It’s back-to-school season in many parts of the world, and in the midst of ongoing discussions and concerns about what this may mean for children, parents, communities, and education professionals, many school districts are moving forward with full or partial reopening plans. Given public health concerns around physical distancing—as well as the mounting evidence that the risk of spreading COVID-19 is substantially less when social activity takes place outdoors—how are cities and school districts rethinking the ways in which kids can safely get to and from school, how they can best utilize the streets and public spaces around schools, and how the importance of play, learning, and social engagement can be nurtured and encouraged in this new global reality?
As part of our Streets for Kids webinar series, NACTO-GDCI hosted an interactive webinar to discuss these issues and learn from successful practices and programs that have taken place in cities and school zones across the world—with an emphasis (in Part One) on North American contexts. Using ideas and strategies featured in our recently-published guide, Designing Streets for Kids, and building on many of the global street design practices highlighted in our evolving Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery resource, we invite you to join this important conversation around schools, safety, and child-friendly street design.
Speakers:
Colby Takeda, Senior Manager, Blue Zones Project (Honolulu, HI, USA)
Maria Truñó i Salvadó, Commissioner of Education in the Deputy Mayor for Culture, Education, Science and the Community (Barcelona, Spain)
Sam Balto, Physical Education Teacher (Portland, OR, USA)
Kori Johnson, Program Support Manager, Safe Routes Partnership (Washington, DC, USA)
For more information or suggestions on topics you would like to see covered in our webinars, write to us at global@nacto.org.
A Streets for Kids Reverse Periscope is a simple DIY tool that can help adults experience streets from a child’s height. Watch this recorded webinar about how to create and use a Reverse Periscope in your community.
On November 1, 2, and 3 GDCI hosted three webinars about the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI). These sessions provided an overview of the program, who’s eligible, the application process, and gave city leaders an opportunity to ask questions.
On November 1, 2, and 3 GDCI hosted three webinars about the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI). These sessions provided an overview of the program, who’s eligible, the application process, and gave city leaders an opportunity to ask questions.
