The SMART project aimed to empower young people to become active contributors to the development of sustainable and smart cities. Our objectives were to increase young people’s knowledge of Smart City 3.0 concepts, climate action and sustainable urban development while strengthening their active citizenship and participation in local decision-making. We wanted to build cooperation between youth, NGOs and municipalities by creating opportunities for dialogue and joint problem-solving. Another objective was to equip participants with practical competences in KA1 project writing, SEO, NGO establishment and project management, enabling them to transform their ideas into sustainable local initiatives. Through the development of a Smart Cities Good Practices Map, training materials, an online platform and peer-learning activities, we aimed to provide accessible educational resources that could be reused beyond the project. Ultimately, the project sought to increase environmental awareness, promote youth entrepreneurship, strengthen civic engagement and encourage long-term cooperation for greener and more inclusive communities.
We applied for the SMART project to strengthen young people’s role in building greener, smarter and more sustainable cities. Our motivation came from the growing environmental challenges faced by urban areas, such as high energy consumption, pollution, climate change, traffic and limited youth participation in local decision-making. Although many young people are concerned about climate change, they often do not know how to move beyond individual actions or how to influence municipalities and local authorities. The project addresses the need to empower environmentally conscious youth with knowledge about Smart Green Cities, Smart City 3.0, sustainable urban practices, active citizenship, NGO creation, KA1 project writing and SEO. It also responds to the need of municipalities to receive innovative, youth-driven ideas for sustainable development. By connecting youth, NGOs and municipalities, SMART project aimed to reduce the gap between young people and decision-makers, increase civic engagement, support green skills and create accessible tools such as good practice maps, training materials and peer-learning activities.