Road barrier design could protect children from roadside air pollution
Researchers in the UK have designed a unique curved roadside barrier which they hope can protect children from the damaging effects of air pollution. With air pollution becoming an increasingly dangerous global health challenge, researchers are...Read more
Children’s committee inspiring the architecture for new Austrian arts centre
Children in the Austrian city of St Pölten are inspiring the design of a new architectural project that will give them the opportunity to learn more about contemporary art and culture.Read more
Decatur latest US city hoping to join Child-Friendly Cities Initiative
Decatur is the latest city to announce that it is working towards being formally recognised as a UNICEF USA Child-Friendly City.Read more
Vantaa sets its sights on becoming a UNICEF Child Friendly City
Vantaa has been selected by Finland’s UNICEF committee to participate in its Child Friendly Cities Model, and will be supported to make the city’s infrastructure designed with children as a priority.Read more
Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge India selects its latest cities
Agartala, Bengaluru and Coimbatore are among a group of Indian cities selected for the Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge cohort, a three-year initiative aimed at supporting early childhood-friendly neighbourhoods under the government’s Smart Cities Mission.Read more
Sustainable cities after COVID-19: are Barcelona-style green zones the answer?
The lockdowns and restrictions introduced to control the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in huge changes to urban life. Previously bustling city centres remain empty, shunned in favour of suburban or rural areas where social...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
Re-imagining Baltimore as a ‘city for children’
Imagine, for a moment, what an ideal Baltimore City would look like. Who would it be for? What qualities would it have? With so many deep-set, interconnected challenges in our city it is hard to...Read more
The first participative design for sustainable public schools in Ecuador
A truly collaborative process is the only way to describe the Nueva Escuela project in Ecuador, which has seen school pupils and their community play a central role in the design of a sustainable school....Read more
Young children are intuitive urban planners – we would all benefit from living in their ‘care-full’ cities
In an age of climate crisis, unaffordable housing and increasing disparities of wealth, the livability and functionality of our cities are more important than ever. And yet, important voices are missing from urban planning debates...Read more
Paris halves street parking and moves towards more child-friendly spaces
Paris is set to remove half of its 140,000 on-street car parking spaces as it aims to make the city greener and more people & child-friendly. Authorities in the French capital want to remove some 70,000...Read more
Children’s views should be taken into account when designing urban space
Children see the world in a different way to adults, but urban planning policies rarely take this into account. By focusing on adult needs and views, children are often planned out of our public spaces...Read more
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