Introducing and sustaining learning landscapes in urban environments
Early childhood is a critical stage for healthy brain development. While good public policy and public health have important roles to play in improving outcomes, architect Itai Palti, director of Studio Hume and designer of...Read more
A design competition that’s putting a new spin on parking
Spin and Better Block Foundation are calling on designers, urbanists and anyone who cares about safe and livable streets, to submit ideas for a new generation of multimodal parklets. Winning projects will be rolled out...Read more
Climate research needs to change to help communities plan for the future
Climate change is a chronic challenge – it is here now, and will be with us throughout this century and beyond. As the U.S. government’s National Climate Assessment report made clear, it’s already affecting people...Read more
Meet Leo Van Broeck, the Flemish Government Architect
Leo Van Broeck is a civil engineer and architect and co-founder of the Brussels architecture office Bogdan & Van Broeck. On 1 September 2016, the Flemish Government appointed Leo as the Government Architect for the...Read more
The urban development expert in you and me
Jens Aerts will give his keynote presentation at the Child in the City International Seminar in Antwerp next month. His keynote is titled ‘Shaping a sustainable urban future for and by children’. In this interview,...Read more
Extreme weather exposes the vulnerability of our cities to climate change
Despite the Patriots winning the Super Bowl, January and February were not kind months for the people of Boston and New England. By February 10th, more than 60 inches of snow in 30 days fell...Read more
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
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
Building cities for a changing climate
Our cities are responsible for a large chunk of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, so the way we plan and construct them has to adapt to the future impacts of climate change. Worldwide, buildings are responsible...Read more
Design as democracy: Barcelona’s ‘Carritos’ encourage a more inclusive urbanism
Community participation has become a checklist item for any major urban development project. But what does community participation actually mean? What would it look like if we flipped the responsibility of engagement from citizens to...Read more
A handbook on child-responsive urban planning
‘Shaping urbanization for children’ is a free UNICEF handbook for child-responsive urban planning. The handbook demonstrates what is possible and attainable through child-responsive, area-based and community-led planning, in a local context. The handbook answers three questions: why planning...Read more