Streets for Kids: what cities are doing for children globally
Almost every one of us breathes polluted air, the vast majority of adolescents don’t get the recommended levels of physical activity, and road traffic fatalities are the number one killer of the under-30s age group.
These statistics from the World Health Organisation are a stark reminder, if one were needed, that collective decisions about society shapes its cities and streets have a profound impact on people, not least children, says the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI).
Since 2018, GDCI has been working with a cohort of cities across the world who want to reverse these trends and put children first when designing streets.It’s two years since the GDCI’s Streets for Kids programme launched its Leadership Accelerator scheme, bringing some 60 city leaders from 20 countries to a six-month training programme.
Upon completing the accelerator, GDCI invited the teams to apply for a grant of 20,000 US Dollars, together with the provision of year-long technical assistance to implement their vision of creating safe, attractive, and inspiring streets for kids in their cities.
In April 2023, ten cities across four continents were selected and started work to bring their visions to life, they were: Abuja, Nigeria; Cuenca, Ecuador; Istanbul, Turkey; Leon, Mexico; Lima, Peru; Lusaka, Zambia; Recife, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; Solo, Indonesia; Tyre, Lebanon.
GDCI says: “Their projects are inspiring as they are diverse, offering a wide range of examples of advocacy and engagement, design best practices, and bold visions for streets that promote road safety, active mobility, outdoor play, and social connections.
‘Reverse these trends and put children first’
“Collectively, the 2023 cohort reclaimed over 40,000 SqM of public space that prioritises children and caregivers, engaged over 4,000 children in the process, and trained 140 practitioners.
On average, the transformations reduced traffic speeds by 37% and the number of vehicles exceeding speed limits by 53 per cent. While we are proud of their collective impact, we are even more excited to share some of their individual stories,” it adds.
Stories like that of Abuja, Nigeria, where non-profit body Ochenuell Mobility teamed up with the Directorate of Road Traffic Services to implement a six-month awareness campaign, including an Open Street event for children and caregivers.
This involved around 10 schools from different parts of the city, and to demonstrate what’s possible, they donated 20 bicycles to the community and installed bicycle parking near the school. The campaign reached over 2,000 people, and more than 400 students were consulted in the process.
Or how about Recife in Brazil, where the Traffic and Transport Authority worked alongside multiple municipal departments and the non-profit Colectivo Massape to improve safety and access for over 560 students attending three schools by designing and constructing nearby streets.
This project led to around 35,000 square metres of public space being transformed, incorporating raised crossings, play elements, benches, shading structures, and trees and greenery on the new sidewalks. Through surveys and multiple engagement sessions, more than 600 children, caregivers, and residents participated in this process.
Click here for more examples from these cities.
