1. Open Space in Urban Areas: Applying an Early Childhood Lens
Cities4Kids Urban95 Conference - New Delhi, India February 2, 2107
Daniella Ben-Attar, Israel Representative, BvLF

2. What is a positive environment for healthy child development?
Play spaces & environments that promote:
Physical development: Safe, healthy environment, allowing movement
Social development: Encourages interaction with caregivers and peers
Emotional development: self-confidence, success, joy, accomplishment, relaxing
Cognitive Development: stimulating the learning of concepts, knowledge, language, communication
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3. Key Evidence
Open Space: Green space improves physical, cognitive and social development:
Reduces toxic stress of urban life on early childhood & throughout lives (brain development?)
Reduces health problems (obesity, ADD, psychological problems)
Positively impacts mental health, social bonding, well-being
Stimulates early learning abilities
Disadvantaged children benefit more from access to green space
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4. Quantity – Green space per capita
Green space inequalities within cities
Delhi
2 m2/person
Istanbul
1 m2/person
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5. Quality of Open Space Maintenance – especially in low-income areas
Accessibility
Enabling exploratory play over safety regulations
Planning for parent & child – together and separately
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6. Rapid urbanization & Density
Lack of play spaces
Privatization of public space
Unsafe, unhealthy urban space (air/noise pollution, road accidents)
Limited connection to nature
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7. Gaps in Urban Governance & Management
Lack of awareness & political will – who are voice of under 5s?
Solutions require intersectoral actions – city governments not set up for this
Limited capacity – need knowledge base & staff
Financing - need cost-effective, scalable solutions
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8. Urban planning for improved ECD outcomes
Urban Design
Green Space
Walkability
Bikeability
Transport infrastructure
Mixed land use
Density
Behavior & Environment
Walking/Cycling
Movement
Car/Public transport
Air/noise pollution
Stress/Relaxation
Social interaction
Cognitive stimulation
Child Health & ECD
Reduced health risks: -Child Obesity -Respiratory illnesses in children -Low birth weight -Positive Development: Cognitive, physical, emotional
Urban95
Improved ECD outcomes
Going beyond adult focused interventions
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9. Solutions
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10. Bottom-up community initiatives
In Greece, families transform left over spaces and vacant lots into pocket parks for children to play and parents to socialize.
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11. Park(ing) Pocket Parks
Transforming a car park into a people’s park in Accra Ghana with gardening elements
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12. Partnerships with private developers
Hong Kong developers permitted to increase floor area ratios in exchange for creating new pocket parks for families
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13. Sharing of neighborhood spaces
New York City’s Schoolyards to Playgrounds program opens school play space during non- school hours for the community
Unlocking park space by unlocking schoolyard gates
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14. Natural playscapes
Berlin playscapes filled with natural elements supporting exploratory and creative play, open after school for families.
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15. Rooftop “sky farms”
Children cultivate community garden on top floor of residential complex in Shanghai supported by district “greenery authority”
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16. Mobile urban agriculture
Mobile agriculture gardens parking structures, school yards, rooftops – responding to “food deserts” and increasing nutrition in Brazil.
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17. Coordinating with cleaning authorities
Changing schedules of city cleaning crew to start with community parks serving private childcares in the morning, opening up new opportunities for play in Tel Aviv.
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18. Streets as public space
Reclaiming the streets for children in Bogota
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19. Play spaces throughout public ream
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20. Key Takeaways
Green space has multiple benefits
Disadvantaged have the most to gain
Design for parent & child
Influence existing budgets
Low-cost, sustainable solutions
Go beyond playgrounds
Integrative Governance
Its not about creating an agenda for children, but putting children on the broader urban agenda.
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21. Daniella Ben-Attar, Israel Representative Bernard van Leer Foundation
Thank you!
Daniella Ben-Attar, Israel Representative
Bernard van Leer Foundation
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