Author: Anupama Nallari and Sarah Sabry at the Urban Hub @ Save the Children
London’s evolution toward child-friendliness is a story of bold policies, visionary leaders, and grassroots action, interwoven with setbacks and lessons. This blog explores what drove progress, where gaps remain, and what other cities can learn.
We interviewed Tim Gill, a long-time London resident, an advocate and expert on child-friendly cities, and a catalyst for transforming London into a more child- and caregiver-friendly city and asked him to reflect on London’s journey. Tim has written several blog posts on the topic on the cities4children blog.
“Urban transformation is never a straight line.” — Tim Gill
London’s journey to becoming a child-friendly city is layered and complex. It is shaped by strategic investments, political champions, and civil society activism, but also by austerity, bureaucratic hurdles, and uneven implementation. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for cities worldwide aiming to create spaces where children thrive.
It’s been said before, but not enough. Cities that work well for children work better for everyone. Safe streets, clean air, green spaces, and accessible parks benefit everyone. London has a lot of this but through scattered interventions.
“There’s been a lot of policy and delivery around streets, playgrounds and housing… but there’s no real strategic overview of how this has all panned out over time.” — Tim Gill
Before London elected its first Mayor in 2000, children’s spatial lives were barely on the agenda. There was little attention to mobility or air pollution. The creation of the mayoral post, coupled with civil society pressure, changed that. Strategic planning guidance and national funding for play in the mid-2000s marked a high point. Adventure playgrounds gained support (thanks also to increased funding via the National Government and the National Lottery), and local authorities invested in play spaces.
Slade Gardens adventure playground in London is a staffed space with climbing and swinging features, mud kitchens and water play, offering a range of activities for children of different ages and interests. Source: https://sladeadventure.co.uk/
But austerity in the 2010s reversed many gains, shrinking public budgets and eroding services, including those centred around making cities more engaging and safer for children and families.
Child-friendly Policies and Guidance: Are they enough?
London has developed a strong framework of policies and guidance aimed at making the city more child-friendly:
- Shaping Neighbourhoods: Play and Informal Recreation: This non-statutory Supplementary Planning Guidance was a pioneering step in embedding child-friendly principles into urban design. It emphasised safe, accessible play spaces and walkable neighbourhoods. (First published in 2008; currently awaiting revision.)
- Making London Child-friendly: Designing Places and Streets for Children and Young People: This agenda-setting publication consolidated evidence and advocacy for child-friendly planning. It called for stronger integration of play and mobility into housing and public space strategies. (Greater London Authority, January 2020.)
- London Plan 2021: This policy firmed up earlier guidance, including the crucial requirement of 10 sqm of dedicated play space per child in new developments. It also reinforced the need for inclusive, age-appropriate play provision and connectivity to green spaces.
- A London for Every Child – Reversing the City’s Declining Child Population: In March 2026, the London Assembly’s Economy, Culture and Skills Committee – one of the scrutiny committees for the Mayor and his executive – launched this report outlining steps the Mayor can take to make London more child-friendly. The report recommends that London pursue UNICEF Child Friendly City status, develop child-focused housing policies, and appoint a Children’s Ambassador to strengthen policy coordination. It also calls for mapping play areas across the capital and working with London’s boroughs to develop a London Play Sufficiency Action Plan.
These emerged through a combination of NGO advocacy, political champions, and the creation of new roles—such as the new mayoral post. The fact that Ken Livingstone, the first Mayor of London, was a progressive and interventionist politician also created a fertile policy environment for new ideas.
Alongside these initiatives, Mayoral policies and programmes on air pollution and active travel have helped to make the city more child-friendly, even if this has not always been an explicit goal. While the explicit child-friendly policies and guidance set out a clear vision, Tim Gill finds the implementation to be patchy and inconsistent. Even the London Plan, a statutory document, is open to negotiation and interpretation. Funding for retrofitting older neighbourhoods is scarce, and loopholes allow developers to meet minimum standards without embracing the spirit of child-friendly design.
“You can only get so far with policies and guidance—you need officers and developers to understand the spirit of all this.” — Tim Gill
Despite these limitations, some developers, particularly those engaged in large tract developments, voluntarily adopt child-friendly principles. They recognise that vibrant, family-friendly neighbourhoods add long-term economic and social value.
Champions: People Who Made It Happen
Policies alone do not transform cities; people do. Tim Gill explained that Nicky Gavron, former Deputy Mayor who passed away in 2024, was instrumental in linking transport, public space, and quality of life. Her advocacy for projects such as the London Plan and London Overground reflected a holistic, strategic vision for the city, with people at its centre.
“She saw the connections between transport, quality of life, public space, and the environment. She was a remarkable politician.” — Tim Gill
Champions like Nicky, spurred by demand from the ground and child-friendly city advocates like Tim and architect Dinah Bornat (Mayor’s Design Advocate and author of All to Play For: How to design child-friendly housing), leveraged strategic opportunities to embed child-friendly principles into broader agendas. Boroughs like Hackney and Waltham Forest also stand out for integrating child-friendliness into wider goals such as reducing car dependency, improving air quality, and promoting safe and active travel.
