About Us
Mission statement
Child in the City is an independent foundation. The main objective of the Child in the City Foundation is to strengthen the position of children in cities, promote and protect their rights, connecting people around these shared objectives and giving a platform for the exchange of research results and good practices directed at the creation of child-friendly cities.
Vision
We do this by providing communication platforms for the communities of interest (academics, practitioners, (local) authorities and campaigners for children’s rights) where they can disseminate research and develop good practice for the creation of genuinely child-friendly cities.
The foundation observes 5 general guidelines and encourages national and local networks to translate these into specific local policies addressing local points of focus. The general guidelines are: an holistic, integral and intergenerational approach; the importance of participation for children and young people; and dynamic trade and continuous challenge.
Aim
- To strengthen the position of children in cities and to develop child-friendly environments,
- To promote children’s rights and to translate children’s rights in local urban planning.
- To connect professionals around these shared objectives, and giving a platform for research and interesting practices.
- To give children and youngsters a voice in creating supportive environments.
- To improve opportunities to play and to enjoy a rich social and cultural lives.
How do we do this?
- Website: New articles posted Monday – Friday 7-10 articles a week
- Weekly newsletters: Sent every Thursday morning to 9,854 people
- Social media: Facebook 3,033 Likes and 3,346 Followers, Twitter 2,182 Followers, Linkedin Group with 599 members, Instagram 1.299 followers
- Bi-annual World Conferences held in different cities
- Regular Seminars focusing on one specific topic for a more in-depth approach
We have a group of subject matter experts (incl. children’s professionals, university lecturers, researchers, city planners, etc.) from all over the world, who write for us and share research findings and good practices from the various disciplines that are important to the shared aim of creating child friendly cities. Our network of enthusiastic and dedicated writers produce articles on the following subjects:
- Participation
- Nature, green and sustainability
- Mobility and freedom of movement
- Urban planning and housing
- Children’s geographies
- Play and public space
- Intergenerational approaches
- Poverty and health issues
- Family and parenting
- Education
The Scientific Program Committee
The Child in the City Foundation organizes seminars and conferences together with city officials and the members of the Scientific Program Committee. The Scientific Program Committee is primary responsible for the quality of the meetings and its presentations. They do so by initiating highly relevant topics and expert keynote speakers and by reviewing submitted abstracts. Abstracts that do not meet quality standards (see the criteria for submitted abstracts) are rejected. The members of the SPC are present during all seminars and conferences and easy accessible to all participants to discuss lectures, presentations and eventually new initiatives for future meetings. The Scientific Program Committee has an international board, presided by Lia Karsten (University of Amsterdam). Its members are rooted in different countries and have different disciplinary backgrounds. Meet the members of the Child in the City Scientific Program Committee here.
Child in the City Conferences and Seminars
The Foundation organises bi-annual conferences and regular seminars in different cities.
The conferences and seminars are organized to enable social scientists, researchers, practitioners, politicians and city planners from all over the world to share their thoughts and develop new ideas to meet the needs of children in modern cities. Host cities have included Bruges, Stuttgart, London, Rotterdam, Florence, Zagreb and Odense, Vienna, Antwerp and Leeds. The next Seminar will take place in June 2021 in Cascais. The next World Conference will be held in autumn 2021 in Dublin, Ireland. Find a full overview here
The conferences are high-profile events, with previous attendance by political figures such as the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingston, the Danish Royal Princess Mary and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands.
Contact:
Child in the City is managed by a volunteer board and a Scientific Program Committee.
Daily affairs are taken care of by Promedia Group:
Child in the City Event manager – Manouk Brouwers Manouk.brouwers@childinthecity.org
Child in the City Editor – Simon Weedy simon.weedy@promedia.nl