The land challenge is central to the broader youth dynamics of migration, employment, livelihoods and belonging. The more than 1.8 billion youth living worldwide represent not only a land challenge, but an untapped potential in moving the tenure security agenda forward.

Today, there are more than 1.2 billion youth in the world, the largest number of youth ever to have existed. These youth live, by and large, in cities and towns; the cities of the developing world account for over 90 per cent of the world’s urban growth and youth account for a large percentage of those inhabitants. It is estimated that as many as 60 per cent of all urban dwellers will be under the age of 18 by 2030. This urban demographic “youth bulge” represents both a challenge as well as an…

The Asia-Pacific region has more than half of its population composed of young people. The region is experiencing quite a number of positive developments but equally in the same measure registers quite a number of challenges amongst which are unemployment, poverty and increased population in slums.

The increasing prominence of the youth bulge in most urban areas presents a unique opportunity, as they represent the most dynamic human resource available.

Youth are key to the prosperity of cities in the developing world, yet many barriers prevent them from fulfilling this role - most notably access to education, vocational training, and employment.

WUF6 World Urban Youth Assembly. Participation of Youth representatives from developing Countries at the UN-Habitat World Urban Youth Assembly and World Urban Forum 6.

Urban youth face challenges that need to urgently be addressed. The global youth unemployment rate, which is estimated at 12.6 per cent in 2013, is creating an environment in which young people are unable to satisfy their basic needs. As demonstrated by the mass protests in many cities globally, young people believe that their voices are not being heard and their needs are not being addressed.

Although the proportion of young people in cities is growing rapidly, few studies take into account the diversity of and views on their urban experiences.

This manual exists as one of a growing library of materials produced by UN-HABITAT for use by and in Urban Youth Centres, both One Stop and We Are the Future models.