Child-Friendly Environments—What, How and by Whom?

Märit Jansson, Emma Herbert, Alva Zalar and Maria Johansson
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Märit Jansson: Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricutural Sciences (SLU), 234 22 Lomma, Sweden
Emma Herbert: Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricutural Sciences (SLU), 234 22 Lomma, Sweden
Alva Zalar: Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
Maria Johansson: Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-26

Abstract: The socio-physical qualities of built environments are, in several ways, of imperative importance for children growing up. The Child-Friendly Cities initiative by UNICEF, an implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, has made local governments strive toward child-friendliness. The participation of children and young people is often the focus of such projects, with a potential for a far broader scope. Besides participation processes, what important socio-physical qualities make environments child-friendly, and how can they be developed? This paper presents a structured literature review of the concept of child-friendly environments, in order to address the full socio-physical spectrum. The results focus on concrete factors that have been filtered through child-friendliness and the associated frameworks, showing an inherent dependence between the social context and the physical environment. The shaping of child-friendliness hinges on the realization of environments that are safe, fair, and with accessible and variable green and open spaces. A multi-stakeholder endeavor including, e.g., planners, designers, and managers requires clearly outlined priorities. This study lays the groundwork for further exploration of how the concept of child-friendly environments can lead to positive changes, also as part of the overall strive toward sustainable development.

Keywords: child-friendliness; landscape architecture; landscape management; landscape planning; urban design; urban planning; socio-physical environments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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