International Experience in Child Friendly Urban Design
Background of Child Friendly Urban Design
In recent decades, we have experienced the rapid growth of cities. But low-quality urban public spaces deprive children of the opportunity to enjoy themselves in the city. In 1996, the United Nations Children’s Fund officially launched “Children’s Friendly Cities Initiative” (CFCI). In fact, there are many countries participating globally. At the same time, it has sparked attention towards the well-being of children.
Figure 1: Child Friendly Cities initiatives around the world (Source from https://www.childfriendlycities.org/initiatives)
How to Build a Child Friendly City?
Safety
Basically, safety is the basic guarantee for children in urban life. It mainly refers to two aspects: traffic safety and activity space safety. Traffic safety mainly includes aspects. For example, road system planning, road sections, parking facilities and traffic control. And the safety of activity space mainly includes supporting facilities, street organization, view of the activity space and pavings.Figure 2: Walking bus in London (Source from https://www.nea.org/student-success/great-public-schools/community-schools)
Accessibility
Accessibility refers to a series of children’s travel activities. It includes so many things, such as playing, going to school, shopping and making friends. In designated areas, it is best to ensure that there are no cars traveling with each other. Additionally, buses are provided to ensure long-distance transportation, so that children can safely and conveniently reach every area they want to go.
Recreational Spaces
In fact, interesting games and comfortable rest are the basic guarantees for the construction of a child friendly city. What’s more, high quality recreational spaces can ensure children’s happy play and creativity. In urban design, the scale of urban streets, entertainment venues, amusement facilities, rest facilities and other places that meet children’s needs should be designed from the perspective of children.
Figure 3: Learning landscapes in Denver, USA (Source from https://pin.it/444O82X)
Participability
At this instant, CFCI requires full protection of children’s right to participate in urban designs. The participation of children in urban construction mainly includes ensuring that their suggestions are truly accepted by the government. In a word, it’s important to listen to their needs. Children can play a supervisory role in urban operation. In addition, they can also provide opinions on the problems that exist in urban construction.
Interesting and Successful Cases
Playful public space: Adventure Amusement Park in London
Since 1940, the UK has been building adventure parks in communities and local areas. According to data, adventure parks are more attractive. As a representative of adventure amusement parks, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in London provides children with a variety of open game options. In addition, its most prominent feature is a full-size wooden pirate boat, which serves as a climbing area for children. The most interesting thing is that it’s surrounded by sand for them to play in.
Figure 4: Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in London (Source from https://www.activekids.com.cy/assets/1richter—ships.pdf)
Adventure amusement parks focus on cultivating children’s imagination and sense of adventure. What’s more, they encourage them to challenge their physical and mental abilities. There is a notice posted outside the Princess Diana Memorial Amusement Park in Wales, stating, “This park will intentionally provide some risks, allowing children to cultivate risk awareness in a controlled gaming environment, rather than enduring similar risks in an uncontrolled and ruleless world.”
Liveable Street: Design of Sham Shui Po Child Friendly Street in Hong Kong
Child friendly streets focus on the design of four types of spaces: amusement parks, street green spaces, alleys and rooftop gardens. As can be seen, they provide children with multifunctional social and play spaces. Actually, they mainly increase the number of public facilities.
Figure 5: Types of Sham Shui Po Child Friendly Street in Hong Kong (Source from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/hDTUE-KMcV0ghMGS1x9aRg)
The back alley chosen for the project is near to a coffee shop. And cleaners often come here to clean up. There are many cardboard boxes and abandoned shelves in the alleys, which makes the space unsafe and uninteresting.
Therefore, it is necessary to consider how to use cardboard boxes and shelves. After school, cleaners can utilize these boxes to invite neighbors, passersby and children to create games together. At the same time, the mother of the child can confidently participate in other activities at the coffee shop. On this occasion, the neighbors will take care of their child nearby.
