Youth participation is a key issue in contemporary municipal policy. How can we enable young people to get involved in decision-making processes that directly affect them, while promoting broader forms of participation, such as a sense of belonging to the city or how they perceive themselves as actors in community life? How, moreover, can we reach those who, for various reasons, remain on the margins of existing mechanisms and collective dynamics?

With this in mind, and as part of the development of a new municipal youth plan based on scientific data, the City of Esch-sur-Alzette has commissioned the University of Luxembourg (CCY) to conduct a study on youth non-participation (2025-2027). The study Young People in Esch-sur-Alzette (YES) focuses on motivations, attitudes and practices of participation, while incorporating structural factors – in particular socio-economic profiles, social backgrounds and neighbourhoods – that may encourage or, conversely, limit local engagement. One of its main objectives is to develop a typology of non-participation, providing a better understanding of the diversity of situations and obstacles encountered by young people.

The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining secondary analysis of quantitative data with qualitative interviews. This methodological approach allows for a cross-examination of existing practices with an exploration of the needs, motivations and obstacles expressed by young people themselves, thus offering an in-depth and nuanced view of youth participation at the local level.