Although we are currently limited on the time we spend outside our homes, walking during my daily exercise with my son has shown me his different routes to school via corner shops and friends’ houses.
Since he began walking to school, he has gained new independence, growing his knowledge of the local area and meaningful interest in his surroundings.
As an 11-year-old, he finds himself too old for play areas, so his play space increasingly has become the streets. He loves to cycle, wheelies being his forte, and as he does so he explores new locations and the spaces around him.
As a mother, I am keen to give my child independence to explore, but at the same time understand and question the safety of our streets.
In many urban areas, poor urban planning restricts children’s play and mobility, contributing to child obesity, rising levels of adolescent mental health problems and giving children less independence.
In Bristol, a programme that encourages residents to facilitate children playing on their street has resonated with other local authorities who are now supporting the creation of active streets. Playing Out Initiative, gives them the freedom to play and adults have found their children develop close bonds through the initiative.
Children’s right to play is one of the articles under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This sets out 54 articles that require governments to meet the needs of children including giving children the right to participate in decision-making.
So how do we get children involved in decisions that affect them?  UNICEF has led the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative to help support policymakers understand the rights of children at a local level. In the UK, six communities are working towards Child-Friendly Community Status including Cardiff.
The key to this is engaging children in the planning system; in doing so we can design child-friendly cities in which children can independently walk, cycle and play safely throughout our neighbourhoods and expand their horizons.
Child-Friendly Planning in the UK: A Review emphasises this and gives an overview of how the four nations are approaching this.  Wales is considered-to-be at the forefront of this agenda in the UK.
‘Involvement’ is a key principle of the Future Generations Act in Wales, with the statutory guidance noting explicitly that children and young people should be involved in all decisions that affect them.
The Welsh Government has produced helpful resource packs for primary and secondary schools to help children understand planning.
During the lockdown, Go Construct have got kids hooked on Minecraft with their Builathon competition encouraging them to plan and build an environmentally friendly and sustainable structure – a great way to engage children in the built environment.
We need to nurture children’s interest in their neighbourhood surroundings and celebrate their voices so that they can be heard.
Designing for children is fundamental to their wellbeing, mobility and independence, but ultimately this benefits everyone. We must involve children in our plans and proposals so that they can help us to create communities fit for future generations.
If you enjoyed this blog please read my article on Active Travel, which explores how travel behaviour has changed during the lockdown and the opportunities ahead.
This article originally appeared on Grasshopper written by Hannah Dineen, Associate Director at Grasshopper Communications.
