Author: Sarah Sabry and Anupama Nallari at the Urban Hub @ Save the Children

This blog highlights practical, evidence-based actions and tools and guidance to make streets safer and more inclusive for children. From safer school zones to better walkability and cycling infrastructure, it shows how design, policy, and community engagement can transform urban streets into healthier, child-friendly spaces. 

The Urgent Need for Safer Streets for Children 

Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among children and young people aged 5 to 29. Every day, millions of children navigate urban streets that are not designed to protect their health and safety—putting them at serious risk of injury or death. Inadequate sidewalks, unsafe crossings, heavy traffic, and pollution not only endanger children but also discourage walking and cycling in their neighbourhoods, limiting opportunities for healthy physical and social development. 

But this can change. 

Global commitments such as the Decade of Action for Road Safety and Vision Zero have motivated many cities and organizations to develop and scale evidence-based interventions that make streets safer, healthier, and more child-friendly. 

Here are ten effective strategies to create safer and more inclusive streets for all children: 

1. Plan cities for people not cars

Making streets safer for children requires child-responsive urban planning that prioritizes their active mobility, safety, and well-being. Approaches like the 15-Minute City promote compact, walkable neighbourhoods where essential services are within a short distance, reducing reliance on cars and increasing opportunities for safe walking and cycling. Barcelona’s Superblocks reconfigure city blocks to limit through traffic, reclaiming streets as public spaces for play, walking, and community activities—creating a safer, more liveable environment for children. Similarly, Open Streets initiatives around the world temporarily or permanently close roads to cars, transforming them into safe spaces for children and families to walk, bike, and explore the city in active ways.   

2. Make areas around schools safer 

Apart from home, children spend a majority of their time in and around schools. Evidence shows that a large proportion of road traffic injuries involving children occur near schools—making these areas critical for targeted safety interventions. Initiatives like the Global Designing Cities Initiative’s Streets for Kids program made streets around schools safer by implementing extended sidewalks, safe crossings, reduced speed limits, and adding multi-use seating, play elements, shade, and greenery to transform unsafe streets into more safe, inviting and playful spaces.  

3. Plan and design cycling-friendly and walkable cities  

Develop dedicated bike lanes separated from vehicular traffic to encourage safe cycling. Temporary bike lanes can be tested in high-risk areas before permanent solutions are implemented. Provide bike racks and cycling education in schools and encourage mass cycle to school initiatives like Bike Bus. Encourage and enforce the use of protective gear, such as helmets and reflective clothing, to further enhance children’s safety. BYCS, an organisation that champions cycling, supports initiatives like Bicycle Mayor Network to catalyse cycling in cities through passionate changemakers as well and engage Bicycle Heroes – selected school children in cities – to analyse and propose solutions to make cycling more accessible for all citizens. 

Highly walkable cities encourage all city residents, including the youngest and oldest, to walk to key destinations. Walk21, an international organisation championing walkable cities, offers resources and training for city mayors and other key stakeholders to make their cities more walkable and pedestrian friendly. Key features of walkable cities include wide, continuous sidewalks, safe crossings, street furniture and greenery, traffic calming and managed parking, easy access to public transport, and areas for public life and community activities. In India, a national initiative, is supporting walkability in Bengaluru and Kochi by identifying and improving Priority Walking Networks to ensure key destinations like schools in neighbourhoods can be reached safely and comfortable by walking. 

4. Ensure girls can navigate cities safely 

Girls and women in cities often face unique safety concerns related to harassment and personal security. Well-lit streets with good visibility, well placed and maintained public toilets, real-time information for public transport, safe waiting areas and walking routes and behaviour change strategies coupled with interventions like alarm bells which deter verbal and physical abuse can create safer and gender-sensitive streets. Community-driven safety audits, such as those using mobile apps like Safetipin, can help identify and improve unsafe areas. Additionally, integrating more women into transport planning and urban design processes can ensure the specific mobility needs of girls and women are considered. 

5. Improve accessibility for children with disabilities 

Children with disabilities face significant barriers to safe mobility, including uneven sidewalks, a lack of ramps, and poorly designed crossings. Streets should be designed with universal accessibility principles, such as tactile paving, wheelchair-friendly sidewalks, and audio signals at pedestrian crossings. Ensuring that public transport is accessible, with step-free entry and designated seating areas, further enhances mobility for children and people with disabilities.  

