Blog

We are in the season of reflection, so Youthful Cities is taking a look at what 2022 has meant for us. As a team, we’ve enjoyed getting out and about in Canadian cities more than we’ve been able to over the past two years that were so defined by the pandemic. There were highs and lows – from celebrating during launch events to deep concern when our data found that no Canadian city was affordable for young people. 2022 was indeed a busy year, and we would love to share our highlights with you.

Here are a few of our favourite things from 2022!

As Canada gets older, attracting young people to small cities is a competitive advantage.

Do you know the average age in Canada per the latest 2021 Census release? 42.

That’s a lot older than it was in 1982 when the median age was 29 years. What does it mean for young people when the population ages?

  “Even living in one of the more “affordable” provinces, earning a decent paycheque and working 60+ hours a week, I still live paycheque to paycheque. I’m not poor but I am struggling…  I can only hope to live a happy life, not an affordable one.” – Real Affordability Index Youth Response, Montréal Hi there, […]

“A good city is like a good party- people stay longer than really necessary because they are enjoying themselves”– Jan Gehl Why are the costs of joy never included in data about affordability? We think that conversations about affordability need to include more than the bare minimum necessary to survive. That’s why we created a data […]

“Pleasure is not one of the spoils of capitalism. It is what our bodies, our human systems, are structured for; it is the aliveness and awakening, the gratitude and humility, the joy and celebration of being miraculous.” -Adrienne Marie Brown   Why are the costs of joy never included in data about affordability? We think that conversations […]

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody only because and only when, they are created for everybody.” -Jane Jacobs Why are the costs of joy never included in data about affordability? We think that conversations about affordability need to include more than the bare minimum necessary to survive. That’s why we created a data […]

“One of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.”– bell hooks, feminist writer and theorist. Why are the costs of joy never included in data about affordability? We think that conversations about affordability need to include more than the bare minimum necessary to survive. […]

Heading into the Canadian Federal Election, youth have been dealing with an enormous amount of pressure in addition to the continued impacts of the pandemic.