Tag Archives: child-friendly cities

Care about cities and children? You must read this book

A brief post, to flag up a wonderful opportunity to get under the skin of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, written in 1961 by Jane Jacobs.

City Builder Book Club » Mary Rowe on the Introduction: Why you will read and reread this book.

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A brief history of the popsicle test

Children and adults in a popsicle storeHow do you measure the child-friendliness of a neighbourhood? Here’s one test. Would you, as a parent of an 8-year-old child living in that neighbourhood, let your child make their own way to a shop and buy a popsicle (or any variety of ice-cream) – and could your child get the frozen treat back home before it melted?

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Can you help with my Oz trip?

kangarooI’m en route to Australia, where I’ll be giving talks to childcare agencies and children’s rights bodies, working with public health officials, and networking with child-friendly city projects. And I’m looking to you, my readers, for  your ideas about how to make the trip more worthwhile. Continue reading

Walthamstow’s beachfront

Wood St Plaza Oct 2011 Continue reading

Exploring some of London’s most playful spaces and places

Four girls in Spa FieldsWe only had ten or twelve people take part over the two days, but I’m still buzzing after last weekend’s Open House play space tours. Why?

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What prospects for this playful addition to my neighbourhood?

Wood Street fountains 1Back in Walthamstow after some time away, we discover that today the Council has opened a refurbished square in our local shopping street. As you can see from the photo, it includes a row of fountains.

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