The Vienna Children and Youth Strategy 2020 – 2025 Publishing Details Editorial
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Vienna Children and Youth Strategy 2020 – 2025 Publishing Details Editorial Owner and publisher: In 2019, the City of Vienna introduced in society. Thus, their feedback was Vienna City Administration the Werkstadt Junges Wien project, a taken very seriously and provided the unique large-scale participation pro- basis for the definition of nine goals Project coordinators: cess to develop a strategy for children under the Children and Youth Stra- Bettina Schwarzmayr and Alexandra Beweis and young people with the aim of tegy. Now, Vienna is for the first time Management team of the Werkstadt Junges Wien project at the Municipal Department for Education and Youth giving more room to the requirements bundling efforts from all policy areas, in cooperation with wienXtra, a young city programme promoting children, young people and families of Vienna’s young residents. The departments and enterprises of the “assignment” given to the children city and is aligning them behind the Contents: and young people participating in shared vision of making the City of The contents were drafted on the basis of the wishes, ideas and concerns of more than 22,500 children and young the project was to perform a “service Vienna a better place for all children people in consultation with staff of the Vienna City Administration, its associated organisations and enterprises check” on the City of Vienna: What and young people who live in the city. and other experts as members of the theme management groups in the period from April 2019 to December 2019; is working well? What is not working responsible for the content: Karl Ceplak, Head of Youth Department of the Province of Vienna well? Which improvements do they The following strategic plan presents suggest? The young participants were the results of the Werkstadt Junges Design and layout: entirely free to choose the issues they Wien project and outlines the goals Die Mühle - Visual Studio wanted to address. and measures derived from the pro- ject for the next five years. Of course, Photo copyrights: Vienna attaches great importance to the City of Vienna will also engage its Cover image: © Markus Thums / City of Vienna children’s rights and the active parti- young citizens in the implementation Rights of the Child – icons: © UNICEF2019 cipation of children and young people of this strategic plan. Sustainable Development Goals – icons: © United Nations Department of Public Information Translation: Claudia Koloszar-Koo Further information about the Werkstadt Junges Wien project: werkstadt.junges.wien.gv.at The Vienna Children and Youth Strategy 2020 – 2025 was adopted by the Vienna City Council in June 2020. The present document includes some minor adjustments which do not change the meaning of the original text. © June 2020, Vienna City Administration Vienna – a large The future workshop starts now! Foreword to the Vienna Children Vienna’s children and young people take and Youth Strategy © Stadt Wien/PID, Michael Königshofer © Stadt Wien/PID, Ingo Pertramer part in shaping it A strategy paper seldom reflects the work which goes into its preparation. The Corona pandemic has hit hard on children and young people. They were Therefore, it is all the more important to highlight, emphasise and appreciate not allowed to meet their friends for several weeks, there was no teaching such efforts, some of which are made over many months. All of this also applies at schools, and playgrounds were closed. The hardest crisis in the past few to the Vienna Children and Youth Strategy which you hold in your hands right de cades has taught us how important it is for children and young people to be now, yet this project differs from the many other publications of our city in Dr. Michael Ludwig given space and freedom, have contact with peers, have access to learning, and Jürgen Czernohorszky some essential points. Mayor of Vienna be given opportunities for physical activity, play and fun. Their worlds clearly Executive City Councillor for extend beyond their homes. Yet, children and young people are willing to do Education, Integration, Youth The nearly 66-page document and the accompanying Werkstadt Junges Wien their part to keep society together. They have provided impressive proof of this. and Personnel project are the outcomes of an endeavour which is unprecedented in the history But in order to do so they need opportunities for participation and information. of Vienna: In spring 2019, more than 22,500 children and young people put our city under a microscope and took a very close look at it. Similar to a car which is Particularly in times of crisis it is important to draw attention to the rights of taken for inspection, they checked over the city to find out what is working