OurCity initiative - Fondation Botnar

OurCity initiative

Enabling liveable and sustainable city systems

Cities shaped by and for youth

OurCity is one of Fondation Botnar’s key initiatives, supporting cities in strengthening their youth-centred strategies by enabling young people to take part in the design and governance of youth-related projects.

The initiative brings together stakeholders and drives policy change through inclusive engagement and advocacy, specifically by collaborating with young people, civil society, policymakers, innovators, and other city champions. Ownership and accountability is driven by local-level coordination, programming and implementation together with young people, to nurture wellbeing and opportunity for all.

The OurCity initiative is taking an evidence-based approach, aiming to generate evidence on the systems change it is driving. For this purpose, Fondation Botnar collaborated with the Melbourne Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne and jointly developed the Evidence to Action (E2A) framework that informs and accompanies the initiative.

Barranquilla (Colombia)
Cluj-Napoca (Romania)
Koforidua (Ghana)
Manta (Ecuador)
Tanga (Tanzania)

Objectives of OurCity

Support cities to strengthen their youth-centred strategies, enabled by community engagement and digital technologies.
Enabling an environment for young people’s participation through establishing partnerships to connect key urban stakeholders.
Emphasise a relational wellbeing approach in program delivery.
Improve the delivery of city services for young people and for all.

Initiatives

Learn more about the OurCity initiatives and the partners we work with around the world.

OurTanga

Tanga is Tanzania’s most northern port city of nearly 400,000 people. Near the Kenyan border and sitting on the Indian Ocean, Tanga is a relatively quiet city. As it seeks to become an engine of economic growth for Tanzania, it is expected to rapidly grow over the coming years. Fondation Botnar is seizing this opportunity to support the city efforts to emphasise its youth-centred approach.

OurTanga (TangaYetu) has led to the establishment of the first STEM park in Tanzania, the development of a digital city observatory platform to improve the use of data in decision-making processes, as well as improved learning environments in schools and entrepreneurship, robotics, agribusiness, blue economy and digital literacy training. Additionally, a Youth Forum was created and now has over 500 dynamic participants, positively encouraged to take an active role in TangaYetu projects.

Visit the OurTanga website here.

OurTanga key partners

Tanga City council, ProjektInspire, Tanzania Data Lab, Robotech, PATH, Ardhi University, the Scort Foundation, ARISE, Swiss Science Center Technorama, Innovex, Amend, Inco, The Aspen Institute, Rural Senses, Tanzania Start-up Association, Ifakara Innovation Hub, ESRF, among others.

OurCluj

Cluj-Napoca is located in central Romania and is known as the historic capital of Transylvania. A vibrant city rich in history, Cluj-Napoca is recognised for its large student population and burgeoning information technology industry. However, various structural, social, economic and environmental challenges for young people persist.

Fondation Botnar sees an opportunity to work together with the Cluj-Napoca community to support the city and metropolitan area efforts, to create policies and programmes which enhance wellbeing for young people.

OurCluj has developed projects related to education, nutrition and healthy lifestyle in schools, youth participation through arts, civic innovation and social entrepreneurship for young people.

Learn more about OurCluj by following them on Instagram and Facebook.

Visit the OurCluj website here.

OurCluj key partners

Cluj-Napoca Municipality, ADIZMC, Cluj Youth Federation, Cluster for Education, SDG Colab, UniversitArt Association, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj Cultural Centre, PONT Group, Magic Association, Wello Association, Romanian Health Observatory, Preventis, Rural Senses

OurBarranquilla

Barranquilla, situated on the northern coast of Colombia, is a vibrant city with a population of over two million. It has a strong movement of youth leadership which is working to foster cross-sectoral collaboration and develop participatory processes that enable young people to actively engage in decision-making processes related to city development. The OurBarranquilla (NuestraBarranquilla) programme is part of this effort; emphasising trust development between young people and city leaders, and working to ensure that young people’s voices are heard.

OurBarranquilla aims to support Barranquilla efforts to become more inclusive, sustainable, and youth-friendly city. It enables young people to actively participate in shaping urban solutions, fostering community engagement, and leveraging innovative approaches to address local challenges.

Learn more about OurBarranquilla by following them on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram: @nuestrabarranquilla

Visit the OurBarranquilla website here.

OurBarranquilla key partners

Fundacion Corona, Diseño Público, The City Town Hall

OurManta

Manta is a city on the coast of Ecuador, with a population of just over 200,000. The city’s economy has been steadily growing and modernising, due in part to its thriving fishing and tourism industries. As the city continues to develop, its leaders are eager to create more opportunities for young people in their city. Fondation Botnar partnered with Grupo Faro and is supporting the city efforts to empower young people to take an active role in shaping the future of their city.

OurManta (MantaMia) aims to shape Manta into a youth-oriented city by addressing the needs and visions of young people, promoting inclusion, and leveraging technology to create opportunities. It engages youth in city design and governance, fostering their role as agents of change, and supporting local organisations through capacity-building and participatory activities.

Visit the OurManta website here.

OurManta key partner

Grupo Faro

OurKoforidua

Koforidua has a population of 127,000 and is one of the major education hubs in Ghana, attracting young people. As the city continues to grow, municipal leaders recognise the need to create more opportunities for collaboration and engagement together with young people.

On Africa Day 2023, OurCity celebrated the expansion to Koforidua – as Kofkro (Our Koforidua). Fondation Botnar is collaborating with the STAR-Ghana Foundation, the New Juaben South Municipal Assembland other city champions to support Koforidua’s youth in the design and implementation of projects in the city, and in strengthening their participation in city governance mechanisms.

Visit the OurKoforidua website here.