Traditionally political institutions and their policy making processes view young people as a marginal population. From voting age restrictions to institutional forms of engagement, youth needs, values and interests are often secondary to that of the general, adult population and the authoritarian knowledge of the ‘policy maker.’ As such, youth have been partially excluded or their input degraded from democratic decision making processes responsible for shaping the political and social environments around them.

This publication shares the findings of a one-year assessment on youth engagement in the urban governance of Beirut. The "Youth Engagement Index in Beirut" project was developed in 2017 and co-funded by the European Union within the framework of the regional program Med Culture.