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
Big picture, small cities: why urban development needs national governments
City governments can play a crucial role in reducing national emissions, even amounting to 15 percent of the reductions needed to avoid the most serious levels of climate change. More and more, cities are acting independently...Read more
Sharjah is Unicef’s newest ‘child-friendly city’
Unicef has named Sharjah as the first ‘Child Friendly City’ in the Arabian Gulf. The accolade recognises the United Arab Emirates city’s commitment to developing strategies with children squarely in mind. To be accepted as child...Read more
Cities can use dashboards to make better decisions about early childhood
At a time when more of the world’s children are growing up in cities than ever before, the Bernard van Leer Foundation is working with city governments around the world to find new and scalable...Read more
A report from the NACTO Designing Cities Conference
Now in its sixth year, the NACTO Designing Cities Conference brought together 800 officials, planners, and practitioners to Chicago to advance the state of transportation in cities through plenaries, workshops, walkshops and sessions. The Designing...Read more
Building the prefab schools of the future
Prefab technology is driving the development of new classrooms in Australia that are a world away from the old “portables” you may remember. Access to schools with high-quality classrooms and safe learning environments is something every...Read more
Growing up in the city: Putting children first creates cities for all
A child-friendly city is a city for everyone, young and old. This is because a place that works for children needs to be walkable, safe, green, and rich in opportunities for play and adventure. It...Read more
Hong Kong needs inclusive playgrounds for disabled children
A pilot study reveals a number of existing playgrounds in Hong Kong lack inclusive facilities that cater to the needs of disabled children. The research also highlights obstacles and opportunities for change. Researchers found no...Read more