Is Vienna a Good city for Children to live? tour

As many of you know, Eugene is father of a 12-year old boy. Each year since Josef started school, I make a free tour for his school class, out on the streets of Vienna. We have explored various themes, always relevant to the kids' age, and in German.

This year, we will explore if our city is a good place to grow up. It will be a debate in public space, where the children can discuss their needs and perspective. It will be fun, but also political, and address the mental health problems so many young people are facing. What effect did the pandemic have on their social lives, and learning? Where do they go to meet each other, to play, and to be creative? Do they feel safe? Are there too many rules? How often are they told to be quiet? When did they last dance? We will visit a park, playground, shopping centre, the river, and a youth club. And at the start, we make a quick tour of their school itself, to look at its design, colours and social spaces. Would they like to spend more or less time each day on phones and games?

While this tour is a private one for Gymnasium am Augarten, the concept of the tour is available to any school in Vienna, and we find it could be a productive way to get new, honest insights into our youth in 2025. These are not easy days to be young, and we hope to offer some support.