The effects of city living on a child’s health
The question of whether children raised in cities are more likely to be better informed about exercise and good diet is a complex one. Yet it’s just one strand of the whole conversation about how...Read more
New Zealand school project connects rural and urban children
School children in New Zealand have been working together in an educational project to unlock similarities and differences between urban and rural life. The CLASS-ified Moostery Challenge, organised by DairyNZ, paired 150 rural and 150 urban...Read more
Australia’s children speak up about their rights
Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner Megan Mitchell has been touring the nation’s cities to hear from children and their advocates about whether child rights are being protected. She has been gathering feedback through data and stories for...Read more
Survey asks children: what do you want from Europe?
A new online survey aims to capture the views of children and young people on the future of Europe. Partners UNICEF and Eurochild say it is a rare opportunity for children living on the continent...Read more
Attentive adults increase children’s ability to empathise
Adults play a large part in helping children to develop empathy at an early age, according to new research carried out in Sweden. Researchers at Lund University found that adults engaging with children in social situations...Read moreEurochild Plan aligns children’s rights with EU policies
Eurochild has adopted a new strategic plan aimed at ensuring children’s rights are a core consideration of EU member states policies. The Strategic Plan of Eurochild for 2019-2021 sets out how this EU-supported network of children’s...Read more
How to help autistic children socialise in school
Not all children with autism need the same level of support with socialisation in schools, and unnecessary segregation only makes the process more difficult. That’s the view of experienced teacher and trainer Rebecca Wood, of the University...Read more
Call for participants: new series on affordability in cities
In my ongoing quest to understand how and why families choose to live in cities, I am launching a new series and, I need your help. The research My Affordable City will profile families living in big...Read more
Building better play: five ways London playgrounds are getting it right
In this article, the US play researcher Meghan Talarowski reports on how her six-month study of playgrounds in London inspired her, and what it is that she found they were doing better. “Life is either a...Read more
EU marks Children’s Day by including them in Parliamentary debate
Children and young people from across Europe have joined members of the European Parliament to mark World Children’s Day with the launch of a new dialogue around the theme of “The Europe We Want.” Adrian Voce...Read more
New publication on engaging children and families in city building
The 8 80 cities project in partnership with the Bernard van Leer Foundation and Urban 95 has published a new report on the participation and engagement of children, young people and their families in creating...Read more
“After today, let nobody say it’s not possible”.
In this multimedia report of a community festival in South London, Rob Hopkins celebrates how the joy of a child playing in a previously unloved public space became a catalyst to transform not just the...Read more
Swiss students put planning into practice at school
Breitenbach in the canton of Solothurn is pioneering a new approach, unique in Switzerland, to children and young people’s participation in the planning and design of their built environment. The municipality is giving students at...Read more
Participation can draw out the strength to tackle problems
In the second part of her reflection on the children’s participation theme at the recent international seminar on urban planning, Karine Van ‘t Land suggests that a synthesis of two different approaches may provide the...Read more