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.
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.
Scaling up Streets for Kids in Brazil, Mexico and Zambia
Designing streets for kids goes beyond one-off street transformations and temporary events. It requires scaling up and making street improvements part of citywide programs and policies. In 2024, four cities, Canoas, Brazil; León, Mexico; Lusaka, Zambia; and Recife, Brazil, participated in the latest Streets for Kids program round, which included tailored technical assistance to implement projects and scale up the vision for kids-first projects, programs, and policies.
In 2023, ten cities across four continents started designing their streets for kids. Collectively, the cohort reclaimed over 40,000 SqM of public space that prioritizes children and caregivers, engaged over 4,000 children in the process, and trained 140 practitioners.
World Children’s Day: Celebrating Streets For Kids
See how our Streets for Kids projects are helping more kids and young people get to school and play safely, while also creating comfortable, healthy, and enjoyable spaces for their caregivers and the wider community.
From More Open Spaces to Safer School Streets in Milan
In May, the City of Milan, in collaboration with GDCI and Bloomberg Associates, launched Piazze Aperte per Ogni Scuola (Open Squares for Every School). After the launch, there was an event to promote a pedestrianized school street where kids and caregivers got to enjoy the vehicle-free space.
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Ha Noi Uses GDCI Street Design Guides to Create Safe Streets for Children
In the bustling city of Ha Noi, GDCI is partnering with the Department of Transport to create streets for children, pedestrians, and cyclists in a city dominated by motorcycles.
Kanak-kanak & Penjaga-penjaga membayangkan semula jalan di Kuala Lumpur
GDCI melancarkan fasa pertama projek transformasi jalan sekolah untuk dua sekolah di Jalan Genting Klang, Kuala Lumpur. Sebelum memulakan reka bentuk semula jalan, pasukan GDCI berinteraksi dengan pelajar, ibu bapa, dan guru-guru dari sekolah-sekolah tersebut melalui aktiviti-aktiviti yang interaktif.
Children and Caregivers Reimagine Streets in Kuala Lumpur
GDCI, in collaboration with the city hall of Kuala Lumpur, launched the first phase of a school street transformation project for two schools in Jalan Genting Klang, Kuala Lumpur. Before embarking on the street redesign, the GDCI team engaged with students, parents, and teachers from the schools through participatory activities.
Announcing the 10 Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI) Selected Cities
On Friday, June 2, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the 10 selected cities for the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure. Led in partnership with GDCI, BICI will award the selected cities with funding and provide technical assistance on project development, cycling facility design, data collection, and community engagement.
News: Fortaleza achieves eighth consecutive year of reduction in traffic deaths
For the eighth consecutive year, the city of Fortaleza, Brazil, reduced the number of deaths in traffic in 2022. GDCI has been incredibly proud to collaborate with Fortaleza on some of this work.
