Children’s feedback helps create ‘Pocket Park’ in Brazilian city
The Brazilian city of Recife has inaugurated its Arari Ferreira ‘pocket park’ thanks to the work of the Bernard van Leer FoundationRead more
India launches family-friendly cities initiative
The Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge, designed to focus on shaping cities for young children and their families, has been launched in India.Read more
Without sustainable cities, global development goals will fail
Cities have been the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic, with little discrimination between more and less developed urban environments.Read more
How air pollution, green space and the ‘built environment’ may shape a child’s body mass index
Exposure to higher air pollution levels and greater population density during the early months of life may be associated with an increase in children’s body mass index (BMI).Read more
Hackney asks: how can we become a ‘child-friendly borough’?
One of London’s most densely-populated boroughs is asking residents how it can best incorporate a set of child-friendly principles into its future development.Read more
How ‘school streets’ could create safer, healthier cities
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, communities living in cities need cleaner air to breathe and outdoor public space to be social yet physically distanced.Read more
Children of Bratislava once again at the heart of the city
The Slovak capital’s Children for Bratislava project (Deti pre Bratislavu), which puts young people at the heart of the city, is preparing for its second year.Read more
Forest-based children’s play yards can quickly boost their immune systems
Replacing gravel and stones in children’s outdoor play areas with ‘a mini forest’ can significantly help to boost youngsters’ immune systems.Read more
How Oslo achieved zero pedestrian and bicycle fatalities, and how others can apply what worked
In 2015, the City of Oslo, Norway, made a commitment after years of rising transportation injuries to reduce car traffic and prioritize the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and the environment.Read more
New Malmo school shows cities the way forward architecturally
A new high school in Malmo, Sweden, has shown how space-saving architecture can deliver the very best educational facilities in busy cities. Read more
Can COVID-19 inspire a new way of planning African cities?
Health crises are not new in Africa. The continent has grappled with infectious diseases on all levels, from local (such as malaria) to regional (Ebola) to global (COVID-19). The region has often carried a disproportionately...Read more
What makes a child-friendly city? Redesigning safer and healthier urban spaces for young people
Children are often under-prioritized or even disregarded in urban planning and design. It’s estimated that up to 500 children die daily in road crashes around the world; thousands more incur injuries and psychological trauma from collisions...Read more
Reclaiming the streets of Barcelona
Every morning, Norma Nebot used to rush her children into the car for the stressful school run on roads clogged with traffic and pollution. Although it was only a short journey, the cars speeding along...Read more
Sunshine Coast shows the way to create good design loved by communities
Our collective retreat to the safety of our homes during the COVID-19 lockdown has provoked an awakening to the value of local areas for work, play and connecting.Read more