Child-Friendly Cities and Communities: opportunities and challenges

Abstract

With greater numbers of children living in urban areas, increasing attention is being paid to Child-Friendly Cities (CFCs) and their potential for transforming local government decision-making to be more inclusive of the needs and interests of children. This paper draws on interviews with CFC practitioners at both local and national levels in 9 cities across 7 countries, to explore the opportunities and challenges that arise in planning and actualising CFC programmes. The data show CFCs can reshape local government decision-making processes, allowing for greater opportunities for children’s civic participation, through greater parity of children’s interests and voices. However, CFC practitioners also encounter challenges related to uncertain conceptualisations of what makes a city ‘child-friendly’, complex governance structures, lack of political will from external partners and intergenerational tensions. In addition, age-based fragmentation has the potential to further marginalise the interests of children and young people in key policy areas.