The commercialisation of child friendly cities and other challenges
During the upcoming Child in the City seminar in Antwerp, Sven De Visscher will be part of the roundtable discussion on qualitative vertical housing environments for children. In this interview, Sven gives us insight into his work,...Read more
Green spaces help combat loneliness but they demand investment
Urban green spaces – including parks, woodlands, riverbanks, and gardens – are an essential part of a web of physical and mental well-being. They provide spaces to socialise and opportunities to connect with the natural...Read more
Urban planning can be elitist, but art empowers people to reimagine their city’s future – artist’s view
From crises in housing and public space, to social unrest due to austerity measures and environmental destruction – in this era of urban upheaval, city leaders often turn to art as a way of empowering...Read more
Urban planning for children in Ho Chi Minh City
Last summer 275 children from 8 to 14 years joined a summer programme that introduced them to urban planning in Ho Chi Minh City. The children designed and planned smarter and more child-friendly areas in...Read more
5 Cities show what urban transformation really looks like
Urbanization is changing the face of the planet – for better and for worse. City populations, GDP and investment are increasing exponentially. At the same time, carbon emissions are rising, more and more people are living in...Read more
Urban planning is failing children and breaching their human rights
Children are being left out of decisions about the environments created around them, when really, their needs should be at the heart of them. In the UK, children are becoming less healthy – physically and mentally...Read more
Why play is important in urban development
It is time that we put children at the center of urban planning. That is the opinion of Kirti Zala, Project Head of aProCh a community based initiative in the city of Ahmedabad. In this article, Kirti...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
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
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