Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) at Austin Designing Cities Conference 2015
Janette Sadik-Khan launched a preview of the Global Street Design Guide to the national audience of 650 people at the opening plenary in Austin. Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) Director, Skye Duncan presented the guiding principles behind the Global Street Design Guide and a sneak peak into what can be expected in the full publication. This presentation was complimented by members from our Global Expert Network presenting Global Case Studies from the Guide. Catch all the presentations here. We are gearing up for the release of the Guide in early 2016.
Nine of our Global Expert Network members participated in a pecha kucha session where they provided a taste of some of the innovative street projects happening in their cities. We heard from cities such as Stockholm and Sao Paulo, Budapest and Bogota, Lima and Melbourne. So be sure to check out there exciting presentations, which can be found here.
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Scaling up Streets for Kids: Highlights from the 2025 Streets for Kids Leadership Accelerator
In 2025, GDCI brought together a selected group of 10 city teams working to scale up their efforts to create more and better Streets for Kids in Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador through multiple projects, programs, and policies. Here’s a look back and key learnings from a two-month online capacity-building program.
In October 2024, the Streets for Kids project was inaugurated in the Jordão neighborhood in Recife, Brazil, a community where children faced multiple challenges accessing safe and high-quality public spaces. Heavy rains, frequent flooding, and landslide risks often made their journey to school dangerous and unpredictable. Throughout the process, children, caregivers, school staff, and residents were engaged to co-create solutions that improve access to schools, supporte outdoor play and social connection, and set a precedent for future child-focused street transformations in Recife.
Creating Safer Spaces for Play: Tackling Air Pollution in Accra
In collaboration with the Korle Klottey Municipality and with support from the Clean Air Fund, GDCI 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.
