, etc.

Community is important to us. Most young people are willing to sacrifice a lot for a chance to live in a good community.

Most 20-somethings’ lifestyles place an emphasis on independence, individuality, and discovery.

Societal and Technological Change

As a whole, the older generations are lacking in utilization of social media, the Internet, and other prevalent forms of technology.

Younger generations thrive on this – we don’t know a world without it.

We argue that the gap between generations now is greater than in previous generations. Therefore, more effort is required from both parties to work together effectively.

Societal and Technological Change

Society is changing so rapidly that 20-25 year olds are already nostalgic.

“The Toy Story 3 Theory”• Movies• Music• Video games

Other Issues

Social stigmas and exclusion• Sometimes the younger generation has

acquired negative connotations in the eyes of community leaders and older generations (careless, irresponsible, reckless, ignorant, etc.)

• Ergo, youth involvement is prevented (in businesses, residences, activities, etc.).

Do you want young people?

Or do you want young people who think like older people?

Understand that there are pros and cons to attracting young people, just as there are attracting older people. We argue that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

People Are Not Magically…

Interested: Interest begins with community acceptance and inclusion

Willing: There has to be an effort from both parties to garner willingness • This is a two-way street

Experienced: If this generation is not even given a chance and is ignored, how will we ever mature? Give us more opportunities. • Entry-level positions and internships

THE YOUTH PERSPECTIVEPotential Solutions

Potential Solutions

Work with schools and universities to develop interest early on with young people.

Bring attractive businesses into downtowns that will appeal to the younger generations (music, movies, gaming, clothing, cafés, bars, etc.).

Invest in businesses that will provide stable job opportunities for young professionals.

Potential Solutions

Develop Young Professional and Intern programs to attract young people to live in the community.

Use our generation’s nostalgia to your advantage.

When brainstorming or organizing events geared towards young people, involve at least one young person in the process from the beginning.

Potential Solutions

Promote or enact volunteer organizations that involve young people (examples include cleanup efforts, painting murals and park benches, focus groups, etc.).

Hire a person in a downtown organization to focus on promoting youth involvement (preferably someone who is that age).

Use marketing effectively to both reach the correct audience and interest them.

Potential Solutions

Create interesting, creative competitions that will get people involved and also better the downtown.

Promote an area for nightlife activities. Provide bicycle and jogging paths since

young people like to remain physically fit.

THE DO’S AND DON’TSHelpful Hints

Do’s and Don’ts

DO create fun annual events that will bring in visitors from outside the town (car shows, bike races, etc.)

DON’T charge high admission to these events (if any!)

Do’s and Don’ts

DO offer cheap (or free!) food. It’s a surefire way to get youths to attend.

DON’T plan activities that require a lot of rules and conformity. Activities that allow independence will appeal to the youth more.

Do’s and Don’ts

DO provide free wifi throughout the downtown. It can increase the usage of social media to promote the downtown.

DON’T plan events or activities that focus on team-building or that feel too young for your target audience.

Do’s and Don’ts

DO have dining, entertainment, and residences all near each other. A walkable downtown is a more active and safer downtown.

DON’T only advertise your downtown within the downtown area. If you’re looking to get new people involved, you have to advertise elsewhere.

Do’s and Don’ts

DO keep in mind that our funds are limited. Have at least a few locations that are low cost dining and shopping that will appeal to that customer base.

DON’T ignore or belittle advice from the young generation. You could lose a valuable asset.

Do’s and Don’ts

DO attempt to involve younger people in planning committees and development meetings. Talk to the young people in your community to get a feel for what they desire.

DON’T shut down communication pathways. More communication is better as well as essential for this type of situation.

Do’s and Don’ts

DO be willing to take a chance and trust members of our generation.

DON’T categorize all of us based on stereotypes and outliers.

CONCLUSIONA Quick Recap

The Problem and Its Causes

Younger generations are not being utilized as effectively as they could be to revitalize downtowns, due to the following:• Lack of communication• Lack of understanding• Speed of changes in the world today• Social stigmas and exclusion

The Solutions

Open up the lines of communication. Get the young people involved in the community to assist in attracting more young people.

Market effectively and in the right locations.

Understand your targeted demographic; make greater efforts in knowing what young people need/want to make your downtown more attractive.

If apparent, overcome social stigmas

A Final Thought

Remain open-minded about the young generation. We believe that our generation is a currently untapped resource that could greatly benefit downtowns.

Questions?