Abstract Body

In December of 1991, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sparked a growing interest in children’s participation. This convention defined a child as any human being below the age of eighteen years and—through guaranteeing children the right to express their own views in matters in which they are affected—secured their right to participate in community processes. Children's participation supports a number of educational and empowerment objectives, from citizenship awareness and advocacy, to social and civic studies, while exposing them to a wide range of people and ideas. Their participation also benefits other members of the community by helping overcome the misperceptions and mistrust that often exist between generations and by building a stronger sense of community and pride of place. Despite the outcome of the UNCRC and the known benefits of children's participation, they remain a disenfranchised, powerless group who are neglected in planning practice and research. Fifty years after Sherry Arnstein asked, “What is citizen participation?”, questions remain regarding the participation of children. What constitutes genuine participation—and not tokenism—and how can planners design authentic participatory projects to engage them? We seek answers to this question through reflecting on a pilot collaborative effort which sought to engage children in the 2045 Oahu Regional Transportation Plan. Our paper reflects on the engagement, highlighting lessons learned when doing public participation with this age group. We find that by merging deliberative planning and pedagogy, planners can bring this marginalized stakeholder group to the table and lay the foundation for meaningful, intergenerational dialog about our collective future.