Figure 6: Designs of Sham Shui Po Child Friendly Street in Hong Kong (Source from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/hDTUE-KMcV0ghMGS1x9aRg)
References
01 Gill, T. (2021) Urban playground : how child-friendly planning and design can save cities.
02 Cushing, D.F. & Miller, E. (2020) Creating great places : evidence-based urban design for health and wellbeing.
03 Gleeson, B. & Sipe, N.G. (2006) Creating child friendly cities : reinstating kids in the city. London: Routledge.
04 Gleeson, B. & Sipe, N.G. (2006) Creating child friendly cities : reinstating kids in the city. London: Routledge.
Firstly, this is a blog with clear organization, it made it very easy to read and understand the background and key points of child friendly cities, as well as the analysis of successful cases describing the points of how they succeeded. Secondly, as the author mentioned safety plays a significant role in child friendly cities.
Consequently, to a certain extent, it might be appropriate to claim that Amsterdam was one of the first cities to encourage child-friendly cities, this is because during the 1970s, as the number of cars increased dramatically the number of traffic accidents in Amsterdam related to children also increased, which contributed to a change in the emergence of traffic practices in Amsterdam in order to protect children playing on the streets (Van Der Zee, 2015). This was one of the main factors that subsequently contributed to Amsterdam’s becoming a cycle-friendly city.
In addition, the impact of child-friendly cities on the physical and mental health of young people cannot be ignored. This is because positive play spaces, as well as providing beautiful memories, also have a significant impact on the positive characteristics of children. As Roe and McCay (2021) emphasise, playing is necessary for children and teenagers because of the physical, mental, social, cognitive and emotional benefits of play. For example, such as researcher Gray (2011) claimed that children and teenagers who participate in outdoor activities could effectively reduce their chances of suffering from anxiety and depression.
References:
Gray, P. (2011). “The Decline of Play and the Rise of Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents”. In American Journal of Play, 3 (4): 443–63.
Roe, J., McCay, L. (2021). “The playable city”. In Restorative Cities: Urban Design for Mental Health and Wellbeing. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts. Retrieved November 7, pp. 135–158. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350112919.ch-007.
Van Der Zee, R. (2015). How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/05/amsterdam-bicycle-capital-world-transport-cycling-kindermoord.
Thanks for your sharing! There is no doubt that children is a key part of today’s society, so how to protect them and create a child friendly city for them is high of importance.
After reading this blog, I learnt a lot of new knowledge about child friendly urban design. Many elements need to pay attention to building children’s friendly cities, like safety, accessibility, recreational spaces, participability and so on. While a plan implemented in Barcelona showed that 47% of children were dissatisfied with the space in which they lived. Therefore, many changes were made based on this survey, such as adding sports venues, integrating children’s spaces with society, etc. Now the project has succeeded in making a huge impact in Barcelona(Gill, 2021). Moreover, with the fast development of globalization, cities begin to become the same and lose their uniqueness, and children lose their unique memories of their hometown. So maybe we should slow down and listen to children’s opinions about the world instead of blindly catering to the market. In a sense, the market is the institutionalization of individualism and non-responsibility. Neither buyer nor seller is responsible for anything but himself(Woodhouse, 2021). Here I also want to share an example about child friendly design. There is an urban playground on Fen Court pedestrian street, London. The design concept respects children’s rights and reimagines urban sites. The entire “urban playground” is similar to a 1.8m (width) x 1.8m (height) x 3m (length) assembled building block. These irregular blocks are scattered along the path, like a mysterious game kingdom, attracting children and adults to stop and explore. It is worth mentioning that this assembled design also facilitates the movement and relocation of the “urban playground”. Plus, various parts of the “Urban Playground” were dispersed into major schools, communities, and cultural institutions as permanent amusement equipment, adding more humanistic charm to the entire city.
Reference:
Gill, T. (2021) Urban playground : how child-friendly planning and design can save cities.
Woodhouse, B.B. (2021) The Ecology of Childhood : How Our Changing World Threatens Children’s Rights.
It’s an interesting blog. I found it very helpful for the children.
