GDCI will mark five years since the launch of the Designing Streets for Kids guide by hosting a series of open and global webinar sessions. The series will spotlight global practices, tools, and lessons learned around key themes and priorities that reflect what matters most to the community driving the global movement for safer, healthier, and more joyful streets for kids today.
Launched in 2020, the Designing Streets for Kids guide sought to address a global crisis affecting kids worldwide. In cities everywhere, streets are not designed with children in mind, resulting in neglected, underused, and unsafe environments that limit their ability to walk, cycle, and play independently outside. Building on the Global Street Design Guide, the Designing Streets for Kids guide captures international best practices, strategies, programs, and policies that cities around the world have used to design spaces that enable children of all ages and abilities to utilize cities’ most abundant asset – streets. The guide includes design recommendations and case studies that highlight streets that are safe, enjoyable, and inspirational for children and caregivers.
A lot has happened in the five years since the release of the Designing Streets for Kids guide! GDCI has supported over 60 cities to build local capacity to shape Streets for Kids, hosted two cycles of the Streets for Kids Leadership Accelerator, trained more than 7,200 practitioners, city officials and local NGOs, and published two new resources that help center children in Streets design: How to Evaluate Streets near Schools and How to Engage Kids in Street Design. With our partners, we transformed over 40 streets near schools, protecting over 85,000 children and improving their access to over 90 schools. These projects demonstrate what’s possible when we rethink street spaces, while working with local leaders to measure and evaluate their impact. Around the world, exciting initiatives continue to emerge and inspire new resources, community-driven programs, and bold street transformations.
Starting July 2025, we’re thrilled to invite leaders, practitioners, community activists, educators, caregivers, and everyone passionate about shaping streets that prioritize children to:
