Young people interested in development of the place they live in have a new opportunity to obtain inspiration for their activities on the new website called Youth Friendly City Municipalities and regions representantives will also find here instructions on how to involve young people in local activities. The mentioned portal is a site offering examples of good practice, as well as the goals of individual cities and indicators for their fulfilment. You will also find links to and information about partner organisations here.

The Youth Friendly City portal was created by Healthy Cities of the Czech Republic (HCCZ) in partnership with the Rychory Centre for Environmental Education (SEVER). The portal provides young people with plenty of options how to spend their free time, their own fulfilment or meaningful involvement in happenings in the city, whether this concerns participation in campaigns, voluntary help or another form of cooperation with the city, these are opportunities to actively influence life in the place young people live in. Dialogue with young people is being established on the mentioned Portal – this is where their opinions are taken seriously. This is the only way to support active citizenship and create responsibility for your life.

Cities and municipalities have the tools and resources to create conditions for active development of younger generations. The Youth Friendly City portal offers good practice examples in the field of involving young people in development of the place they live in. The goals of municipalities, cities and regions, which are engaged in some manner of young people’s involvement and activities throughout the Czech Republic, and also the relevant indicators for the monitored areas, are also given. The portal also contains national thematic documents and links to and information about partners working on the topic of young people’s activities in municipalities.

The Healthy Cities of the Czech Republic systematically supports activities focusing on young people. So-called Youth forums or round tables have been taking place in Healthy Cities for several years now and young people have the opportunity to express their opinion and are able to hold discussions with representatives of the government administration and the local government at these.

The HCCZ has previously launched other thematic portals, which collect and promote good practice examples from various areas. The Age Friendly Cities portal offers plenty of information about issues concerning seniors. Cities are consequently able to learn how to accommodate seniors and how to utilise the potential seniors offer society. The Moving City portal, which focuses on inspiration in the field of promoting physical activity in all generations, was created in cooperation with Palacky University and its Department of Recreology.

Representatives of public administration in Healthy Cities, Towns and Regions have the opportunity to use unique educational programmes focusing on the topic of sustainable development on a local level. The HCCZ is accredited as an educational institute by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and offers its members two accredited educational programmes. After completing these programmes their participants receive certification valid in regional public administrations in the Czech Republic.

The “Local Agenda 21 and WHO Healthy Cities“ programme is being realised in the form of regular meetings three times a year at Healthy City Schools, the participants of which are allowed to use the event as an opportunity to exchange experience between individual cities, towns and regions.

The “Principles of sustainable development in relation to strategic planning and the quality of life” programme is held as a one-off seminar on the premises of a selected authority. During the seminar its attendees are provided with key information about the issue of sustainable development, the quality of public administration and strategic planning and management, with particular emphasis on the Local Agenda 21 issue as an internationally utilised public administration quality method. The focus and practical implementation of the topics the programme addresses is also of significance for submitting successful applications for finances from EU funds.

For example a seminar within the terms of the accredited “Principles of sustainable development in relation to strategic planning and the quality of life” programme was held at the end of last year at the town hall of the Prague 4 City District, which is a new member of the HCCZ. The seminar was attended by 51 guests, including councillors and heads of divisions and departments of the Prague 4 City District Municipal Authority.