Child friendly urban design is a forward thinking approach to urban planning and development that prioritizes the needs and well-being of children. Recognizing that cities are shared spaces for people of all ages, this design concept seeks to build surroundings that foster children’s physical, mental and social development. With designated play places such as park and playgrounds meant to provide secure settings for children to explore and engage in unstructured play, safety is a top priority. These areas include age appropriate equipment and safety features to ensure hat children may freely engage with their environment.
Another important feature of child friendly urban planning is the diversity of amenities. Recognizing that children’s interest and preferences vary, well-designed urban environments include a variety of amenities such as nature spaces, sports facilities and playgrounds for various age group. This variety promotes inclusion and guarantees that children may discloser areas that correspond to their own interests and developmental stages.
Green areas are critical components of child friendly urban planning. Green spaces, in addition to its aesthetic value, contribute to children’s general well being by offering chances for outdoor play, relaxation and connection with nature. Greenery has been related to decreased tension, anxiety and weariness in children, promoting a sense of peace and connectedness with the environment.
Child friendly urban design understands the need of designing settings that excite children’s imagination and creativity, in addition to physical features. Exploration and curiosity are encouraged via the use of interactive public art exhibits, appealing landscapes and adaptable play places.
Finally, child friendly urban design encompasses a dedication to developing lively accessible and inclusive urban settings that enable children to thrive while also promoting a feeling of community and contributing to the general livability of cities. As cities expand, including child-friendly ideas guarantees that urban areas are not only planned for today’s population, but also for future generations.
Case study
The city of Malmo, Sweden, is a notable case study of child-friendly urban architecture. The city has used novel techniques to build areas that focus the well-being and development of is youngest citizens, The Bo01 section in Malmo’s Western Harbour stands out as an example for child-centric urban development. The region has car-free zones, which provide a safe setting for children to play and explore. Children are engaged in their urban environment when pedestrian-friendly routes are constructed with bright markers and interactive components.
Furthermore, Bo01 features a variety of play places, such as playgrounds tailored for different age group, green areas and nature inspired landscapes. The district prioritizes sustainability and green roofing to provide students with an educational and sustainable experience.
The introduction of kid engagement activities demonstrates Malmo’s dedication to child-friendly design. Children were actively involved in the planning process, expressing their preferences and requirements, resulting in urban areas that reflect their viewpoints. This inclusive approach develops a sense of belonging and ownership among neighborhood youngster.
Malmo’s child-friendly urban design has boosted community cohesiveness and had a good influence on children’s physical and emotional well-being. The case is a useful example for cities all across the world, underlining the necessity of incorporating child-centric ideas into urban design to create areas that are not only visually beautiful but also supportive of children’s overall development.
After considering the blog’s discussion on designing cities to be child friendly, it becomes clear that such planning is not just helpful but absolutely necessary for promoting development in children. Principles of child-centred planning for children, encapsulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of Children, here highlight that we should create an environment that are inclusive, safe, and stimulating for children. Such an approach also serves to develop their physical, social and cognitive abilities as well as instilling active, participatory citizens of the future. Chawla (2015) stresses that children in urban areas can obtain enormous benefits from contact with nature. Positive effects on children’s minds, emotions and bodies, living close to natural spaces in cities is beneficial for the mental health. In addition, Woolley and Lowe (2013) show that children need to have stimulating play spaces in order for their creativity and social skills to be cultivated. Their research has shown that well-designed play spaces can make a great deal of difference to children’s developmental outcomes. However, while the blog effectively promotes child spaces it fails to address the practical difficulties often encountered when trying to implement such designs. The constraints of space, budgets and other aspects of urban development often make such project difficult to implement. These difficulties call for creative, low-cost ideas that can combine the ideals of child friendly design with the complexities of city construction. It could be the subject of future research and policy discussions to seek out such a middle way, so that child-friendly urban design is not just an idealised concept but a practically realised project in cities around the world. Also, another aspect to consider is the role of children in urban planning. Children, as the main users of such designs, have the right to contribute their ideas about spaces they would occupy and use. Through such a participatory process, urban spaces can become more in tune to children’s needs and at the same time makes children active contributors to their communities.
