Tampa City Council's Naya Young Focuses on Long-Term Vision for City and District 5

The newest and youngest City Council member talks priorities for youth empowerment, smart growth, economic development, and strong neighborhoods.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Tampa City Council member Naya Young, the newest and youngest member of the council, represents District 5, a sprawling area that includes East Tampa, downtown, Ybor City, the Channel District, and parts of Tampa Heights and North Tampa. Young's approach to governance is rooted in collaboration, transparency, and a clear-eyed understanding of what city government can and cannot do on its own. Her policy priorities include youth empowerment, smart growth, economic development, and strong neighborhoods.

Why it matters

Young's district includes long-established Black and brown communities that remain underinvested and underserved, even as development accelerates in other areas. Her focus on bringing young people into the civic fold and addressing affordability issues in a rapidly changing city highlights the challenges facing Tampa's diverse communities.

The details

Young emphasizes the need to build rapport between city staff and council, recognizing that collaboration across agencies and entities is necessary to improve the city. She sees zoning reform, including policies friendlier to accessory dwelling units, duplexes, and small-scale infill development, as part of the solution to address affordability and prevent longtime residents from being pushed out. Young is also a consistent advocate for smarter, more coordinated transportation and land use planning, including supporting initiatives like HART's Route 1 pilot and the planned 22-mile Green ARTery multi-use trail.

  • Young took her seat on the Tampa City Council on October 31, 2025.
  • The Green ARTery multi-use trail is a planned 22-mile project connecting roughly 20 central and East Tampa neighborhoods.

The players

Naya Young

The newest and youngest member of the Tampa City Council, representing District 5.

Lena Young-Green

Community activist and organizer, and Naya Young's grandmother, who canvassed door-to-door with Young as a teenager to advocate for the Green ARTery project.

Lynn Hurtak

A fellow Tampa City Council member who has been closely aligned with Young on transit initiatives like HART's Route 1 pilot.

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What they’re saying

“We need to build rapport between staff and council…Recognizing that we have to work together, across agencies and entities, to actually make the city better.”

— Naya Young, Tampa City Council member (83degreesmedia.com)

“All of our single-family neighborhoods are rapidly becoming exclusively for rich people.”

— Naya Young, Tampa City Council member (83degreesmedia.com)

What’s next

Young's long-term vision for Tampa and District 5 includes continued collaboration with city staff, other council members, and regional partners to address issues of youth empowerment, affordable housing, and coordinated transportation and land use planning.

The takeaway

Naya Young's approach to governance, rooted in collaboration, transparency, and a focus on the long-term needs of her diverse district, highlights the importance of city leaders who are willing to ask tough questions, build partnerships, and work towards sustainable solutions for underserved communities.