Urban Design Resources

All resources (130)
  • We let kids design our city – here’s what happened

    As adults, we think of kids as “future citizens.” Their ideas and opinions will matter someday, but not today — there must be a reason the voting age is 18, right? But kids make up 25% of the population — shouldn’t we include them in some important conversations? In this inspiring talk, urban planner Mara Mintzer wonders what would happen if we let children design our cities.

    Watch this TEDx talk on YouTube.

    Screenshot of Mara Mintzer’s talk
  • Placemaking With Children And Youth

    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.

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    Book cover of Placemaking with Children and Youth