Best Practice Catalogue

It displays a diverse set of projects operating in multiple domains of urban transformation. These range from learning and educational practices to active and everyday mobility, participatory research, civic engagement, the reactivation of streets through play, and the redesign of public spaces and school environments. Though varied in form and context, they are united by a shared concern: placing children and young people at the centre of urban life. 

At the heart of all selected projects lies a strong commitment to participation. Children and young people are not seen simply as users of space, but as contributors and co-creators of their environments. Through these practices, the Atlas reveals how meaningful change emerges from the interplay between spatial transformation, everyday behaviors, interdisciplinary knowledge, and collaborative governance. 

The initiatives presented are promoted by a wide constellation of actors—public institutions, private organisations, and third-sector initiatives—working at both local and international scales. They take many forms: planning tools, research projects, pedagogical resources and community-based actions, urban transformation processes and policy advocacy. Together, they reflect the multiple pathways through which change can unfold. 

To deepen this exploration, a selection of case studies is examined through in-depth interviews with project promoters. These conversations shed light on how initiatives respond to the gap between children’s desires and their real opportunities for mobility and social life. They also explore the participatory tools and methods employed, the outcomes achieved, and the conditions that enable these practices to be transferred or adapted to other contexts. 

What emerges is a clear message: improving children’s urban experience requires innovation across multiple fields. It is not only about transforming physical space, but also about reshaping daily routines, educational practices, and planning processes—making them more inclusive and more attentive to lived experience. 

Conceived as an open and accessible resource, the Atlas is intended to support decision-makers, practitioners, educators, and communities alike. It also serves as a source of inspiration for the YouthMove15 Urban Living Labs in Brussels, Budapest, Groningen, Lisbon, and Oxford, helping to inform their design, experimentation, and co-creation processes. 

Ultimately, the Atlas points towards an emerging paradigm: a city shaped not only by proximity, but by participation; not only by access, but by lived experience; and not only for children, but through them. In doing so, it reminds us that cities that respond to the needs, ideas, and wellbeing of children and young people tend to become better places for everyone—revealing how their everyday experiences can guide broader societal transformation. 

Note: 
The overrepresentation of European projects in this Atlas is a deliberate curatorial choice. As the YouthMove15 Urban Living Labs are being implemented across European cities, the selection prioritizes practices that are contextually relevant. However, this should not be read as a reflection of the full diversity, quantity, or quality of innovative work taking place globally, which extends far beyond the scope of this Atlas.