Let’s create spaces
for children and families
to thrive

The Proximity of Care Design Guide developed by Arup and the Bernard van Leer Foundation helps urban planners, designers, developers, city leaders and early childhood development practitioners embed child and family-friendly design principles into their work.

The guide is a practical and free online tool that can be used to assess, design and build healthy, protective, stimulating and supportive spaces in a cost-effective way, and to advocate for child and family-friendly urban environments.

Watch a brief introduction video to the guide or Get started.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOD8Bzr2LbE&feature=youtu.beThe lives and development of most children are now shaped in cities, but these spaces are not designed with children and their families in mind. Spaces that consider the needs of children, their caregivers and pregnant women deliver social and environmental benefits for the whole community in which they live, as well as commercial return on investment.

Find out more about the Proximity of Care Framework underpinning the design guide and why the guide was created, or get started!

A good start in life for its youngest residents is one of the best investments a city can make.

Inspire for Action

Explore a selection of videos from around the globe for inspiration on how to create child and family-friendly urban environments.
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