Child Friendly Urban Policies, Planning Laws and Standards

Summary: It is estimated that by 2050, almost 70 per cent of the world’s children will live in urban areas meaning that the general demographics of urban populations are skewing younger. However, due to the absence of child-responsive urban policies there are structural, territorial and urban inequalities between regions and countries as well as urban and rural areas and within cities which will affect the realization of children’s rights. This, in turn, implies that there is a need to improve co-design and implementation of urban policies and laws that affect children.

This training event will provide participants with new and innovative approaches and knowledge for developing inclusive and child-responsive laws and policies based on the joint guidance developed by UN-Habitat and UNICEF. This is in line with the SDGs which recognize that public and green spaces can foster inter-generational interaction and social cohesion, encouraging common uses by children and the elderly (target 11.7). The training is also aligned with the goals of the New Urban Agenda that calls on national and local governments to engage with age-responsive approaches at all stages of urban and territorial policy and ensure that services are responsive to the needs and rights of children and youth.

Specifically, the training will focus on:

1. The cornerstone principles from the UNCRC that form the human rights framework and forge a new attitude towards children in decision-making processes.
2. Key issues of child participation concept and key examples of its implementation.
3. Sharing successful case studies and methodologies on mainstreaming children in National Urban Processes and subsequent operationalization of the provisions into urban planning related legislation of different countries.