In most Indian cities, builders and planners alike have traditionally neglected children’s needs.
This has given rise to numerous issues such as lack of access to infrastructure, an unhealthy childhood, and an increased incidence of accidents and abuse. Urban planners make the mistake of assuming that what is suitable for adults would naturally be good for everybody else too.
They forget that the needs of children, women, the elderly and the disabled are different
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. “There is a need to shift the focus to children,” says Tom Thomas, CEO of Praxis-Institute of Participatory Practices, a Delhi-based development support organisation.
Praxis and the Bernard van Leer Foundation recently conducted a series of studies with homeless children and those living in the slums of different Indian cities, on the problems they encounter in the built environment.
Praxis concludes that catering to the needs of these children would automatically address the needs of other vulnerable groups such as women, senior citizens and the differently-abled. This development support organisation is working on a manual, one that will act as a guide in the creation of safe urban spaces.
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So, how can we create a safer city for children and other vulnerable groups of society? Experts are of the opinion that it requires a multi-pronged approach that includes child-centric planning — consulting children while creating detailed project reports/city development plans, institutionalising children’s participation through policy change, allocating resources and developing master plans, and making city development plans, schemes and guidelinesin simple language and imagery.
Until these systems are in place, improvisation is the need of the hour. Gajanand Ram, a town planner from Ranchi who attended the recent Praxis workshop, says, “Even though there are presently no provisions for the creation of child-friendly spaces, I am confident that I will, at least, consult children at an informal level in executing my master plan”.