Author: Sarah Sabry and Anupama Nallari at the Urban Hub @ Save the Children International
Most streets in cities today are treated as conduits for cars rather than spaces for people. For children and families, more connected pedestrian streets would significantly improve neighbourhood quality of life.
Pedestrian streets are car-free areas designed for people to walk, play, and spend time safely. Without motorised vehicles, we can unlock opportunities to create community spaces, improve safety and enable healthier lifestyles. They often include adding trees, seating, and room for community activities, helping make neighbourhoods more inclusive and enjoyable for everyone. When pedestrian streets form connected networks linking homes with schools, parks, libraries, and other daily destinations, they make it easier and safer for children to move around independently and stay active.
Here are 9 reasons why networked pedestrian streets are essential for children and families.
1. Eliminating the #1 threat to young lives
Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5 to 29 worldwide. Pedestrian streets remove the primary source of danger—motor vehicles—allowing children to move independently without the risk of injury. While a single school street improves safety at the school gate, a connected network of pedestrian streets helps ensure the entire journey from home to school is safe.
Over eight consecutive years, the city of Fortaleza in Brazil, reduced traffic deaths by more than 50% by expanding its cycling network, lowering speed limits on selected streets, and investing in people-friendly streets.
2. Restoring children’s independent mobility
In past generations, children “roamed” their neighbourhoods freely and independently. As streets became designed for cars rather than people, children’s independent mobility declined. Faster traffic increased physical danger, while emptier, less walkable streets reduced community oversight—leaving children with fewer “eyes on the street” and greater vulnerability. A network of pedestrian streets can help reverse this trend by giving children safe, connected routes to parks, libraries, schools, and friends’ houses, boosting their confidence and independence.
3. Creating close-to-home spaces for play and socialization
When cars are removed, the street becomes a space for play and socialization. For families living in crowded urban areas or informal settlements, the street is often the only available public space. Pedestrian networks provide a safe “doorstep” for informal play, which is critical for physical, mental and cognitive development. They also allow caregivers to keep an eye on their children while doing household tasks.
A recent US-based study found that the location of a play space is the most important determinant of use. People living within a half-mile of a play space had a six-fold increase in walking or cycling compared to those living further away.
4. Improving respiratory health and air quality
Children breathe faster than adults and are physically shorter, placing them closer to vehicle exhaust. Car‑free, walkable streets reduce exposure to harmful pollutants like NO₂ and PM2.5. Cities that introduce pedestrian streets often see improvements. For example, Barcelona’s superblocks recorded up to a 33% drop in NO₂ in some areas, with children benefiting the most.
Reduced air pollution leads to lower rates of childhood asthma and improved lung development. Research also suggests that air pollution around schools is linked to anxiety and reduced academic performance among children.
5. Encouraging active lifestyles
Obesity and physical inactivity are rising global challenges. A city designed for walking and cycling makes exercise a natural part of a child’s day rather than a scheduled activity. Protected pedestrian networks make it safer and easier for young children to try out their first cycle as well as first-time caregivers to juggle multiple errands with children. Networked pedestrian paths are the backbone of the “15-minute city” model, where all family needs are met within a short walk (EIT Urban Mobility, 2025).
6. Economic Resilience
Car dependency is expensive. By providing a safe, networked alternative to driving, cities help families save on fuel, insurance, and maintenance. Furthermore, evidence shows that pedestrianised main streets see higher footfall and consumer spending, supporting local businesses that families rely on.
7. Inclusive of young children, caregivers, elderly people and people with disabilities
Wide, car‑free paths are essential for caregivers navigating with strollers or young children, for older adults with mobility issues and for people with disabilities using wheelchairs or other mobility aids. In fact, some studies found that the spatial conditions of streets, including walking and cycling facilities, can be more restrictive to independent mobility than the physical disability itself. Clear sightlines, safe crossings, and places to rest along the way make these routes welcoming and usable for people of all ages and abilities. Urban95 initiatives in Bogotá demonstrate this well, with widened pavements and smooth, car‑free walking routes near childcare centres making daily trips safer and more accessible.
8. More greenery, and less heat and flooding
Pedestrian networks often reclaim space from cars to incorporate green infrastructure, such as planted areas and permeable pavements, which help filter air, reduce street temperatures, and manage stormwater to prevent flooding. Paris offers a strong example: through its programme to green and pedestrianise neighbourhood streets, the city is replacing sections of asphalt with trees, rain gardens, and permeable surfaces to cool streets during heatwaves and absorb excess rainfall during storms. These nature‑based features make pedestrian routes more comfortable for walking, support biodiversity, and help neighbourhoods adapt to climate change.
9. More daily joy and a “Free” Family Outing
In an increasingly commercialised world, pedestrian networks offer something rare: a high-quality, zero-cost leisure activity. When the “network” is well-designed, featuring benches, greenery, and public art, the simple act of “going for a walk” becomes a primary source of joy rather than a stressful experience navigating traffic. Streets then provide a free third space for children (other than home and school), where a fountain to splash in or a low wall to balance on often brings more joy than a paid attraction.
Research shows that people who spend more time in green spaces report significantly lower stress levels and improved mental health and wellbeing (WHO 2016).
Moving forward: From streets for children to a network of pedestrian streets for better cities for children.
A single pedestrian block is a start, but a network of pedestrian streets is a highly effective solution for people-friendly cities. Such streets would likely make up only a fraction of a city’s streets, meaning this is not a ban on vehicles, but a reasonable proposal to prioritise pedestrians on some streets with potentially outsized benefits.
When we link safe streets together, we create cities that are inclusive, safer and healthier for children, young people, and families.
We have published several blogs on making streets safer for children and families. Explore our blogs to get inspired and make your city streets safer, greener, and happier.
- Milan is giving streets and open spaces back to children
- Designing Safe and Resilient Streets in Recife
- Making school streets safer for children
- Revisiting Streets for Life #Love30
- Lessons from more than 1000 school streets
- Conversations: Open Streets for people
- Lusaka, Zambia is making roads safer for children
- Ideas4Action: Six ways to design safer school zones
- How low‑emission zones create healthier, more child‑friendly cities
About the Author
This blog was written by Sarah Sabry and Anupama Nallari at the Urban Hub @ Save the Children International. Many thanks to Hila Bar Ner and Paul Supawanich from Global Designing Cities Initiative for reviewing an earlier version of this blog and providing valuable suggestions to improve it.
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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