Children and young people want buses to be on time, more football fields, and more porridge in schools

The survey was conducted by TaiKon, a provider of basic arts education, in collaboration with the City of Vaasa Youth Services. The survey was part of the Puddle Children’s Cultural Weeks.

Most of the responses concerned school, including suggestions for improving outdoor areas, indoor spaces, and school meals. Many responses were also related to leisure activities.

– The respondents expressed a wish for more hangout spaces for young people and youth centres across the city, as well as a place where students could do their homework. In addition, the respondents expressed a desire for more leisure activities and events targeted at young people. Some young people, and even children, were concerned about financial matters, says Kaisa Salo, Producer with TaiKon, who was involved in conducting the survey.

Cheaper bus fares

In the survey, children and young people expressed a wish for cheaper bus fares when paying with cash, or even free bus travel for those under 18.

– There were also many specific requests regarding local transport routes and schedules. Many wished for improved bus connections from Sundom to the city centre, for example, especially in the evenings and on weekends, Salo says.

The skate park and traffic park received praise

The skate park and traffic park received a lot of praise. The respondents also expressed a desire for more outdoor gyms and various sports facilities across the city.

There were also requests for more park areas and playgrounds, as well as benches for sitting and chatting. The wish list also included adding more rubbish bins along the streets.

Although most of the feedback consisted of suggestions for improvement, some respondents also commented that everything is fine as it is.

A summary of the results will also be shared by the Vaasa Youth Council with the city’s decision-makers and office-holders.

Examples of children and young people’s responses:

Leisure / Parks and green spaces

• The Vaasa swimming pool could have a water slide (respondent is aged 7)
• A youth centre in Gerby (14 yrs)
• The opportunity to practise football independently in winter (14 yrs)
• A water slide at Vikinga beach, and a proper ski track on Palosaari exercise trail in the winter (7 yrs)
• More rubbish bins along the streets (11 yrs)
• More designated graffiti walls (20 yrs)
• Everything’s great, thanks for the scooter park! (7 yrs)
• More football pitches (14 yrs)
• A motocross track in Sundom and a place for young people to hang out (14 yrs)
• More youth centres (13 yrs)

Transport, buses, and streets

• Better bus schedules (14 yrs)
• Bus fares should be cheaper when paying with cash (12 yrs)
• Free bus fares for children (15 yrs)
• There should be buses from Sundom on the weekends (14 yrs)
• Buses should run on time (13 yrs)
• Söderfjärdintie should have a bike lane, it’s dangerous to cycle there otherwise (13 yrs)

School meals

• Nice food at school, making mealtimes enjoyable (12 yrs)
• Dessert with the meal (14 yrs)
• After October, there should be porridge in school at least once a week (15 yrs)
• More semolina pudding! (15 yrs)
• Better school meals, and listen to students’ opinions about the food (13 yrs)

The Child-Friendly Municipality model is moving forward in Vaasa

The city of Vaasa is participating in the UNICEF Child-Friendly Municipality initiative. One of our goals is to be a municipality where every child and young person has the right to be heard and to influence matters that affect them.

The action plan outlines five goals, and is and when these are achieved, Vaasa could receive the UNICEF Child-Friendly Municipality recognition. One of the goals is for the views of children and young people to be taken into account in the planning and development of services through engagement.