We have been working on reading articles and narrowing down which ones to include in our literature review. We are learning so much about how innovation and redesigning of spaces has changed since the pandemic began. According to our research, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia seem to be leading when it comes to implementing child friendly initiatives into their cities and there is alot we can all learn still.

This week, I was also chatting with my son who is in grade 5 about a research project they were working on at school. He came home feeling defeated and said he recognized that a change in how we manage our resources but thought that because he was a kid he couldn’t do anything to help make the necessary changes. It was a great opportunity for me to sit down with him and talk about creating an action plan that he could use to draft a letter to our local municipal government to express his concerns and ideas on how it could be resolved.

This conversation sparked an idea. Since it is our job as educators to give children the tools they need to be successful, I have decided to create a curriculum module that students can use to assist them in making their voices heard.

Change happens when we come together and work collaboratively, and one of the ideas that my son is going to ask our municipality for is to have the opportunity to help in the urban planning of our community. Scandinavia and the United Kingdom have been seeking input from children on various planning projects and it is making their communities happier and healthier places that families are thriving in!

– Missy

 

Photo Reference:
Simon Weedy. “Urban Planning Is Failing Children and Breaching Their Human Rights,” February 24, 2021. https://www.childinthecity.org/2018/12/17/urban-planning-is-failing-children-and-breaching-their-human-rights/?gdpr=accept.