Streets for Kids Leadership Accelerator Participants
GDCI welcomes the first cohort of the Streets for Kids Leadership Accelerator cities
In May 2022, the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) launched the Streets for Kids Leadership Accelerator, welcoming teams from 20 cities across the globe to promote change for children and youth in their cities. We’re very proud to introduce the 60 participants who have joined us for the past four months. Together they range from designers, planners, and engineers to public officials and community organizers working in education, public health, road safety and early childhood development.
Their rich experience across fields and geographies has given us a closer look at bike-to-school programs in Bogota, Colombia; safe routes to school in Lima, Peru; open play streets in Abuja, Nigeria; inclusive street design in Solo, Indonesia; and so many more inspiring programs throughout the world!
Learn more about the teams that are changing streets for kids of all ages and abilities, encouraging them to learn, play, and move about a city!
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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.
Since its launch in 2023, cities around the world have embraced the reverse periscope as a playful tool to reimagine streets from a child’s perspective. From community walkshops to international conferences, the tool is helping spark deeper conversations about child-friendly design. Discover how practitioners are using it to shift perspectives—and shape safer, more joyful streets for kids.
Scaling Impact: Ten Cities Join the 2025 Streets for Kids Leadership Accelerator
As GDCI welcomes ten cities to scale up the impact of their Streets for Kids projects as part of the 2025 Leadership Accelerator, we invite them to share their past accomplishments and bold visions.
