Clean air is essential for early childhood development, yet many urban environments expose children to harmful pollutants every day. In Accra, Ghana, vehicle emissions and open waste burning have made air quality a growing concern, particularly around schools and play areas. To address this, GDCI, in collaboration with the Korle Klottey Municipality and with support from the Clean Air Fund, launched the Removing Pollution from Play project in late 2023, with the aim to tackle air pollution in school environments by implementing practical solutions, raising awareness, and empowering communities to advocate for cleaner air. In March 2025, the completed intervention was inaugurated, and the new safe play space now serves over 150 students in Accra.
By reimagining streets and transforming an underutilized parking lot into a safe play environment, the project demonstrates how targeted urban design interventions can promote cleaner air and healthier futures for children.
Improving Air Quality with Better Streets
“Over 8 million people die prematurely every year because of poor air quality, And sadly among children, it’s the second leading cause of death.”
Venetia Bell
Chief Operating Officer, Clean Air Fund
Air pollution is the world’s leading environmental cause of illness and premature death, linked to a wide range of both short- and long-term health issues, including an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes, impaired lung development, and negative effects on brain function throughout life. Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution as exposure during early years can increase the risk of respiratory diseases, cognitive impairments, and other health complications. Air pollution impacts the environments where children grow and develop, influencing cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.
Streets, as primary public spaces, can either contribute to harmful exposure or serve as opportunities to mitigate pollution’s effects. Designing streets that prioritize clean air, safety, and accessibility can reduce children’s exposure to harmful pollutants while also fostering social interaction, encouraging physical activity, and supporting mental well-being. By addressing air pollution through urban design, cities can create healthier environments where children can thrive, learn, and feel inspired every day.
Understanding Air Quality Challenges in Accra
Creating healthier school environments starts with listening to those most active and engaged in the space. We worked closely with educators, local officials, students, and residents to raise awareness about air pollution and co-design effective solutions.
In early 2024, GDCI led a hands-on training session with municipal staff, during which participants explored how air quality and street design intersect. The session was followed by school visits with local practitioners to assess on-the-ground conditions and meet with headmasters to understand each school’s specific challenges. During a two-day workshop at Osu Salem 1 Primary School, in collaboration with Mmofra Foundation, teachers provided feedback on the proposed design, shared ideas for play and learning elements, and identified daily concerns. Students learned about pollution sources, mapped their environment, and suggested features they wanted to see—many of which were incorporated into the final design.
Inside the Design: How the School Street Came to Life
GDCI collaborated with the design firm Superpool to redesign the space in front of a school, creating a playful, inclusive, and healthy environment. The design offers both active and restful spaces, with hills for climbing and tumbling, stepping stones for balance and coordination, and an abstract sculpture that invites imaginative play. Open areas support unstructured games, and the proximity to classrooms allows for outdoor learning.
The team incorporated several street design strategies to reduce air pollution and improve public health. The most significant change is the transformation of the street segment in front of the school into a “School Street.” Traffic is restricted during school hours (6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.), and parked cars have been relocated away from the school to limit students’ exposure to vehicle emissions. Outside of school hours, children can still enjoy the new play space, which now benefits from greater separation from traffic and a green buffer of shrubs and bushes that helps filter pollution from the road. Additionally, paving previously unpaved areas helps reduce dust resuspension, further improving air quality. These changes are reinforced by traffic calming measures that enforce lower vehicle speeds and enhance road safety.
By designating this segment as a school street, the city was able to restrict vehicle traffic during school hours to create a safe space for pedestrians and cyclists.
The Impact of Removing Pollution from Play
Children and their families walk to school on the new school street, protected by new barriers.
The construction of the project was completed in March 2025, and it has catalyzed a range of public health benefits ever since. By eliminating traffic during school hours, the project resulted in significantly reduced vehicle emissions, the equivalent of removing 259 trucks from the street each day. In addition to improving air quality, the project has created more space for physical activity, adding 350 m² of new play areas and pedestrianizing 450 m² of street space from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, making it easier for children and their families to get to and from school safely. Shade structures make the space cool and comfortable throughout the day, lowering surface temperatures by 10°C and air temperatures under the shade by 2°C. Noise has also been significantly reduced, with a 60% decrease in sound intensity during school hours, creating a calmer and less disruptive environment for learning and fun. Finally, the project has substantially improved road safety by eliminating the potential for road crashes at the site during school hours and adding crosswalks for pedestrians when school is not in session.
“Clean air is critical for children’s health and development: exposure to high levels of air pollution in a child’s early years can cause lifelong physical and cognitive health complications.” said Desmond Appiah, Country Lead – Ghana at the Clean Air Fund, “The Removing Pollution from Play project is a powerful reminder that thoughtful urban design can directly protect children’s health and create spaces where they can play and thrive. We’re proud to support GDCI’s work to reimagine streets and demonstrate scalable, community-driven solutions for cleaner air.”
As GDCI continues to monitor the long-term impacts of the intervention, the early results are encouraging, confirming the critical role street design plays in improving air quality, health, and safety, particularly in school environments. By reimagining how streets function, we can create more inclusive and vibrant public spaces that support children’s well-being and strengthen community life. Looking ahead, scaling and adapting this model offers a powerful opportunity to build healthier, more livable, and more resilient neighborhoods.
For more detailed findings and information on the methodology, read the full project report.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all those who contributed to this project. In particular, we wish to honor the memory of our esteemed colleague, Eric Nyame-Baafi, whose dedication, expertise, and passion were instrumental in shaping this work. His invaluable contributions and unwavering commitment will always be remembered.
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