Best Practice Child- and Youth-friendly Cities

Development of an Integrated and Comprehensive Framework through a Systematic Review

Abstract

Creating a city that prioritizes the needs of children and youth is crucial for sustainable urban development. This paper reviews and explores best practices from international experiences excelling in Transportation Safety, Mobility, Accessibility, Sustainability, Climate Change, Inclusivity, 6 Es Approach, and Youth Empowerment and proposes an integrated and comprehensive framework for the establishment of the best practice child- and youth-friendly cities that would contribute to enhancing the safety of young people. The practices were assessed using predefined evaluation criteria to identify gaps, and then the elements and the requirements of the integrated and comprehensive framework were determined to bridge the identified gaps. An intensive review of 13 practices revealed that most studies (10 out of 13) fully considered Inclusivity and partly considered the 6 Es Approach criteria. However, the least considered criteria were Transportation Safety, Mobility, Climate change and Youth Empowerment. Interestingly, among all studies, only one considered Climate Change. The study concludes that future studies should incorporate underrepresented areas to bridge gaps. It emphasizes that local governments should prioritize child- and youth-friendly initiatives, adhering to human and child rights principles and recognized standards like the UNICEF Local Governance Approach. The study also highlights the importance of fostering meaningful participation from youth and children, focusing on capacity building, and committing to non-discrimination. Finally, it calls for clear roles and responsibilities for local governments, partnerships with public and private sectors, and regular monitoring and assessment to ensure the sustainability and success of these initiatives.