This blog discusses comprehensively and succinctly how to build child-friendly cities in four areas: safety, accessibility, recreational space, and participability. It gives vivid examples from different places: Adventure Amusement Park in London and Sham Shui Po Child Friendly Street in Hong Kong, both of which highlight the importance of recreational spaces and facilities for child-friendly spaces.
So here I would like to focus on the aspect of recreational space. The blog mentions that a quality recreational space should have recreational spaces and facilities that meet the needs of children. This is an important point, comparing children’s understanding of child-friendly with that of adults and even designers, from a child’s point of view, being child-friendly means having space to play and rest, to play with friends or to discover new ones, as opposed to the health and safety and sustainability that adults and designers value.
As we can see above, in addition to places and facilities for recreation and relaxation there are a few other things that are important for a child-friendly recreational space. Firstly it should be a peer meeting place. There should be some community corners that children can claim as their own, such as ‘a street corner, a place in a local park or plaza, a coffee shop or store, a playing field, a community center or an empty plot’ (Driskell, D, 2017). In these places, children are able to play and socialize freely. For example, Vancouver’s family-friendly housing policy in the 1990s, doubled the proportion of children living in the city center through initiatives such as low-rise family homes, children’s play spaces and safe walking routes within half a mile of school daycare centers; secondly, child-friendly spaces should give children a sense of belonging and the ability to interact with other children of their own age. Bogotá, for example, has created alternative spaces for children to play – giving them the freedom to add paintings and colors to the streets, which mark the routes between kindergartens, schools and parks; and then cohesive community identities, so that children can take pride in the culture of the community and can actively participate in festivals and cultural life; and finally, green areas. Child-friendly recreational spaces should have flat green areas where children can exercise easily, green and shaded parks, and safe “wild” areas. In Rotterdam, for example, open spaces in city parks and forests have been transformed into natural playgrounds, so that children have more “wild” spaces where they can play safely and freely. Such green spaces are good for children’s physical and mental health.
A good city is one that prioritizes children’s well-being and participation, as they are the hallmarks of all successful cities. The Earth Summit and Habitat II highlighted the importance of considering the needs of children and youth in sustainable urban development. Various organizations have initiated programmed and projects to improve the quality of urban life for children and youth. In short, a child-friendly city takes their needs into account and provides them with age-appropriate facilities and opportunities to explore and interact with nature independently. The importance of child-friendliness has been recognized – child-friendly living is a sign of a successful city.
References
1. Driskell, D. & Growing Up in Cities , author (2017) Creating better cities with children and youth a manual for participation.
2. Russell, W., Barclay, M., Tawil, B. and Derry, C. (2019) Children’s Right to Play in Wales: Six years of stories and change since the commencement of the Welsh Play Sufficiency Duty, Cardiff: Play Wales.
3. Digital, S. (no date) Every child’s right to be heard. A resource guide on the UN Committee on the rights of the child general comment no 12, Save the Children’s Resource Centre. Available at: https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/every-childs-right-be-heard-resource-guide-un-committee-rights-child-general-comment-no-12/ (Accessed: 02 January 2024).
4. Shruti, Behera., Ambuj, Kumar. (2021). Children’s Perception of the Environmental Affordances in the Public Spaces: Analysis of Case Examples. 1(01)
5. Quintano, A. (2023) Global citizen festival central park New York City from nyonair, Flickr. Available at: https://flickr.com/photos/quintanomedia/15351915006/in/photostream/ (Accessed: 09 November 2023).
