Young Voices, New Visions: The i-mobyl Living Lab Kick-off in Salzburg
Around 120 young people came together in Salzburg to share their experiences of everyday mobility and develop their vision for the city of the future.
On 17 September, the Salzburg Living Lab officially kicked off with around 120 young people taking part in the first i-mobyl activities. The event marked the beginning of a process in which young people will actively contribute to discussions about mobility and public space in their city.
From everyday mobility to future visions
The day started with a simple but important question: How do young people experience mobility in Salzburg today?
Each participant first created an individual vision of their current and future mobility.
This individual perspective then became the starting point for the next step: working together in groups to develop a shared vision for the Salzburg of the future.
The young people discussed what they would like to see change in their city and which places and infrastructure are important for their everyday lives.
Among the ideas that emerged were:
- more green spaces and parks
- better opportunities for sport such as football pitches
- more options for cycling, including S-Bike
These discussions showed that mobility is closely connected to the places young people want to spend time in, meet others and pursue their interests.
“What particularly impressed me about the Youth Conference was the seriousness with which the young people discussed and worked on the topic. In the personal conversations at the tables, it was great to see how openly they shared their views – for example, on topics such as their sense of safety in public spaces.”
Ursula Witzmann-Müller, UWM.Mobilität
The group visions were then presented directly to local politicians. This created an opportunity for the young participants to bring their ideas into conversation with local decision-makers and make their perspectives visible from the very beginning of the Living Lab.
For i-mobyl, this is an important first step: young people are not only being asked about their mobility, but are given the opportunity to develop and communicate their own visions for the future of their city.
The ideas gathered during the kick-off will provide a starting point for the next activities in the Salzburg Living Lab, where young people’s mobility experiences and needs will be explored further.
The Living Labs are getting started
The Salzburg kick-off was one of the first milestones of the i-mobyl Living Labs. On the same day, activities also began in Paris, while the Guildford Living Lab will officially kick off on 28 October.
Across the three cities, young people will now continue to explore how they move through their everyday environments – and how their cities could better support the way they want to live, move and spend time.
Salzburg has taken the first step: from individual experiences, to shared visions, to a conversation with the people shaping the city.
Image credits: Alexander Killer / Stadt Salzburg