In her recent article for The Guardian, Laura Laker discusses the innovative ways several cities around the world have changed to keep kids healthy, sociable and outdoors.

Ms. Laker highlights concerns over city planning that prioritizes cars and the economy over the environment and quality of life, and contrasts those concerns with examples of how child-friendly design is gaining momentum.

For example, the city of Tirana, Albania, created a ‘city council for kids’, where young representatives have the opportunity to bring up their concerns on city planning with the mayor. Rotterdam, The Netherlands, transformed school playgrounds into community spaces to allow greater interactions between children and their communities. Bogota, Colombia, commissioned street paintings and planters in one of the city’s poorest districts to create a safer route between the school and local park. Lexington, USA, created a pop-up water fountain to fill the gap of family-friendly outdoor spaces. Finally, in Vancouver, Canada, a new housing development is placing priority on creating affordable housing for families with parkland, community centres, and schools within walking distance.

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