Urbex 4 Youth Urbex4Youth explores how young people (15–18) experience cities shaped by gentrification and mass tourism — and how they can reclaim public space through participation and collective action. In Berlin, Palermo, Athens, and Cádiz, the Erasmus+ project brings youth together with educators and communities to rethink urban spaces and imagine new ways of sharing the city. Reclaiming the City Together Cities across Europe are changing rapidly. Rising tourism, gentrification, and commercialisation are transforming neighbourhoods and public spaces — often in ways that leave young people with fewer places to meet, express themselves, and feel a sense of belonging. The Urbex4Youth project asks a simple but powerful question: What space is left for young people in our cities — and how can they reclaim it? Over the next two years, Urbex4Youth will work with young people aged 15–18 in Berlin, Palermo, Athens, and Cádiz to explore how they experience urban environments today. Through conversations, workshops, and participatory activities, the project creates opportunities for young people to reflect on urban change and actively shape the spaces around them. Partners Kick-off meeting in Berlin Exploring the City Through Urban Exploration Urbex4Youth builds on the concept of urban exploration (Urbex) — not as an act of trespassing or adventure, but as an educational approach. Young people are invited to observe, map, and analyse the city they live in. By walking through their neighbourhoods, discussing local transformations, and identifying overlooked or contested spaces, they begin to understand the social, cultural, and economic forces shaping urban life. This process encourages critical thinking about phenomena such as gentrification and mass tourism, which are increasingly affecting many European cities. For young people — especially those with fewer opportunities — these dynamics can reshape their neighbourhoods and limit access to common spaces. From Observation to Action Beyond reflection, Urbex4Youth focuses on participation and action. In each partner city, young participants will take part in Urbex Labs — workshops where they work with educators, urban practitioners, and local communities to imagine new uses for public spaces. These labs will lead to local initiatives designed and implemented by the young people themselves. Whether through creative interventions, storytelling projects, or small-scale urban transformations, participants will experiment with ways of reclaiming public space and strengthening community life. By connecting young people with local institutions, schools, universities, and community organisations, the project helps build local educational communities that support youth participation and civic engagement. A European Learning Network Urbex4Youth is also about exchange across cities. Young people and educators from Berlin, Palermo, Athens, and Cádiz will share experiences, visit each other’s neighbourhoods, and learn from different urban contexts. These encounters highlight both the common challenges European cities face and the diverse ways communities respond to them. Throughout the project, partners will develop and document an educational methodology for urban exploration and youth participation, which will be shared with educators, youth workers, and organisations across Europe. About the Project Urbex4Youth is a two-year Erasmus+ cooperation project exploring youth participation in urban spaces in times of gentrification and mass tourism. The project is coordinated by Bond of Union (Palermo) and implemented together with: Commonspace (Athens) CitizensLab (Berlin) ZEMOS98 (Cádiz) Together, we aim to support young people in reimagining the city as a shared space — a commons that belongs to everyone Funded by European Union