well, children and young people, because they are often the first to lose out. The what is running smoothly, what needs to be improved, and what is missing. participation of children and young people is no privilege, but a right. Children must be heard and their views must be considered in all matters that affect The feedback which was collected at about 1,300 workshops within a very short them. This right to appropriate participation is included in the Austrian Federal period of time not only covers a broad spectrum of issues, such as nature and Constitution and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, whose 30th environment, community and connectedness, and mobility and transport, to anniversary was celebrated in 2019. mention but three of the nine themes, but also varies greatly and ranges from praise to criticism. And no matter whether the feedback contained favourable With the launch of Werkstadt Junges Wien in 2019, we have introduced a pro- comments or calls for stepping up our efforts – it is absolutely invaluable to us. ject which adds an entirely new dimension to the implementation of this right. Because every city which knows the needs of its residents has the chance to More than 22,500 children and young people have contributed their ideas become a better city. For this reason, we are very grateful to those responsible and suggestions for a Vienna of the future. The results of this largest child and for the project for having started this process and for providing us all – policy youth participation project in history now provide the foundation for the pre- makers, administration and not least the citizens – with this compilation of © Karo Pernegger sent Children and Youth Strategy. Children and young people set the agenda results and measures. and we, the politicians, work for them. The Vienna Children and Youth Strategy constitutes a clear political mandate to They have submitted a variety of measures and ideas which the City of Vienna us who represent the interests of Vienna’s citizens, which we take very seriously. is currently implementing with one goal in mind, which is to make Vienna the The fact that it has also offered the youngest among us a first opportunity to most children and youth-friendly city in the world. Vienna’s children and young experience democracy and discover their own capacity to act is of immeasura- people will accompany and closely monitor this process. The future starts now – ble value to us and our relationships. In addition, the Strategy is also a roadmap and Vienna’s children and young people take part in shaping it. Birgit Hebein for the years to come which will allow us to create a city which is fair and equita- Deputy Mayor and Executive City ble for everyone. We will embrace this task with all of our heart. Councillor for Urban Planning, Traffic and Transport, Climate Protection, Energy Planning and Public Participation © Stadt Wien / PID, Votava Contents Foreword 2 Key statistics of children & young people in Vienna 6 Children’s rights pave and guide our way 10 Werkstadt Junges Wien 14 Timeline 17 A first overview 18 The goals & issues of the Vienna Children and Youth Strategy 21 Nature and environment 22 Opportunities and future 26 Health and wellbeing 30 Community and connectedness 34 Space and place 38 Participation and opinion 42 Safety and security 46 Mobility and transport 50 Leisure and culture 54 Next steps 58 Thank you 60 6 Key statistics of children and VIENNA CHILD AND YOUTH WORK 2018 young people in Vienna 0 locations Vienna is growing. In 2018, nearly every fifth Viennese citizen was younger than places which are used regularly, including 19 years, amounting to a total of more than 366,693 children and young people 50 who live in Vienna and make it Austria’s youngest federal province in demo- graphic terms. Below, you will find a few figures which illustrate this fact and locations for youth work in parks. some of the issues that were of particular importance to the children and young 50 people participating in the Werkstadt Junges Wien project. More than 2 million contacts with young people NUMBER OF CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN 0 AND 1 YEARS 201 CHILDREN IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (EXCLUDING SCHOOLS IN VIENNA AFTER-SCHOOL CARE CLUBS) 20181 IN SCHOOL YEAR 2017/18 002 Total number of schools children in total 20 Total number of teachers 2720 including Total number of pupils 2723 under 3 year olds 29,668 5 177,837 0 to 19-year-old 0 to 19-year-old APPRENTICES IN VIENNA 2018 boys/young men girls/young women Boys/young men 10,705 MATERNITY KITS DISTRIBUTED IN 2018 Girls/young women 6,14 CHILD & YOUTH WELFARE SERVICES 2018 5 Minor children YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG UNDER 25 YEAR OLDS 2018 placed in institutions 2,001 Boys/young men 14,162 Minor children placed