WHO Releases Guidance on Safe, Inclusive, and Child-Friendly Public Spaces

Illustration of a child-friendly space (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Along with the ever-growing urban areas, safe public spaces for children to play are getting smaller. This has triggered concerns from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Globally, only 44 percent of urban residents live near open public spaces, and that figure drops to 30 percent among urban residents in low- and middle-income countries.

Millions of children living in small and big cities still lack access to public spaces. Pollution, traffic, density, and climate-related hazards are increasingly limiting children's freedom to move, play, and develop.

With that, WHO, UNICEF and UN-Habitat call on governments and city leaders to continue to provide safe public spaces for the health, development and well-being of children.

New guidance on safe, inclusive, and child-friendly public spaces has also been released by WHO. The guide provides practical, evidence-based insights to help cities create safer and healthier streets, parks, and public spaces.

"Access to safe and inclusive public spaces is directly related to the health, development, learning, and social bonding of children and is a child's right," said Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of the WHO Department for Health Determinants, Promotion, and Prevention, in a statement. official WHO website, on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

The contents of the guidelines for safe, inclusive, and child-friendly public spaces released by WHO are as follows.

- Reduce security risks through measures to calm traffic, safe crossings, bright lanes, and safe routes to schools, parks, and playgrounds

- Embody the opportunity to play in all types of public spaces, including streets, yards, neighborhood areas, and public facilities

- Prioritize access where the greatest need is, using spatial mapping and assessment to guide planning and investment in low-income, high-density, and informal settlements

- Meet environmental and health standards by ensuring clean air

- Promoting equality and inclusion through universal design of public participation and the removal of social, gender, and physical barriers that limit children's access

- Strengthening sustainability and resilience by expanding green and blue infrastructure

"This guidance shows how child-centered urban areas can fulfill the right to play and accelerate progress towards safe and accessible public spaces for all by 2030," said WHO Technical Lead, Urban Health, Dr. Nathalie Roebbel.