Every year on August 12, we celebrate International Youth Day. While this year's data shows a certain level of uncertainty among younger generations regarding housing accessibility and employment opportunities, it simultaneously reveals significant positive shifts and clear action plans addressing these challenges. The youth unemployment rate in Slovenia remains below the European average at 8.7 percent, and by the share of young people not in education, employment, or training, Slovenia ranks among the three most successful countries in the European Union.
To further improve these trends and allow young people to look to the future with greater optimism, decision-makers are already preparing concrete steps to enhance living conditions, mobility, and mental health.
The Capital Breaks New Ground With a New Ten-Year Strategy
A bright spot and a model for the future is the City Municipality of Ljubljana (MOL), which is preparing a new, comprehensive youth strategy for the period between 2026 and 2035. After successfully achieving 90 percent of the goals from the previous period, the city is now focusing on technological advancement and strengthening community infrastructure.
A tremendous boost for the youth in the capital is the central youth center Baza, which opened its doors in the renovated Cukrarna Palace this March. This space combines infrastructure, programs, and expertise into a single central unit, where young people are no longer merely users, but are becoming active co-creators of content and programs.
Housing and Night Routes: Concrete Answers to Key Challenges
Acknowledging that high real estate prices hinder the path to independence, the new strategy introduces encouraging plans to regulate the housing issue. Additional investments in public rental housing are planned, alongside the development of targeted solutions for students and young graduates who wish to remain in the city after completing their studies. A major emphasis will be placed on promoting innovative forms of living, such as residential communities and intergenerational cohabitation, which will provide young people with an easier and more financially accessible step towards independence.
Positive changes are also expected in the field of mobility. Young people have expressed a desire for better cycling paths and more efficient public transportation, particularly in connecting peripheral neighborhoods with educational centers. Adjustments to bus schedules are planned, with the potential introduction of additional evening and night routes emerging as excellent news for the social life of the youth.
Urbana as the Key to the City and a Safe "Green Living Room"
The vision of the future also leans heavily on digitalization and sustainability. The Urbana card is set to evolve into a true digital identity for young people, serving as a key to free study spaces, digital cultural vouchers, and numerous other benefits.
Simultaneously, the city plans to expand its network of public spaces for informal recreation and socializing by developing the "Green Living Room" model. This emphasizes sustainability and self-sufficiency, while directly addressing the need for safe spaces. Following recent warnings about a decline in the sense of safety due to peer violence and online abuse, special attention will be given to the inclusion of vulnerable groups, thereby strengthening a safe, tolerant, and encouraging environment for all generations.
