The place of children in cities: what are the public issues at stake?
It is increasingly rare to see children walking or playing alone in urban public spaces. Faced with this social change, some cities are striving to rethink their urban planning.
Sylvain Wagnon, University of Montpellier
It is increasingly rare to see children walking alone in public spaces due to urban planning that is poorly suited to their needs. Their absence, or even rejection of certain spaces, is now a recognized reality. This is evidenced by the front page of the daily newspaper Libération on February 19, 2024, with the headline "Me, a kid and a nuisance," and an article in the daily newspaper Le Monde highlighting the proliferation of "no kids" areas .
The idea of a city designed "at child height" therefore represents a radically different perspective. This ambition, shared by a growing number of cities, seeks to address various urban challenges, particularly those related to mobility and community living. How can we characterize this innovative approach that could shape the city of tomorrow?
The challenges of the city from a child's perspective
Defining the city from a child's perspective involves considering their needs, perspectives, and experiences in the design, planning, and management of urban spaces.
As explained in the journal Mouvements by Clément Rivière, sociologist and scientific director of the Ville à Hauteur d'Enfant laboratory in Lille, a pioneering city in this field:
"This approach encourages us to consider how children can reclaim these spaces by questioning the role of cars, promoting independent mobility and free play, and ensuring that children are genuinely involved in shaping the city."
Such an approach, which is comprehensive in nature, involves a series of challenges. First of all, accessibility requires, for example, signage that is "child-friendly" and appropriate for the age and size of children, as well as a good spatial distribution of schools, daycare centers, and libraries to avoid isolation, of which children are the first victims.
Next, children need safe and suitable means of transportation to get around the city. Wide sidewalks, designated areas around schools, protected bike lanes, and accessible public transportation are essential.
School streets in Lille (2020).
Furthermore, a child-friendly city must be inclusive so that all children can play outside. Green spaces offer opportunities to discover nature and relax, which should be accessible to everyone.
Finally, involving children in decision-making about their urban environment gives them a sense of belonging and strengthens their civic engagement. Since 1979 in France, children's councils have been created in many local communities as tools for considering an increased role for children in urban decisions and changes.
A political ambition
However, the desire to redesign cities with children in mind is not new. Local authorities have used this policy as a lever for social and urban transformation, such as the city of Recife in Brazil with its Urban95 program. Closer to home, the city of Bale in Switzerland has implemented a comprehensive redevelopment of the city with and for children through its "Les yeux à 1m20" ( Eyes at 1.20m) initiative.
In France since 2002, UNICEF France has developed a network of "child-friendly" local authorities to enforce children's rights in urban areas. More than 246 towns and 16 inter-municipal communities are part of this network:
Becoming a child-friendly community is a political commitment at the local level and involves all elected officials, community workers, educational partners, residents, and, of course, children and young people. Over the course of a term of office, child-friendly communities commit to five areas: well-being, non-discrimination and equality, education, participation, and awareness of children's rights."
Cities such as Nantes and Rennes intend to place children's needs at the heart of their public policies. For Lille, Lomme, and Hellemmes, pioneering local authorities in this area, the creation of a child-friendly city laboratory is enabling them to develop the power to act in a child-friendly city and to engage all residents in this new approach.
These cities that are child-friendly (TV 78, 2019)
For its part, Montpellier is building on the initiative of Italian sociologist Francesco Tonucci, whose city, Fano, Italy, has adopted a whole series of concrete measures enabling children to fully experience the urban environment. In 2023, the municipality of Hérault became the first French city to join the international "Ville des enfants" (City of Children) network, which brings together more than 200 cities in 16 countries working towards urban (r)evolution through the city of children.
An educational, inclusive, and eco-friendly approach
The end of the omnipotence of cars and the creation of pedestrian zones where children can play safely is one step in this urban evolution. Pontevedra in Spain has made this pedestrianization and the complementarity of transportation modes the driving force behind its city of children.
A child-friendly city is learned within the family but also among users. For example, with the introduction, as in Fano, of shops marked with a logo where children know they can find help if they need to ask for directions or go to the toilet, helping to develop their personal independence.
Installing playground equipment, benches, and green spaces helps create fun and attractive environments, as the city of Barcelona has done with its green islands. School grounds with courtyards or adapted spaces are the first step in familiarizing different stakeholders, both children and adults, with a different culture in the city.
The example of school streets, which are becoming increasingly common and prohibit vehicle traffic during school drop-off and pick-up times, illustrates safe, healthy, practical, and educational spaces where children and parents can come together.
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Thinking about and implementing the place of children in the city can be a lever for sustainable urban development. Care must be taken to ensure that cities are not designed for the few, but rather as public spaces for all, taking into account both the uniqueness of each child and the desire to create a truly inclusive city.
Sylvain Wagnon, Professor of Education Sciences, Faculty of Education, University of Montpellier
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