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.