Safe, Vibrant and Healthy Public Spaces

In many Indian cities, young people lack safe public infrastructure and services, affecting their health and wellbeing. They also have limited participation in urban development policies and programmes.

A scoping study under HCA-I identified Jaipur and Bhubaneswar for project implementation. Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital, offers strong collaboration potential across sectors, with youth festivals and forums indicating growing engagement. Bhubaneswar, Odisha’s capital, has a history of child- and youth-friendly initiatives through partnerships with non-governmental organisations, multilateral agencies and the government. Social enterprises are also working to improve conditions for adolescents.

Despite these efforts, both cities lack safe spaces tailored to adolescents’ needs, impacting their physical, social and emotional wellbeing. There is a clear need for a sustainable, locally driven initiative led by adolescents.