Scaling children's right to participate in urban decision-making across Europe
What if every child could shape the spaces they live in? What if their voices mattered in the parks they play in, the streets they walk, and the neighborhoods they call home?
Across Europe, we’re seeing a powerful truth come to light: children are not just users of the city — they are active citizens with the right to shape it. This is more than a feel-good idea. It’s enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically Article 12, which states that children have the right to express their views in all matters affecting them — and to have those views taken seriously.
Why participation in urban design matters
Cities are not neutral. They are shaped by policies, perspectives, and priorities — often without including the perspectives of children. Yet, it is in cities where children grow, explore, build independence, and develop a sense of belonging.
When children are excluded from urban decision-making, their needs for play, safety, accessibility, and mobility are often overlooked. But when they are included, cities become more inclusive, vibrant, and human-centered for everyone.
Programs across Europe — from tactical urbanism to child-led mapping and participatory foresight — have shown us that children are more than capable of offering innovative, practical, and often surprising insights into urban life.
From local pilots to european policy: The case for scaling
At CollectiveUP and through our work on projects like Youth for Bauhaus, Agile for Collaboration, and CONIFER, we’ve engaged children in real-world decision-making — and watched their confidence and creativity flourish. These aren’t isolated successes. They are proof of concept.
What we need now is scale.
Here’s how we can take children’s participation to the EU level:
- Policy Mandates
EU institutions and funding programs (like the New European Bauhaus and DUT partnerships) should embed children’s participation as a core requirement, not an optional add-on. This includes urban development, climate action, and education initiatives. - Capacity Building for Adults
Adults — planners, educators, policymakers — often lack the tools to engage meaningfully with children. EU-level toolkits, training programs, and networks can help close this gap and empower adults to become enablers, not gatekeepers. - Sustainable Infrastructures for Participation
We need to go beyond workshops and events. This means institutionalizing participatory councils, school-city collaboration frameworks, and digital tools that give children an ongoing seat at the table. - Funding Child-Led and Co-Created Projects
Specific funding streams should support initiatives where children aren’t just consulted, but co-create solutions — from playgrounds to green corridors to future mobility.
- Monitoring and Evaluation
Let’s track how children’s input is collected — and whether it’s actually used. Transparent reporting, child-friendly feedback, and accountability mechanisms are key.
The future is child-inclusive
Urban decision-making that includes children isn’t just good policy — it’s better design, stronger democracy, and a more resilient Europe. When we start seeing children not as passive beneficiaries but as rights-holders and contributors, we don’t just build better cities. We build better societies.
The question is no longer if children should participate, but how we can make it happen — everywhere, for everyone.
🔗 Want to collaborate on child-inclusive urban innovation or support a CERV initiative focused on participation rights? Let’s connect. The future is participatory — and it starts with children.
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