Philadelphia families rejoice at school’s new playground amid fears for children’s safety
When Duane Watts was a student at Edward Steel Elementary School in Philadelphia’s Nicetown neighbourhood more than 40 years ago, he remembers running excitedly out of his classroom for recess and being confronted with concrete.Read more
Hong Kong students design sustainable solutions for their schools
Students in Hong Kong have been giving their creative input on the ‘sustainable’ future of their schools through an innovative local and national partnership.Read more
City planning and design with and for young teenagers: Building a ‘teenage space network’ in Antwerp
Young teenagers are often overlooked or neglected in planning and design. The City of Antwerp commissioned Kind & Samenleving (Childhood & Society Research Centre) to map and design a ‘teenage space network plan’ for the Wilrijk...Read more
Vertical schools are increasingly common. This is what students want in ‘high’ school design
The traditional idea of a one-or-two-storey school, spread over a vast campus is no longer an option for some new schools. Population growth and a lack of land in urban areas mean some schools have...Read more
UK school building programme welcomed – but more is needed
More than 1,000 school building improvement projects in England have been given the go-ahead by the UK government.Read more
Giving young people a say in the future of our cities
Giving young people a say in the future of our cities is crucial for creating inclusive and sustainable urban environments. Engaging young people in urban planning and decision-making processes allows them to contribute their unique...Read more
Charity gives adolescent girls in Beirut a helping hand to ‘take control’ of their neighbourhoods
‘My family doesn’t let me get out of the house, because I am a girl… not a boy’ Those are the words of Yara, a 14-year-old girl whose life as a teenager in Beirut comes with...Read more
New urban design guide shows city leaders how to prioritise children’s needs
As the need becomes ever more pressing for child-friendly urban designers and city policymakers to flex their creative muscles, a new guide has been published to provide ideas and inspiration.Read more
GDCI’s Streets for Kids selects the 10 cities to get ‘next level’ support
The Global Designing Streets Initiative (GDCI), a project designed to bring about real positive change for children in cities, has unveiled the 10 cities that will get ‘next level’ support to bring their ideas to...Read more
Forget the conspiracies, 15-minute cities will free us to improve our mental health and wellbeing
The idea of the 15-minute city, according to its originator Carlos Moreno, is that people are no more than a 15-minute walk or bike ride away from all the services they need to live, learn...Read more
Children have their online say on design of Belgian city playground
A digital platform popular with children for creating ‘virtual’ worlds’ is being employed by a Belgian city to redesign a playground.Read more
In Barranquilla, Colombia, urban parks revitalize a declining city
Samira Perez, a longtime resident of Barranquilla, Colombia used to spend her time and money on taxis to take her children to local shopping malls after school and on the weekends. There, they would pass...Read more
Town planners’ expertise is ‘essential’ to children’s recovery from effects of pandemic
Town planning has a vital role to play in helping children bounce back from the pandemic, says the UK’s leading organisation for town planning.Read more
Putting Melbourne’s on-street parking ‘undercover’ would mean a more child-friendly city
The streets of Melbourne could be made significantly more child-friendly if large swathes of on-street parking spaces were moved underground.Read more