November 20-21 2018

Making cities more child-friendlyInsights & lessons from around the world

Tim Gill

www.rethinkingchildhood.com

@timrgill

November 20-21 2018

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What is a child-friendly city?

November 20-21 2018

My answer

Arup (2017) adapted from Kytta M (2004) Journal of Environmental Psychology

November 20-21 2018

Children are a kind of indicator species. If we can build a successful city for children, we will have a successful city for all people.

Enrique Peñalosa, Mayor of Bogotà

November 20-21 2018

Why does child-friendly urban planning & design matter?

• Health & well-being

• Environment & sustainability

• Community

• Tackling ‘wicked problems’

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Children’s views about cities

Safety & free movement Heavy traffic

Peer gathering places Rubbish & litter

Varied activity settings

Safe green spaces

November 20-21 2018

Family-friendly neighbourhoodsHousing

Public RealmServices

Brent Toderian, Former Vancouver Chief Planner

November 20-21 2018

Antwerp

New Westminster

Rotterdam

Vancouver

Oslo

Ghent

City of North Vancouver

Calgary

Freiburg

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Rationale

Economy &

demography

Children’s rights & well-being

Antwerp

New West

RotterdamVancouver

Oslo

GhentCity of N

Vancouver

Calgary

Freiburg

Sustainability

November 20-21 2018

Municipal resourcesCity Population Dedicated Municipal Personnel Annual Budget

Antwerp 520,000 1 €2,000,000

Calgary 1,240,000 External funding (staff & other budgets): €33,000

City of North

Vancouver

53,000 1.5 €50,000

Freiburg 226,000 None identified None identified

Ghent 259,000 4 No dedicated

budgets

New

Westminster

71,000 At least 1/3 Not available

Oslo 673,000 3 €500,000

Rotterdam 635,000 1 manager plus others. Staff & other budgets:

Promising Neighbourhoods: €1,800,000

Child Friendly Rotterdam: €5,000,000

Vancouver 631,000 Not available None identified

November 20-21 2018

IngredientsAntwerp Calgary

City of N

VancouverFreiburg Ghent

New

WestOslo Rotterdam Vancouver

Public space

Dedicated officer

time

Meaningful

Engagement

Neighborhood

framework

Links to housing

Planning guidance

Targets or

indicators

Walking/ cycling

Residential streets

Political champion ? ? ?

November 20-21 2018

Ball court & play space,

Markgrave, Antwerp

November 20-21 2018

Rode Loper (‘Red Carpet’), Ghent

November 20-21 2018

All Age & Ability Cycle Infrastructure, Vancouver

November 20-21 2018

Sogn District, Oslo

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Oude Noord, Rotterdam

November 20-21 2018

School enrolment numbers have been down in the more urban communities and up in the more suburban communities. With one

exception: New Westminster.

Mayor Jonathan Cote

November 20-21 2018

A green city is more child-friendly than a car city, automatically. The politicians can see that these are arguments that can sugar the pill. It’s better for children, so it’s more accepted in public debate.

Gro Sandkjaer Hanssen,

Norway National & Regional Research Institute

November 20-21 2018

‘Hub & Spoke’ Model

Municipal

Official (&

Politician)

Focus on

Residential

Neighbourhoods

Links to

Progressive

Planning &

Transport

Policies

Meaningful

Engagement

Investment in

Spaces &

Mobility

Measures &

Indicators

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Other cities

• Bhubaneswar

• Bogotá

• Boulder

• Edmonton

• Leeds

• Recife

• Tel Aviv

• Toronto

• Tirana

• Vienna

… your city?

November 20-21 2018

Challenges & questions

• Inequality & gentrification

• Legislation

• Teenagers

• Younger children

• Climate

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Lessons & insights

• Neighbourhoods first

• Play AND Mobility

• Win-wins

• People before policies

• “Children’s infrastructure”

November 20-21 2018

Thank you!