Placemaking for Children and Youth
An illustrated, essential guide to engaging children and youth in the process of urban design
From a history of children’s rights to case studies discussing international initiatives that aim to create child-friendly cities, Placemaking with Children and Youth offers comprehensive guidance in how to engage children and youth in the planning and design of local environments. It explains the importance of children’s active participation in their societies and presents ways to bring all generations together to plan cities with a high quality of life for people of all ages. Not only does it delineate best practices in establishing programs and partnerships, it also provides principles for working ethically with children, youth, and families, paying particular attention to the inclusion of marginalized populations.
by Victoria Derr, Louise Chawla and Mara Mintzer
Growing up Boulder
Growing Up Boulder (GUB) is a nonprofit that works to make Boulder and communities around the world better places for children and young people—by giving them a meaningful role in shaping the places where they live. Founded in 2009 as a partnership between the City of Boulder, Boulder Valley School District, and the University of Colorado Boulder, GUB brings young people into planning and design processes that have traditionally been led almost entirely by adults.
Through partnerships with schools, government agencies, designers, community organizations, and families, GUB creates opportunities for children and youth to investigate their communities, articulate what they need, and contribute directly to decisions about public spaces, transportation, housing, civic facilities, and other aspects of city life. Its work is grounded in the idea that young people are not simply future citizens or eventual users of cities: they are residents with valuable knowledge and perspectives about the places they inhabit right now.