Focus on Urban Design to make streets safe for children

23 January 2021

Urban design is the most important thing we can do to make streets safer for everyone.

Building on the success of the Global Street Design Guide, the guidance in Designing Streets for Kids captures international best practice, strategies, programmes, and policies that cities around the world have used to design spaces that enable children of all ages and abilities to utilize cities’ most abundant asset – streets. The guide includes design recommendations and case studies that highlight streets that are safe, enjoyable, and inspirational for children and caregivers

New urban design resource focuses on children and caregivers, offering practical solutions and inspiration to make streets safer and more welcoming for all.

The Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) is a programme of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). Designing Streets for Kids builds upon the approach of putting people first, with a focus on the specific needs of babies, children, and their caregivers as pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users in urban streets around the world.

The introduction of Schools Streets is ‘likely to be feasible’ at approximately half of all schools in UK towns and cities, according to a new report - School Streets Reducing children’s exposure to toxic air pollution and road danger commissioned by campaign group Mums for Lungs and environmental charity Possible. They assessed the current status and future potential for School Streets in four cities: London, Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol