Guide to creating urban public Spaces for children

The "SPACES: A Guide for Children-Friendly Public Spaces" session at the World Urban Forum (WUF13) marks a critical physical milestone following the landmark collaborative publication by WHO, UNICEF, and UN-Habitat. As rapid urbanization increasingly compromises children’s access to safe play—dropping to just 30% in low- and middle-income countries—this event presents public space as a vital determinant of health and a core human right. While a preliminary webinar was held in January 2026, this in-person launch in Baku, Azerbaijan, is essential for directly engaging the international expert community. It fulfills a direct request for child-centered urban tools first articulated at WUF10. The 106-page SPACES guide introduces a state-of-the-art framework built on six principles: Safety, Play, Access, Child Health, Equity, and Sustainability. By providing evidence-based guidance for planned urban contexts, informal settlements, and crisis/resilience settings, the event empowers practitioners to integrate child-friendly design into climate and housing strategies.