The Young Urbanists' Small Grant Scheme (SGS) stands as a beacon of support and encouragement for grassroots initiatives that strive to enhance the landscape of urbanism.
Each year, this initiative continues to opens its doors to innovative thinkers and passionate community members through a call for submissions that ignites creativity and collaboration within the YU network.
The SGS is a pivotal initiative designed to foster knowledge-sharing and collaborative learning among Young Urbanist members and academicians. By providing financial support for innovative projects that align with the principles set forth in The Academy of Urbanism’s Manifesto, the scheme seeks to enhance the understanding of urban issues and solutions. The aim is to create a platform where emerging voices in urbanism can engage with established experts, facilitating a vibrant exchange of ideas that contributes to more sustainable and livable urban environments.
Through the SGS the Academy encourages projects that explore diverse urban challenges, from social equity to environmental sustainability. By funding research, workshops, and community engagement initiatives, the SGS not only empowers young urbanists to investigate and articulate their perspectives but also amplifies their contributions to the broader discourse on urban development. This initiative reflects a commitment to nurturing the next generation of urban thinkers and practitioners who will shape the future of our cities, ensuring that the ideals of the Academy resonate beyond its immediate membership.
Ultimately, the SGS serves as a catalyst for innovation in urbanism, inspiring collaboration that bridges theoretical research and practical application. By engaging a wide array of stakeholders, including students, professionals, and community advocates, the scheme promotes a holistic understanding of urban dynamics. As participants share their findings and experiences, the collective knowledge gained will inform policy-making and planning, driving the mission of The Academy of Urbanism to create cities that are inclusive, adaptable, and responsive to the needs of all inhabitants.
What do we fund?
We fund activities and projects that seek to share learning on urban-related themes and provide a tangible benefit to the YU Network and/or the Academy as a whole. We would like to support projects that are based on original research and that seek to explore solutions to urban problems.
Applicants are welcome to submit proposals addressing any issue that they believe to be relevant to YUs, but we also encourage projects related to themes already explored by the YUs including food in cities, tall buildings, creative cities, emerging urbanism, international urbanism, the future of urbanism, and more specifically our 2026 Urbanism Manifesto themes: housing, transport, digital revolution, and funding/devolution.
Successful applicants will be eligible to receive up to £400 towards costs/expenses associated with the project, such as transportation, space rental, publicity, exhibition material, stationery and subsistence, which will be accounted for by providing receipts. Unfortunately, we cannot provide remuneration for time spent working on the project.
What do we mean by benefitting the Young Urbanist Network?
Benefits could be achieved through diverse means by providing the YU Network with tangible outputs, including but not limited to:
- Published articles for our website and/or newsletter
- Production of a video or other medium to be shared on the website or at a relevant event
- Running a seminar or sharing your findings at a relevant event
- The project itself could enable YU participation/experience (i.e. project as a curated event)
If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact YU Coordinator, Roshni Thakker on [email protected]