Public spaces for children. Guiding policies and practices for children well-being and development

Public spaces for children are a key determinant of children’s well-being and development. By meeting their need to play and engage in social and physical activities, public spaces significantly contribute to the quality of children’s everyday lives and support their personal development, health and emotional well-being, learning, natural-world socialization, active lifestyles and healthy behaviours. They also foster citizenship by allowing informal participation in everyday community life and help boost children’s desire and capacity to be environmental stewards.
In an effort to support relevant stakeholders including central ministries, subnational governments, civil society organizations, communities, and the private sector, a guide to creating public space for urban children has been jointly developed through collaboration between the three UN agencies – WHO, UNICEF, and UN-Habitat. This event aims to highlight the significance of this guide and explore strategies for its effective implementation.
The event will commence with a succinct presentation outlining key recommendations from the guide. This will be complemented by insights shared by representatives of city authorities, who will serve as case studies from diverse contexts. These presentations will provide valuable perspectives on the practical application of the guide's recommendations.
Following the presentations, a dynamic panel discussion will take place. The panel will feature city authorities and civil society organizations (as well as donors) and will focus on strategies to scale up the implementation of the guide.