Coalition Child Standard
Children are often overlooked in mobility policy. Yet, their perspective can help create safer, more livable streets. Mobiel 21 is building a coalition around a Child Standard, focusing on safe routes, child-friendly neighbourhoods and giving children and young people a voice. That way, we make mobility better for everyone.
Mobility through the eyes of children
Children and young people are not just small adults. They move differently, think differently, and experience public space in a different way. Yet, our streets, squares and cycle paths are often designed without their lifestyles in mind. That has consequences. Children experience how unsafe traffic can be. As a result, they don't go out as often as they would like, are driven to their destinations by car and move less than is healthy for them.
It does not have to be this way. A safe and child-friendly traffic environment is not only good for children. It is good for everyone. What is safe, legible and accessible for a child, is also safe, legible and accessible for everyone, including elderly, less mobile and other vulnerable road users. High time, therefore, for more child perspective in our mobility policies.
What's going wrong?
Coalition Child Standard: Big step for small feet
To make our public space more child-friendly and embed the child perspective in mobility policy, Mobiel 21 collaborates with policymakers, schools, parents, experts and many other organisations. Our starting point is the Child Standard. This is an appeal, first launched by the Gezinsbond in 2019, to specifically consider the impact of every mobility policy decision on children and young people.
By putting that standard on the map together, Mobiel 21 and its partners aim to inspire policymakers to create a mobility system in which every child can move around actively, safely and independently. Even over longer distances.
Our partners in the Coalition
The child standard in practice
The coalition of organisations wants to radically rethink public space and mobility. By defining the Child Standard, they offer policymakers concrete tools to take into account both the abilities and limitations of children when planning, designing, organising and managing our public spaces and mobility infrastructure. Key principles include:
- Open the door to child-friendly spaces
- Create a network of safe cycling and walking routes
- Let children participate
- Inform children
- Restrict heavy traffic
- Give children space to practice
- Support children's development
For children and young people, these principles are not optional extras. They are essential conditions for being able and allowed to move around actively, safely and independently from an early age.
VIPs on wheels get room to ride
How do you make people realise that children are given far too little space in traffic? With a bold guerrilla action that no one can just drive past, of course! During the morning rush hour, 10 third-grade pupils took to the busy streets of Leuven on their way to school, flanked by 7 tough-looking bodyguards. Bike helmets on, backpacks ready - and all eyes on them. Mission accomplished 😎🚲💪
Join the Coalition Child Standard
Implementing the child standard is a shared responsibility. Policymakers, planning agencies, traffic experts, parents, schools, police departments and other mobility actors can each contribute, within their own role, to an environment where children feel safe and free to move around.
Curious how you or your organisation can contribute to the Coalition Child Standard? Or are you looking for best practices, research insights and information on the topic? Get in touch and join us! Together, we can build a child-friendly mobility system.
More initiatives for more child perspective
Cycling school XS
School transport plans
Traffic Education Routes
Car-free school days
School route maps
Schools Count!
Safe school environments and routes
We help build safe and adventurous public spaces in which children and young people can, want and are allowed to move independently. To school, friends, the sports club, the park... in all directions.