The need for safe, child-friendly public spaces

• As cities continue to grow, safe public spaces for children to play, move and connect are shrinking. 

• A new global guide released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and UN-Habitat calls on governments and city leaders to put children at the centre of urban design.

• The guide provides practical, evidence-informed guidance to help cities create streets, parks and public places that are safer, more inclusive and more resilient, while advancing equity, climate action and healthier urban living for all.

Defining public spaces for children

• Public spaces for children are defined as places that can be easily and freely accessed and enjoyed by all children, regardless of gender, ethnicity, social status, or physical ability. 

• Public spaces are important for everyone, but especially for children’s health and well-being. 

Public spaces:

i) Help meet children’s needs and rights to play.

ii) Support their engagement in social and physical activities.

iii) Help improve the quality of their everyday lives.

iv) Support their learning and natural-world socialisation, active lifestyles, and healthy behaviours. 

• These spaces should be safe from physical and social hazards, and support children’s play, learning, social relations, and connections with nature. 

• They should provide safe environments for play, learning, socialisation, and cultural engagement, directly supporting children’s health, resilience, and inclusion.

• Moreover, well-designed public spaces that are regularly used by children are a strong indicator of a livable city — not just for children but for all city dwellers.

• Parks and playgrounds are typically considered the most relevant “places for children” in the formal urban planning system as they are intended to keep children safe and away from the hazards of traffic and other dangers of the street.

• Streets, which comprise the largest and most immediately accessible public spaces for children, are places where children spend time and thrive (particularly in neighbourhoods that lack parks and playgrounds), offering a play and learning landscape in which they can spend time navigating the city, walking to school and other destinations.

Millions of children lack access to public spaces

• Over 55 per cent of the world’s population live in urban areas – a proportion that is expected to increase to 68 per cent by 2050. 

• Globally, only 44 per cent of urban residents live near an open public space, and that figure drops to 30 per cent among urban residents in low and middle-income countries.

• Millions of children living in towns and cities still lack access to public spaces. 

• Pollution, traffic, overcrowding and climate-related hazards increasingly restrict children’s freedom to move, play and thrive. 

• Governments have a responsibility to shape inclusive urban policies on public spaces for children that ensure all children enjoy a healthy and safe childhood, in which they are protected from harm and supported to reach their full potential. 

• Inclusive policies are those that include children as a demographic group, but that also pay specific attention to age, gender, ethnicity and disability. 

• Addressing these intersecting characteristics will help children to feel included, and to be healthy and safe when using public spaces.

Key recommendations of the report:

• Reduce safety risks through traffic-calming measures, safe crossings, well-lit pathways, and secure routes to schools, parks and play areas.

• Embed play opportunities across all types of public spaces — including streets, courtyards, neighbourhood areas and public facilities.

• Prioritise access where need is greatest, using mapping and spatial assessments to guide planning and investment in low-income, high-density and informal settlements.

• Meet environmental and health standards by ensuring clean air, shade, cooling, safe materials, proper waste management and protection from climate-related hazards.

• Promote equity and inclusion through universal design, community participation, and removal of social, gender and physical barriers that limit children’s access.

• Strengthen sustainability and resilience by expanding green and blue infrastructure, revitalising underused land, and integrating child-friendly public spaces into climate and resilience strategies.