S2CITIES - AMBATO
A global program
A city that listens to its young people
Since 2023, Ambato has been part of S²Cities — Safe and Sound Cities, a global program that seeks to improve the well-being, safety, and quality of life of adolescents and young people through the participatory transformation of public space. What began as a question how do we make cities safer and healthier for young people? today translates into transformed public spaces, strengthened local policies, and young people leading processes of urban change.
Ambato became one of the first secondary cities in Latin America to be part of the program and, together with Cuenca, positioned Ecuador as one of the few countries in the world with two participating cities.
With a population of approximately 400,000 inhabitants and a median age of 28, Ambato is a young city. In accordance with Article 39 of the Constitution of Ecuador, which upholds the participation of young citizens in governance, its local government maintains a firm commitment to actively involving young people in public decision-making and the management of civic affairs.
The program is led globally by the Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation, organized by the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, and supported by Fondation Botnar. In Ambato, local implementation is carried out by Huasipichanga together with Fundación Tandem, in coordination with the Municipality of Ambato.
Together, we have embarked on the mission of engaging more than 18,000 young people, with the goal of fostering entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable economic development. Using innovative placemaking strategies and systems thinking, this partnership seeks to co-create solutions together with young people to address urgent problems such as traffic congestion, mobility, and safety.
Listening before intervening: the youth well-being surveys 🗣️
And you, how do you feel living in Ambato? The first step is always to listen. That's why we gathered the perspectives of young people aged 14 to 29 on safety, public space, mobility, participation, and other aspects of their well-being.
2023: the starting point
In 2023, the program conducted a survey with 1,558 young people in Ambato, whose results revealed an urgent reality: 81% said they felt at risk in the city's public spaces. That figure became the starting point for understanding how young people experience the city and for guiding concrete urban transformation actions.
2025: a broader look at youth well-being
Two years later, we conducted a second survey with more than 2,100 young people, expanding the conversation to topics such as public space, mental health, employment, citizen participation, safety, and quality of life. Its results were presented in December 2025 during the "Jóvenes que Inspiran Ciudad" (Young People Who Inspire the City) gathering, at Ambato's South Terminal, and today they form the basis for new urban interventions and the strengthening of public policies with a youth focus
Huasipichanga: local implementation to transform the city
As the local implementing partner, Huasipichanga leads the program in Ambato together with Fundación Tandem, promoting processes where young people, the community, academia, and the municipality work together.
The implementation combines urban research, pedagogy, placemaking, and community activations to strengthen the bond between young people and public space.
Since 2023, the following have been driven:
Training processes in placemaking and youth leadership.
Art workshops, outdoor cinema, community mingas, and neighborhood activations.
Spaces for dialogue with public institutions.
Co-creation processes with municipal staff to incorporate youth participation into urban planning.
First transformations: RenovArte and Espacio Sano y Seguro
The ideas selected in the Hackathon are implemented by the Local Grantee, the Municipal GAD, and ICLEI, as well as with other implementing partners. The youth teams take part in the implementation to bring their idea to life.
RenovArte:
Reclaiming a forgotten space
One of the first milestones of the program was RenovArte, the transformation of the Mir Mir passage, a highly trafficked stairway that was perceived as unsafe and avoided by citizens.
With an approximate investment of USD 20,000 from international cooperation, the space was intervened through community furniture, lighting, urban art, and improvements for citizen gathering.
The intervention turned an avoided place into an active point of permanence, appropriation, and coexistence, showing that small transformations can generate big changes in the perception of safety and well-being.
Implementation Team: RAMA Estudio, Huasipichanga, Alex Barreno, and Erika Sánchez.
Implementation Site: Av. 12 de Noviembre to Av. El Rey.
+61 community, academic, and civil allies
Espacio Sano y Seguro
Transforming habits and perceptions
Another milestone was Espacio Sano y Seguro (Healthy and Safe Space), an intervention carried out at the two cul-de-sacs near the Technical University of Ambato.
The place was identified as a recurrent spot for alcohol consumption among students. After the intervention and the community process developed, the space underwent a significant change: it went from recording around 70 young people drinking in the area to just 2 recurring cases, transforming the perception of safety and the everyday use of the place.
Implementation Team: RAMA Estudio, Huasipichanga, Mathias Ponce, Jonathan Ramos, Dayana Bastidas, Melanie Perez, Fernanda Sánchez.
Implementation Site: Río Yasuni and Río Cutuchi, near the Technical University of Ambato.
Interested in becoming an implementing partner?
If you are part of an institution, private company, or foundation interested in supporting young people to create a Healthy and Safe Ambato, or if you have ideas or projects in which you'd like young people to participate… Get in touch!
Urbano Placemaking School
Young people who learn by making the city
Urban transformations were not born in offices or at desks.
For nine months, 18 young people between the ages of 18 and 29 took part in the Urbano Placemaking School, a training space driven by Huasipichanga where they researched the city, walked through territories, analyzed issues, and designed real solutions for Ambato.
Through participatory methodologies, the participants learned about public space, tactical urbanism, youth well-being, urban research, participatory design, and community leadership.
The result was the creation of urban proposals built from the everyday experience of those who live the city.
2026: two new interventions designed by young people
With USD 60,000 from international cooperation, the program is driving a new stage of urban transformation with two interventions designed and led by young people, both with technical feasibility approval from the Municipality of Ambato.
ENTRE PANAS: Julio Jaramillo Park / Santa Inés
Entre Panas (Among Friends) seeks to turn the park into a living space for youth and community gathering.
The proposal incorporates multifunctional modules for workshops, outdoor coworking, art exhibitions, cultural gatherings, and community activities, strengthening the sense of belonging and neighborhood coexistence.
CAMINA NOMÁS: Ingahurco, UTA → La Laguna Park
Camina Nomás (Just Keep Walking) transforms one of the everyday routes of university students between the Technical University of Ambato and La Laguna Park.
The proposal includes murals, shaded areas, and urban improvements aimed at making the route safer, more pleasant, and more identity-rich, placing everyday well-being at the center of urban design.
Cumulative impact since 2023
+72 young people trained
14 public sector institutions involved
143 community activities carried out
Systemic changes driven
Creation and institutionalization of the Municipal Roundtable on Youth Well-being and Placemaking.
Participation of young people presenting proposals before the Operational Technical Committees of the Municipality of Ambato.
International representation at the World Urban Forum: Cairo 2024.
Recognition of Ambato as a global reference in youth participation and urban transformation.
