Friday, June 27, 2025

1:45 PM - 4:45 PM

Melbourne City Marina Lounge, 439 Docklands Drive, Docklands VIC 3008

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Details

Child-friendly Public Spaces: What are they and can they transform cities? If you are interested in planning and designing cities that better meet children's needs and want to learn how cities around the world are investing in public spaces to transform urban environments for children and families, this masterclass is for you. Led by Sudeshna Chatterjee, the session will explore her work on Public Spaces for Children with UNICEF, UN-Habitat, and WHO, where she spearheaded a global initiative to develop principles and guidance for cities to create safe and vibrant public spaces for children through equity-focused planning, design, programming, and sustainable maintenance. During the masterclass, you will learn what motivates and drives cities to develop public spaces for children, how cities define and categorize them, and the processes they use to achieve their vision. You will learn about approaches for transformative place-based interventions that are government-led and politically driven as well as civil society-led and community-driven. The session will draw lessons from case studies from over 30 countries developed by the global initiative. It will address conceptual issues such as how a city shifts its thinking about play as fundamental to child development and playability as an urban quality to be consciously nurtured and embedded in planning. And practical issues such as funding, place management, monitoring, and sustainability beyond initial investments. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of these important topics!