Child Friendly Cities: Investing in the Future by Listening to Our Kids

Imagine a place where all children—and their health and well-being—are our highest priority. I do this every day as a pediatrician and child advocate, and this became our mission when I founded Leading for Kids last year. I often think about how we, as a society, talk about young people, and what might be different if the narrative changed. From my travels, conversations, and partnerships, I have learned a great deal about what happens when there are governmental structures and dedicated people working on behalf of kids, in policy and in practice. The most powerful examples, however, are when there are formal ways kids have a voice and share their views—and this youth voice is listened to, and heard. These are some of the key principles that guide the Child Friendly Cities Initiative.

What is the Child Friendly Cities Initiative, and what might all of this look like for kids? First, envision …

Parks and outdoor greenspaces where kids can play. Universally available, equitable, and interesting educational opportunities. Government officials who ask kids’ input on things that matter to them and on programs they participate in and policies that affect them, and kids’ input is heard and respected. Children who are safe. Family life is deemed important and time together is valued. As they grow, young people have freedom with responsibility: places to go after school, age-appropriate jobs or volunteer opportunities, and transportation options that enable them to get around on their own. Government officials who go to work every day thinking about making things better for young people in their city, and leadership having a clear understanding of how much they are investing in their kids. Kids who are healthy, content, and thriving.

 Sounds like a romanticized place? To me, this sounds like a Child Friendly City.

What is the Child Friendly Cities Initiative?

The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI), founded in 1996 by UNICEF, is a global framework for action that supports municipal governments in creating safe, inclusive, and child-responsive cities using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as its foundation. CFCI is well aligned with many of the key principles behind Leading for Kids; most prominently, it encourages cities to organize structures in government that drive decisions in the best interest of children and young people, and it makes those decisions with the meaningful input of youth. CFCI advocates often depict the framework for action in the shape of a hand, noting on each finger that every child and young person has the right:

·      to be valued, respected and treated fairly;

·      to be a child and to have time for family life, play, and leisure;

·      to receive essential services such as healthcare and education and to be safe; and

·      to share their opinions and to be heard.

CFCI requires the participation of the whole community—civic leaders, schools, families, advocates, and young people—to create an environment that continuously improves the health and well-being of its children and young people. It is vital to recognize that this, not the creation of “perfect” cities, is the desired outcome of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative.

Childhood in the Urban Setting

According to UNICEF, today, nearly one in three people living in cities and towns is a child. By 2050, almost 7 of 10 of the world’s children will live in cities. For context, the United States Census Bureau (KidsData, September 2018) notes that 81.5 percent of kids in the U.S. live in urban settings. There are vast differences in cities around the world; some offer great opportunities for children, while others are limited by poverty, inequality, or conflict. It is our collective responsibility to build the necessary infrastructure to ensure that kids have the essential things they need to thrive, to provide opportunities for young people to voice their concerns and ideas, and to listen to their suggestions. CFCI provides guidance for local leaders to engage with others in the community, especially young people, such that their voices, needs, priorities and rights are an integral part of all public policies, programs, and decisions.

Bringing Child Friendly Cities to the U.S.

Over the past year, I have learned a lot about the Child Friendly Cities Initiative, which is currently in place in more than 3,000 municipalities in 40 countries over six continents (but none in the U.S.!). Last year, I attended the annual meeting of the more than 40 Child Friendly Cities in Croatia. A few weeks ago, I was part of the U.S. delegation to the first-ever Child Friendly Cities Summit in Cologne, Germany where over 600 attendees from more than 200 cities around the world gathered to share best practices from their local efforts. Examples of some of their work can be seen through their CFCI Summit videos.  

Although no Child Friendly Cities have been established in the U.S. to date, I have been lucky to work with leadership from UNICEF USA, and municipal leaders and young people from across the U.S. who are interested in bringing this program here. The CFCI model is well aligned with Leading for Kids’ vision of incorporating youth voices and I am hopeful that several pilot Child Friendly City sites will be launched by UNICEF USA over the next year. 

What would a Child Friendly City Look Like, If Children Were Mayors?

During the nine months leading up to the Summit, more than 120,000 children and young people from 167 countries were asked and shared input on the question: what would child friendly cities look like, if children were mayors? Their feedback became the Child Friendly Cities Child & Youth Manifesto, a document outlining youth recommendations and vision for “their” cities. The Manifesto includes high-level mandates such as children are included; children have a good education; and children grow up healthy, as well as more granular ideas: education is free and inclusive for all and there is access to affordable, healthy, and local food.

At first, I thought these inclusions were interesting—kids voicing and creating their vision is powerful! But the more I thought about it, I realize the Manifesto is comprised of principles we might aim to create, not only for Child Friendly Cities, but for everyone—the ideal for all citizens in all societies. After all, there is a lot at stake, because the healthy development of children is critical for the future well-being of any society.