About – Young Urbanists of Southeast Asia

Shape the region’s urban future

Young Urbanists of Southeast Asia (YUSEA) is a pan-Southeast Asian network of young people interested in Southeast Asian urbanism. We aim to bring together a diversity of identities, professional backgrounds and viewpoints to co-create a forum for dynamic discussions on key issues concerning Southeast Asian urbanism. Through panels, networking events, research publications and more, we hope to foster peer-to-peer learning and connections between youths and senior city-makers across the region. YUSEA is committed to developing our members’ skills and building a community of changemakers through our capacity-building programmes.

A focus on Southeast Asia

A dynamic region, with 5 of the world’s cities rated Alpha- and above in global influence, where 51% of the population now lives in urban areas

Diverse membership

A network comprising 34 core team members residing in 11 countries across 3 continents, with events and initiatives that aim to reach across the Southeast Asian region

Diversity of professional backgrounds

with members, advisors, and guests from industries such as planning, academic research, civil society, and international development among others, enabling peer-to-peer connections and intergenerational learning between youths and senior city-makers

The Founding Story

Dao and Josh come from two very different paths of life. Dao grew up near an orphanage with underprivileged kids in the suburbs of Hanoi, hence he finds his passion in creating sustainable and inclusive urban development for all, particularly the marginalized community in Southeast Asian cities. His co-founder, Josh, comes from Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, and growing up he has seen how youth leadership helps build safe spaces and bright futures for cities. We established YUSEA to create a better future for ASEAN cities by building a network of people interested in Southeast Asian urbanism, regardless of their nationalities or backgrounds. We started with a team of 12, including Sophie, Charlie, Barnabas, Aimpavee, Kolatat, Wen Qi, and Sherly.

However, there is more to our foundation story than the experiences of two individuals. YUSEA is the representation of everyone who has helped our organization grow from its inception, no matter how small or large the contribution. We are committed to promoting a shared understanding based on the diversity of viewpoints regardless of nationalities, backgrounds, or identities, and we will continue to work tirelessly in breaking down the restraints of today to enable the possibilities of a better future for ASEAN cities.

I believe that all of us – urban youth of Southeast Asia – are city-makers, even when we don’t know it… We know what to do with our cities, and have diverse, valuable ideas for how to make things happen. Our mission is to build a platform for those ideas.

Joshua Vargas, Co-Founder

Youth engagement is a crucial part of my life, and together with the team, I strive for meaningful engagement for youth across the region in the city-making process.

Nguyen Dang Dao, Co-Founder