Page 17 - Shelter, October 2024

THEME PAPER

Being part of the urban or Disability Inclusion provide a platform
governance process creates a Committees, which consist for young citizens to
sense of agency, ownership, of representatives of the understand how project
and belonging among citizens vulnerable community or budgeting, procurement,
that affects how they engage target group to provide and implementation
within their communities. inputs on their specific works.
requirements, quality
Implementing youth-inclusive of service delivery, and - Enhance Digital Literacy
urban governance thus accessibility as well and Build Capacities:
necessitates a multifaceted as affordability of the Overcoming inequalities
approach that incorporates services. This creates necessitates a concerted
youth development and civic accountability and effort to empower under-
engagement strategies at provides opportunities for represented populations
different stages. Few ways civic engagement and local by providing them with
in which city governments, leadership development. the tools and avenues they
communities, and citizens need to engage effectively.
can engage and empower - Institutionalise Accountable By providing open access
the youth towards building Mechanisms of Planning to educational resources
inclusive cities have been and Budgeting: Many and training, digital
elaborated below: local governments lack tools can enhance digital
adequate mechanisms to literacy and skills, helping
- Mandate Public Participation
and Citizen Engagement: gather information and to bridge the digital
At the local governance data at a granular level and divide and empower all
level, advocacy efforts local data sets are often community members.
to constitute Ward inconsistent with national Residents, particularly
Committees and enforce data collection systems. women and adolescents,
Community Participation Consequently, there can leverage digital
Laws needs to be should be systems in place tools and engagement
increased in more small to collect and maintain platforms, such as online
and medium-size cities. up-to-date and dynamic voting surveys in local
In such cities, there is a demographic data with language or user-friendly
lot of scope to achieve disaggregated indicators, mobile applications for
‘civic intimacy’ between when possible, to assess data collection, to voice
citizens and their city and develop appropriate their needs and outline
governments due to ideal policies. Additionally, their vision for inclusive
elected representative- city governments should urban development.
to-citizen ratios, frequent embrace participatory Moreover, continuous
interactions due to budgeting processes training programs and
community events and which give citizens a capacity building efforts
festivals, and strong social direct understanding of can provide such groups
ties at the neighbourhood how public funds are with the necessary
scale. Moreover, advisory allocated and utilised. skills and knowledge to
committees need to These processes enable participate successfully in
be incorporated at the transparency and governance processes.
Municipality level, such as accountability in financial - Support and Engage
convening Youth Councils mechanisms and also

October, 2024, Volume 25. No.1 - SHELTER 15