Pioneering new child-friendly rules an innovative step towards a fair recovery
Developers, planners and architects must put children and young people at the heart of designs for buildings, streets and public space in Hackney, under innovative new planning rules adopted by the Council.
The Child-Friendly Places Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which was formally adopted last month is now part of the Council’s statutory development plan, will be used to determine planning applications borough-wide, as well as acting as a blueprint for Council projects and external stakeholders.
Any proposed development in Hackney must now accommodate and support children and young people in moving through the borough, providing them with opportunities to be physically active, connect with nature, and play in safe, healthy and unpolluted public spaces.
By establishing child-friendly design guidelines and principles, the Council’s ambition is to create welcoming and inclusive streets and places for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Child-friendly design is an emerging field in urban planning that recognises children and young people as key users of the city with their own unique rights, needs and aspirations for the built environment.
While young people find much to love about living in Hackney, they have also explained how sometimes they can feel unsafe or unwelcome to play or move through our streets. That is something we are determined to change.
Adopting the Child Friendly planning guidelines is a huge step towards building a more inclusive society and signifies our commitment to ensuring a fair recovery after the pandemic. By prioritising young people, we can change the way we operate across the Council and most importantly, this will mean the borough continues to be a place where people want and feel proud to live, work and visit for generations to come.