Olympic Park: A Strategic Win with Lasting Impact
According to Tim, the 2012 Olympics were more than a sporting event; they became a catalyst for regenerating some of East London’s most deprived areas. Ken Livingstone, London’s first Mayor, viewed the Games as an economic regeneration project disguised as sport.
What made London’s bid stand out was its commitment to look beyond the event itself and to use it as a springboard for long-term public and private-sector development. Strategic plans and investments focused on creating infrastructure that would serve communities for decades.
Tim Gill was among those who sat around the table to figure out how to bring existing child-friendly planning guidance together with Olympic Park development. This collaboration aimed to ensure that regeneration delivered safe, walkable, and liveable neighbourhoods for families.
Community meeting and play spaces in Chobham Manor, a residential development in Olympic Park © Tim Gill
“Major sporting events rarely have a long-term impact on people’s physical activity levels, but when you leverage these events for targeted and strategic urban transformation—thinking long-term, targeting deprived areas, investing in safe, walkable, and liveable neighbourhoods—it has a dramatic effect in uplifting communities and promoting healthy behaviours, resulting in healthier environments and residents.” —Tim Gill
Lessons from Chobham Manor: Post-Occupancy Evaluation
Green spaces in Chobham Manor with trees, a rain garden and playful elements © Tim Gill
The Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Chobham Manor Phase 1, the first residential development in the Olympic Park, offers deeper insights:
- High Satisfaction with Open Space: Residents praised parks and green spaces for fostering community and supporting children’s play.
- Play Provision: Dedicated play areas were well-used and appreciated, though parents noted limited options for older children and teenagers.
- Walkability and Connectivity: Streets prioritised pedestrians and cyclists, encouraging active travel. However, car parking pressures remain, and some streets still feel vehicle-dominated.
- Community Cohesion: Shared spaces and local events helped build a sense of belonging, but affordability concerns risk limiting diversity.
- Design Quality: Homes met high design standards, with good natural light and ventilation, contributing to family well-being.
- Challenges: Noise from nearby construction and limited local amenities were flagged as ongoing issues.
This success illustrates a key lesson: large-scale regeneration offers unique opportunities to embed child-friendly design. But beyond the Olympic Park, progress has been inconsistent. A reminder that one-off projects cannot substitute for systemic change.
Tumbling Bay in Olympic Park has ample greenery, play and water features for young and older children, and resting spaces for caregivers © Tim Gill
Civil Society: Pressure from the Ground Up
While strategic investments matter, grassroots activism often drives tangible change. Play streets, school streets, and community-led park improvements have reshaped neighbourhoods in Hackney, Waltham Forest, and Islington.
A school street in Hackney © Tim Gill
An attractive permeable filter in Waltham Forest creates the conditions for play © Tim Gill
“Locals coming together and saying what we’ve got isn’t good enough and organising for change…can make a real difference.” — Tim Gill
These efforts remain localised, but they demonstrate the power of citizen action. Boroughs respond when communities demand safer, healthier spaces for children.
Connecting the Dots: Lessons for Other Cities
London’s experience underscores the importance of integration:
- Link child-friendliness to broader agendas such as health, climate resilience, and economic regeneration. Positioning child-friendly design as part of these priorities strengthens its relevance and impact.
- Find champions—politicians and senior officials who support child-friendly initiatives. Encourage them to collaborate with civil society to plan and implement people-focused urban transformations. This approach builds ownership and buy-in.
- Act opportunistically—leverage quick wins and highlight success stories to maintain momentum and inspire wider adoption
- Engage children and communities—involving children in planning makes spaces more relevant, inclusive, and vibrant. But meaningful engagement requires genuine care and belief in their voices. Without this commitment, consultations risk becoming tokenistic exercises that produce reports gathering dust on a shelf
“There are a lot of places with good guidance and vision statements—but making a difference on the ground is what’s missing.” —Tim Gill
What can you do?
City residents: Speak up for safer streets, better parks, and inclusive spaces. Join local campaigns, attend council meetings, and demand action.
Politicians and policymakers: Embed child-friendly principles into every urban decision, from housing to transport. Invest in parks, prioritise walking and cycling, and listen to families.
As part of Climate Action Week, on 24 and 25 June 2026 London is hosting Curious Cities, a gathering of elected leaders, advocates and experts focused on making cities safer, healthier and more liveable. Spaces are free but limited. Register your interest here.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series, where we explore how boroughs like Lambeth are leading the way. For more inspiration, check out Cities4Children blogs and Tim Gill’s book Urban Playground: How child-friendly planning and design can save cities.
About the Author
This blog was written by Anupama Nallari and Sarah Sabry at the Urban Hub @ Save the Children International. Many thanks to Tim Gill for speaking with us and sharing valuable insights and experiences about London’s child-friendly journey. Thanks also to Astrid Astrupgaard from Gehl for reviewing this blog.
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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