What Makes a Good City? Exploring Young People's Experiences of Urban Nature

Young people have a distinct intergenerational stake in the future of the planet and in the environmental decisions shaping it. Most now live in towns and cities, where everyday opportunities for encountering nature offer important benefits but are unevenly experienced due to persistent socio‑spatial inequalities. Elevating young people’s perspectives on nature today—and ensuring their meaningful participation in decision‑making for the future—is essential for creating resilient, inclusive and environmentally just towns and cities.

This report summarises early findings from ‘The Good City’ project, exploring how young people experience, value, and are shaped by urban nature. Introducing participatory mapping to more than 400 young people across five secondary schools in Edinburgh, we examined their routine exposure to nature along travel routes, the nature-benefits and challenges they identify, and the opportunities they see for environmental improvements in their neighbourhoods.

Our intention is for the findings from this report to support constructive conversations with local and national policymakers, civic society, educators and young people themselves. These discussions can help identify and prioritise key themes, questions, and actions needed to develop a Living Lab grounded in the inclusive design, delivery, and co‑management of Nature Networks, with a particular focus on young people.