URB.ABLE

The European youth project URB.ABLE tackles urban ableism by fostering accessible, inclusive, and youth-friendly urban spaces, with a strong focus on the needs and experiences of young people with disabilities. It synergies skills from 6 NGOs from Germany, Belgium, Cyprus, Portugal, Italy and Denmark and will run over two years.The project highlights the role of urban design to foster participation or to create barriers and enables young people and youth workers with and without disabilities to actively shape their urban environments.

URB.ABLE’s objective is to involve young people directly in exploring and analysing public space and to create awareness about the necessity of urban spaces that respond to diverse needs. At the same time, the project equips youth workers with innovative informal and non-formal learning tools that help them address accessibility, inclusion, and disability awareness in their work with young people and to support inclusive youth participation.
A second element of the project includes connecting young people with policymakers and local authorities. URB.ABLE creates structured opportunities for dialogue, allowing youth especially those affected by accessibility barriers to share their experiences and contribute to policy discussions related to urban accessibility and youth-friendly design. This helps ensure that policymaking is informed by real-life experiences and supports more inclusive urban development.

The project is implemented through a combination of training activities, hands-on exploration, dialogue events, and dissemination actions. Its results include practical resources such as a Youth Workers’ Handbook, a Youth Workbook, transnational learning activities, accessibility-focused walkshops, urban hackathons, and a European platform that brings together youth, practitioners, and decision-makers. These outputs are complemented by policy recommendations, public events, and a final conference, ensuring both practical impact and long-term visibility.

By empowering youth workers, engaging young people, and strengthening dialogue with policymakers, URB.ABLE contributes to more inclusive cities where everybody can participate fully in social and public life.