6. T., B. (2023) Walking paths, Flickr. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/85353181@N00/15568190513/in/photolist-pHH3DP-dBJUry-94X1wk-8b9fbe-rL224T-eWDs3p-hYzqUW-5rrRu1-eWQSPm-tST6Y8-5HkFXV-a9QQeG-3gLKoZ-fPBSTL-hZU7ex-4z5iK4-qP1Pmy-hZZ4Ho-vSwyEf-qfdwRk-A1iv2A-AjmXzV-AXkaa8-A1rY7v-AYiYhZ-AjmZQN-A1rDSK-AjmFDX-AEHjxQ-AW9FYN-pN1dZ1-AYjyn2-deQU68-AYj2ax-apPsRW-A1rkWp-AjnB3G-8xJcgg-AEHABJ-AmFB34-A1ieTE-AW9oEQ-imUjge-2smdfW-bC6k3n-85ha7g-hZZfb7-eWDt5p-hZVHJG-ae7Ket/ (Accessed: 08 November 2023).
Yuzhi, your exploration of child-friendly urban design is both informative and insightful, shedding light on the importance of creating cities that prioritize the well-being and experiences of children. While I agree with the fundamental principles you’ve outlined, such as safety, accessibility, recreational spaces, and practicability, I would like to delve into a more in-depth discussion on the challenges and potential limitations of implementing child-friendly urban design strategies.
Your emphasis on safety as a fundamental element in child-friendly urban design is well-founded. Research by Gill highlights the significance of safe and accessible public spaces for children’s physical and mental well-being [1]. However, it’s crucial to consider that achieving safety might entail trade-offs, especially in terms of allowing children to experience controlled risks. There is an ongoing debate in urban planning about the balance between creating risk-free environments and providing opportunities for children to develop resilience and risk awareness [2]. Striking the right balance is essential to foster children’s holistic development.
Additionally, while promoting accessibility for children’s travel activities, it’s important to address the potential challenges related to urban transportation systems. The design of child-friendly cities must consider not only the physical accessibility of spaces but also the overall transportation infrastructure. Research by Cushing and Miller emphasizes the need for evidence-based urban design that considers the health and well-being implications of transportation choices, especially in relation to air quality and traffic safety [2].
Your mention of practicability, involving children in urban design, is a crucial aspect of creating child-friendly cities. However, it is essential to recognize that children’s participation may face practical challenges, such as communication barriers and power imbalances [3]. Strategies to genuinely involve children in decision-making processes should be carefully designed, ensuring that their voices are heard and valued in the urban planning discourse.
The case studies presented, such as the Adventure Amusement Park in London and the Sham Shui Po Child Friendly Street in Hong Kong, offer valuable insights into successful child-friendly urban design projects.
However, it’s essential to acknowledge that each city has unique contextual factors, and what works in one location might not necessarily be applicable elsewhere. Context-specific considerations, including cultural, social, and economic factors, play a significant role in the effectiveness of child-friendly urban design initiatives [1].
In conclusion, your blog post provides a comprehensive overview of the principles and case studies related to child-friendly urban design. While the importance of safety, accessibility, recreational spaces, and practicability is evident, acknowledging potential challenges and the need for context-specific approaches will contribute to the successful implementation of child-friendly cities worldwide.
References:
[1]. Gill, T. (2021). Urban Playground: How Child-Friendly Planning and Design Can Save Cities. Routledge.
[2]. Cushing, D.F., & Miller, E. (2020). Creating Great Places: Evidence-Based Urban Design for Health and Wellbeing. Routledge.
[3]. Gleeson, B., & Sipe, N.G. (2006). Creating Child Friendly Cities: Reinstating Kids in the City. Routledge.
This blog clearly explains why more and more people are paying attention to “child friendly cities”. After introducing the beginning of the article, the author tells readers how to build such a city from four aspects: safety, accessibility, leisure space, and participation.
Among them, the leisure space is the most attractive to me. The author mentioned a case in the United States in the article. From this case, I see that designers provide a large entertainment space for children. The entertainment facilities within the venue are also measured based on the height of children. Meanwhile, there are large lawns around the venue. If children accidentally fall, it won’t cause too much negative impact.
