African cities can raise more money for urban development
African cities will gain a billion new residents by 2050. But local authorities across the continent don’t have the resources, powers or skills set to meet the growing demand for housing and services. Africa’s rapid urbanisation is...Read more
How nature can help promote higher use of play environments
By integrating the living landscape with the built environment, studies show that children reach a higher range of active behaviors, a greater diversity of play opportunities is offered, and the experience becomes more enriching for...Read more
Keeping our cities working
Making our biggest cities more efficient, affordable and accessible will raise the living standards of nearly all Australians, but it will also require some compromise. Australia’s economic future depends on the smooth operation of its big...Read more
Cities are not the enemies of children
Lia Karsten is the new president of the Child in the City’s Scientific Program Committee (SPC). She was chair of the 9th Child in the City world conference in Vienna and is excited to usher...Read more
Detroit officials hand the planning baton to kids
Municipality officials in Detroit planning the city’s future taking the view that stuffy meetings held ‘for the sake of meetings’ can be pointless – so why not enlist children’s help in the planning process? In a...Read more
Protecting our thirsty urban trees from more harsh summers
Urban forests are great for keeping our cities cool, but as temperatures go up they need water to survive – and that’s where redirecting storm water to street trees comes in. With increasing heat in the...Read more
CiTC 2018: Child-friendly planning – parallel session report
How can we ensure child-friendly planning is a reality? It’s a question which gave real food for thought as the first parallel session in the Feestsaal hall at Child in the City World Conference 2018. A...Read more
How would cities look if mothers designed them?
Architecture’s lack of diversity shows in urban environments which have little input from people with ‘lived experience’ – such as mothers who know exactly what will benefit children and young people. That’s the view of Christine...Read more
‘Reclaim city streets for children’, keynote speaker Ankita Chachra tells CitC 2018
“We have the space – we just need to reclaim it.” The words of urban designer Ankita Chachra who used the opening keynote speech at Child in the City 2018 to shine a light on...Read more
Urban95 partnership expands in Brazil
The Brazilian city of Boa Vista is the latest urban centre to embrace the Urban95 initiative, which asks planners and architects to experience cities through a child’s eyes. Created by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Urban95’s...Read more
Meet Ankita Chachra – keynote speaker at CiTC World Conference 2018
It is with great pleasure that we will welcome Ankita Chachra as our third keynote speaker to this month’s Child and the City World Conference 2018. An acclaimed urban designer, few are better placed than...Read more
Toronto road safety plan puts schoolchildren first
Children starting the new school year in Toronto are the focus of a comprehensive new road safety initiative designed to protect and educate. The City of Toronto is working with partners right across Canada’s most populated...Read more
Putting young ‘city-zens’ at the heart of urban planning
How does a child ‘see and experience’ a city? Solve this and you unlock the secret to what really constitutes a child-friendly environment that works for everyone. It’s a question which urban planner Aminah Ricks...Read more
‘Children belong in the suburbs’: with more families in apartments, such attitudes are changing
What is it that most influences where families make a home? Questions around affordability, children’s facilities and lifestyles all play a part in the decision-making process. It’s also an issue which this month’s Child in...Read more