This report documents the housing process that Save the Children and its partners developed in the district of Ampara, Sri Lanka after the tsunami. The houses involved were transitional shelters, designed to bridge the gap between providing immediate emergency shelter and the construction of permanent housing. But there are other gaps that this process also […]
Category: Community Development & Planning
This article provides a brief overview of the implications for children of climate change—both of extreme weather events and more gradual changes, along with the adaptations likely to be made at various levels. Because data on the impacts of climate change tend not to be disaggregated by sub-population or by age, there is insufficient knowledge […]
This online resource is a clearinghouse of information on how to conduct community mapping with and for children and youth growing up in urban areas to promote social action and neighborhood change. The site outlines strategies for child and youth mapping projects, provides key examples of mapping projects, and organizes a comprehensive database of resources prepared […]
It is generally acknowledged that low-income countries and poor communities worldwide are most seriously at risk from the probable impacts of climate change. This is not because climate change will necessarily be more extreme in these places (although this will often be the case 1), but because people, their enterprises and the places they occupy […]
As the obesity epidemic in children increases, it is important to consider the role of neighborhoods in supporting children’s physical activity and healthy development, especially in low-income communities where obesity levels among children are higher than for their middle-income counterparts. I present a participatory and qualitative GIS approach to mapping children’s own perceptions and use […]
It is no coincidence that all prosperous nations are predominantly urban. Urbanization goes hand in hand with economic development Nations with the highest economic growth over the last few decades are also the nations that have urbanized most. No country has managed to move into middle income status without urbanizing and industrializing. The recent World […]
Referencing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as the basis to make cities more supportive of children’s needs, this paper discusses the emergence and characteristics of child friendly cities. It then reviews the development of an initiative in Denver, Colorado, to become the number one child friendly city in the USA, and […]
This essay reaches into the complex issues of urban growth to ask how we can insert a better understanding of children’s needs and perspectives into the governance, planning and management of cities. The issue of how cities develop has distinct and serious implications for children. Children are more vulnerable to many of the hazards of […]
In the context of post-disaster reconstruction, there is growing awareness of the need for more integrated inclusive processes that allow people to retake control of their lives, and that ensure practical responses to local conditions. Yet, a range of pressures and challenges conspire to make these approaches appear unworkable. “Participation” in this context, if it […]
This handbook aims at contributing to disaster response reconstruction programmes that not only rebuild the physical living environment but that strengthen the capacity of communities to regain control of their own lives, with a focus on their children’s present and future well-being. It considers the Why, What, and How of planning for post-disaster reconstruction with […]
