How toddlers in Japanese cities are encouraged to roam independently
Young Japanese children portrayed in a TV show walking the city alone as they do chores shines a light on how the country’s young children are encouraged to be more independent than many of their...Read more
Urban95 ‘phase two’ up and running in Pune
The Indian city of Pune is rolling out the next part of the acclaimed Urban95 programme that looks at cities’ infrastructures through the eyes of a young child.Read more
Sponge parks and vertical gardens – how cities are using nature to overcome extreme weather
In January 2021, Storm Christoph pummelled the United Kingdom with heavy rains and the threat of unmanageable runoff. But in flood-prone Manchester, a newly-developed park was proving its worth. West Gorton Park had ‘drunk’ the rainwater,...Read more
Canadian city asks residents to shape its ‘family-friendly’ housing plans
The Canadian city of Hamilton hopes that public feedback will be the key driver in its future plans for delivering housing that truly meets the needs of children and their families.Read more
Join us at the Cascais Child in the City International Seminar
Experts in urban planning, play, education and children’s rights will be sharing their experiences at our forthcoming Child in the City International Seminar.Read more
Registration is now open for Cascais
Are children and young people being heard when it comes to developing national and local policies? What measures can and should be taken to protect their rights and participation in a post-pandemic time? These are...Read more
Playing outside: who, where and what?
Fortunately, more and more attention is being paid to a play-friendly public space in both research and policy. Yet there is still little insight into very basic questions. For example, do boys play more outside than...Read more
New partnership to inspire child-friendly urban design in Latin America cities
Urban95, the child-inspired design project of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, has joined forces with the the non-profit United Way’s Latin America branch, to share leadership knowledge of making cities there more child-friendly.Read more
Lessons from lockdown: How COVID-19 affected road safety around the world
COVID-19 changed the way people move around cities. In 2020, demand for travel dropped dramatically, and many urban areas enforced restrictions on movement through lockdowns in a bid to control the impact of the pandemic.Read more
How tactical urbanism can transform the way children use the city
Planned development takes time, and proposed changes may be sluggish to implement, often challenged by bureaucratic powers that deny cities the opportunity to ‘get things done’. Sometimes cities need an injection of tactical urbanism to...Read more
Planning and designing child-friendly living spaces – lessons from Switzerland
A series of important ‘child-friendly living spaces’ resources aimed at professionals, produced by UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein, are now available in English.Read more
Child-inspired design of new Urban 95 playgrounds in refugee shelters
The Bernard van Leer Foundation has opened three new playspaces that are incorporated within child and family-focused refugee shelters in the Brazilian city of Boa Vista.Read more
Australia putting children and young people at the heart of city design
Australian children will be given a voice in the design of cities under an innovative partnership launched by UNICEF Australia and the Bupa Foundation.Read more
Urban planning ‘may affect a child’s cognitive and motor development’
A new study from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has provided further scientific evidence of the health benefits of well-designed urban planning. It suggests the built environment, green space and air pollution can...Read more