6. Bring play back to streets through innovative policies and low-cost interventions 

Play has largely disappeared from city streets due to car-centric planning and safety issues. Play streets is a growing international movement where certain neighbourhood and main streets are prioritised for play by closing them to vehicular traffic during specific times. Playing Out, an organisation in the UK that pioneered play streets,  combines community-led efforts, innovative policymaking and tactical urbanism measures, such as temporary street closures, painted play zones, and mobile play equipment, to transform neighbourhood streets into close-to-home play spaces.  

7. Design streets comfortable for young children and their caregivers 

Young children and their caregivers require safe and accessible streets that accommodate strollers, hand-holding while walking, and frequent pauses. Wider sidewalks, benches, places to pause, shaded resting spots, and safe crossings with extended signal times help make urban environments more navigable for families. Locating essential amenities like schools, parks, libraries, and healthcare centers away from busy roads reduces exposure to traffic risks and air pollution.  

 8. Engage children in road safety education and audits

Integrate road safety education into school curriculums to teach children about safe pedestrian behaviour, cycling rules, and how to assess risks in urban environments. Classroom learning should be reinforced with interactive activities such as simulated street crossings, cycling training, and pedestrian drills. For example, in Switzerland, to help children identify traffic dangers at an early age, police hold road safety lessons in kindergartens and schools. Additionally, engaging children, school staff and parents in road safety audits allows them to share their perspectives on unsafe street conditions and advocate for improvements.  

9. Engage local residents in making neighbourhood streets safer 

Implementing neighbourhood street design changes can be contentious as residents might have conflicting priorities. However, strategic community engagement which brings the needs of all residents to light in creative and effective ways can facilitate cooperative action. Care should be taken to understand intersectional needs within communities for example girls with disabilities, male caregivers, and adolescent boys who tend to have low aversion to risk. Tactical interventions like temporary street redesigns using paint and safety cones can empower residents to test, socialise and refine solutions before committing to permanent infrastructure changes. Such efforts can help generate long-term buy-in from the community and ensure that interventions are both effective and locally appropriate. 

10. Strengthen Policy, Funding, and Cross-Sector Coordination 

Creating safer streets for children requires not only good design but also strong policy and enabling conditions. Supportive policies—such as national urban transport policies- promoting non-motorised and inclusive transport and mobility, inclusive urban planning guidelines, and school zone regulations— coupled with adequate and sustained financing set the foundation for action. Intersectoral collaboration among transport, education, health, and urban planning sectors ensures coordinated efforts.  

Tools and Guides for Further Reference 

For those interested in implementing child-friendly street safety measures, the following resources provide comprehensive guidance: 

• Designing Streets for Kids – A detailed guide by Global Designing Cities Initiative which includes design recommendations and case studies that highlight streets that are safe, enjoyable, and inspirational for children and caregivers.

• Improving Road Safety for Urban Children – This Global Alliance Cities4Children brief provides a summary of key evidence on preventing road traffic injuries among children and effective evidence-based interventions. 

• UNICEF Child and Adolescent Road Safety Technical Guidance – Provides recommendations on policy and interventions to enhance road safety for children. 

• School Streets Report by Child Health Initiative and FIA Foundation provides insights on the benefits of school streets and strategies to implement them effectively. 

• Child Road Safety Education Factsheet – A resource on educating children about road safety, developed by the Global Road Safety Partnership. 

• Safe Routes to School by iRAP has tools and methodologies for assessing and improving road safety around schools. 

• Access for All: Babies and Toddlers – A guide by Institute for Transportation and Development Policy and Van Leer Foundation on making cities more accessible for young children and their caregivers. 

• Safetipin Safe Mobility Report – A resource on gender-sensitive urban planning and improving safety for women and girls in public spaces. 

• Safe and Inclusive Mobility Policy Brief – A resource by Humanity and Inclusion describing mobility solutions that are inclusive for people with disabilities. 

• Meeting the Needs of People Walking by Walk21 supports city mayors follow an 8-step process to achieve a walkable city 

• Cycling Cities for Infants, Toddlers and Caregivers by BYCS offers tools and guidance for making cycling cities more safe, easy, comfortable and fun for the youngest city residents and their caregivers
  

By leveraging these resources and implementing the strategies outlined above, cities can create environments where all children—regardless of gender, ability, or age—can navigate streets safely, fostering their independence and contributing to their overall development. Further making streets safer for children contributes to more social and environment friendly neighbourhood spaces. 

About the Author 

This blog was written by Sarah Sabry and Anupama Nallari at the Urban Hub @ Save the Children. Many thanks to Carly Koinange from UNEP for reviewing earlier versions of this blog and her valuable inputs.

The Ideas for Action Series showcases ideas for action, innovation, programmes, policies and practices that make public spaces child-friendly. Read more of our blogs here. 

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