The local government of Naga City in Camarines Sur, Philippines is ready to address urban safety issues, but there is a lack of contextualized data to fully understand an issue as layered as safety. Safety challenges are also unique to each city and demographic, so there is a need for localized data and evidence before tailor-fit solutions can be planned and implemented.
In their implementation of the Safe and Sound Cities (S²Cities) Programme in Naga City, the WeSolve Foundation, Inc. utilized a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach to meet the city’s need for a more holistic understanding of communities affected by safety issues, while also enabling the local youth—a sector that is both a problem owner and stakeholder in terms of urban safety—to lead the way in identifying, understanding, and innovating solutions for these issues.
This approach also resulted in an enhanced partnership between the local government and local youth, who have been equipped with knowledge and skills in data gathering and analysis that can be used for urban development; and a more in-depth view of safety issues in the city supported by lived experiences of residents that were gathered through PAR.
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