We let kids design our city -- here’s what happened | Mara Mintzer | TEDxMileHigh

As adults, we think of kids as “future citizens.“ Their ideas and opinions will matter someday, but not today -- there must be a reason the voting age is 18, right? But kids make up 25% of the population -- shouldn’t we include them in some important conversations? In this inspiring talk, urban planner Mara Mintzer wonders what would happen if we let children design our cities. Mara Mintzer is a founder and the director of Growing Up Boulder, Boulder’s child and youth-friendly city initiative, based out of the University of Colorado–Boulder. She writes and speaks internationally on the topic of engaging young voices in city planning. Prior to working in Colorado, she designed and implemented programs for underrepresented children, families, and neighborhoods in New York and California. She loves to travel and practice her French & Spanish language skills fearlessly. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at