From an empty room to a place of our own: How young people shaped their youth hubs

What happens when young people are not only given a space, but are actually invited to shape it themselves?

That was the starting point for the development of the new youth rooms in Boršt and Škofije, two local communities in the Municipality of Koper. Instead of simply preparing a room and handing it over to young people, we decided to involve them in the whole process – from the very first ideas to painting the walls, choosing the equipment and setting the rules for how the space will be used.

The first meetings were all about ideas. We talked with young people about what they would like their youth room to be, what they would like to do there and what could make the space truly theirs. They imagined places where to hang out and be creative. At the same time, they also raised important questions about accessibility, long-term support and how to make the space welcoming to the wider community. To make their ideas more concrete, they worked in small groups and drew their visions of the ideal youth room.

Then came the practical part. Young people measured the rooms themselves and created floor plans. They searched online for furniture and equipment, compared prices and dimensions, and then tried to fit their ideas into the actual space. Suddenly, the youth room was no longer just an idea on paper – it was becoming something real. This process also showed that designing a space involves teamwork, problem-solving and sometimes changing your plans when reality gets in the way.

And then it was time to get our hands dirty – literally! During the third meeting, the young people painted the rooms. Younger participants worked with brushes, while older ones used rollers to cover the larger surfaces. It was messy, energetic and definitely not a meeting where anyone could stay clean – but it was also an important moment. The room was starting to feel like their space.

Once the painting was done, the group cleaned and organized everything and discussed something just as important as the furniture: how to take care of the space together. They agreed on rules, responsibilities and access to the room, and displayed their agreements where everyone could see them. Finally, the equipment was unpacked and arranged according to the young people’s ideas.

The process ended with an official opening, organized together with the Municipality of Koper and the Youth Center Koper. Local residents and the media were invited to celebrate the new spaces and see what the young people had created. The opening was a chance for young people to present their work, take ownership of the space and show the wider community that youth spaces can become places where ideas, friendships and new initiatives grow.

But the opening is not the end of the story. It is the beginning.

The youth rooms in Boršt and Škofije are now spaces where young people can meet, spend time together, be creative and develop their own ideas. More importantly, the process showed that when young people are given the opportunity to participate in decisions that affect them, they can move from simply being users of a space to becoming its co-creators.

And perhaps that is the most important lesson from the whole process: a youth hub is not really created by walls, furniture and equipment. It becomes a youth hub when young people feel that it belongs to them.