I once saw an article online about the urban framework for measuring the results of child friendly design (Hadani, H.S. et al, 2021). In the article, the author mentioned that when the government formulates city wide policies, the potential impact of these decisions on children is actually rarely considered. The significant economic disparities between families can also affect this outcome. The article mentions a new concept: PLL, which refers to the combination of urban design and place creation to rebuild a friendly city for children. The introduction of this concept also highlights the importance of child friendly cities, in addition to site factors, there are also cultural factors.
The author mentioned two examples: an adventure amusement park in London and a street design in Hong Kong. Two cases, I prefer amusement parks where the designer provides a space for children to explore. They encourage children to cultivate risk awareness within a controllable range. They laid a lot of sand around the venue, and the inner circle of the sand was for amusement facilities. Although the outer circle of the sand was not the designer’s earliest design scope, children can also play there. Parents can also watch their children play around the venue.
I have seen a park in Amsterdam before. As one of the oldest urban parks in the city, the designer divided the site into three areas, forming a huge trampoline field in the depressions of the three areas. The similarity between these two cases lies in the fact that designers provide children with an exploratory space within a controllable range during the design process. Although the site area is not too large, in the case mentioned by the blog author, the boundary line is sand; In the case I am looking for, the dividing line is the inner ring of three regions. They have both a safety component and an exploration component for children.
Overall, the author of this blog has a clear idea and the article is easy to understand. Several subheadings in the article divide an article into different regions. At the same time, the author has found several cases and attached pictures, which are more conducive for readers to understand the relevant concepts.
References:
(1)Hadani, H.S. et al. (2021) Understanding child-friendly urban design: A framework to measure playful learning landscapes outcomes, BROOKINGS. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/understanding-child-friendly-urban-design/
(2)Pintos, P. (2016) Beatrix Park Playground/ Carve, archdaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/990115/beatrix-park-playground-carve.
This blog clearly explains why more and more people are paying attention to “child friendly cities”. After introducing the beginning of the article, the author tells readers how to build such a city from four aspects: safety, accessibility, leisure space, and participation.
Among them, the leisure space is the most attractive to me. The author mentioned a case in the United States in the article. From this case, I see that designers provide a large entertainment space for children. The entertainment facilities within the venue are also measured based on the height of children. Meanwhile, there are large lawns around the venue. If children accidentally fall, it won’t cause too much negative impact.
I once saw an article online about the urban framework for measuring the results of child friendly design (Hadani, H.S. et al, 2021). In the article, the author mentioned that when the government formulates city wide policies, the potential impact of these decisions on children is actually rarely considered. The significant economic disparities between families can also affect this outcome. The article mentions a new concept: PLL, which refers to the combination of urban design and place creation to rebuild a friendly city for children. The introduction of this concept also highlights the importance of child friendly cities, in addition to site factors, there are also cultural factors.
The author mentioned two examples: an adventure amusement park in London and a street design in Hong Kong. Two cases, I prefer amusement parks where the designer provides a space for children to explore. They encourage children to cultivate risk awareness within a controllable range. They laid a lot of sand around the venue, and the inner circle of the sand was for amusement facilities. Although the outer circle of the sand was not the designer’s earliest design scope, children can also play there. Parents can also watch their children play around the venue.
I have seen a park in Amsterdam before. As one of the oldest urban parks in the city, the designer divided the site into three areas, forming a huge trampoline field in the depressions of the three areas. The similarity between these two cases lies in the fact that designers provide children with an exploratory space within a controllable range during the design process. Although the site area is not too large, in the case mentioned by the blog author, the boundary line is sand; In the case I am looking for, the dividing line is the inner ring of three regions. They have both a safety component and an exploration component for children.
Overall, the author of this blog has a clear idea and the article is easy to understand. Several subheadings in the article divide an article into different regions. At the same time, the author has found several cases and attached pictures, which are more conducive for readers to understand the relevant concepts.
References:
(1)Hadani, H.S. et al. (2021) Understanding child-friendly urban design: A framework to measure playful learning landscapes outcomes, BROOKINGS. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/understanding-child-friendly-urban-design/
(2)Pintos, P. (2016) Beatrix Park Playground/ Carve, archdaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/990115/beatrix-park-playground-carve.