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
Making schools cool – architecture at its best
The 10 shortlisted school designs in the running for the 2018 World Architecture Festival (WAF) award provide a true feast for the eye. Australia leads the way with three entries, while schools in Iran, Singapore, Morocco,...Read more
Grants reward US designers combining play with daily life
Creators of unusual play initiatives in cities in Michigan and New York states are hoping to benefit from a series of grants worth $1 million US dollars. The funding is being provided through the Play Everywhere...Read more
More children are living in high-rise apartments – so designers should keep them in mind
Australian cities are changing. Instead of families living in low-density suburban areas, more parents are raising children in high-rise housing in inner-city areas. Despite this, much of the high-rise housing stock in Australia has been...Read more
Implementing child-friendly policies in Latin American cities
Irene Quintáns is a force to be reckoned with. She is on a crusade helping cities across Latin America implement child-friendly policies. Aside from her passion, a key part of her success is her ability to...Read more
Urban congress sees designers put children’s needs first
A whole new approach towards the concept of ‘children’s space’ in urban environments was one of the highlights of the Cities on the Rise event in the Irish city of Cork. It was held by the...Read more
Wellbeing City Award will recognise child-friendly thinking
Cities which put children and families at the heart of their policy-making could have their reputation enhanced through the new WellBeing City Award. Launched by the Canada-based NewCities Foundation, the award aims to create a global...Read more
Famed Mexico City fountain gets play makeover
The transformation of a historic Mexico City fountain into a children’s playground has shown what can be done with underused urban spaces. The makeover – albeit a temporary one – was the winning entry in the...Read more