The Bengaluru-based Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) along with Janaagraha, is initiating the Youth Outreach for Urban Renewal (YOUR) initiative to engage the youth in contributing to solutions for urban problems. The initiative will be led by IIHS representatives, advisers and subject matter experts that will allow participants to share their viewpoints on urban problems and the best possible way to resolve them. The sessions that will be open to anyone, will be held at urban cafes across the city that will be a platform for the young minds to discuss city-focused urban challenges.

According to the release by IIHS, the urban cafe discussion is an extension of the nation-wide ongoing student challenge called ‘San-kranti’ that will bring together eight to 10 minds to focus on a city-centric issue. The institute is initiating at least two dozen Urban Cafe discussions in metros including Bengaluru, to build on the ongoing momentum of young people to make a change in India and focus on the renewal of the neighbourhoods, towns and cities they live in.

“A lot can happen over coffee, and the ‘Youth Outreach for Urban Renewal Partnership’ with Cafe Coffee Day will open up a series of conversations on how we can change our neighbourhoods and cities for the better. It will leverage the spirit of positive change in the country today and enable young people to come together. They can discuss the challenges we face as urban citizens on a daily basis and provide solutions to them which we can help implement. Based on requests from students entering the challenge, we have extended the application deadline to October 1, 2011. We will do our best to take the urban cafes and ‘San-kranti’ beyond the realm of conversation into reality,” Director of IIHS, Aromar Revi said in in a release.