Healthy spaces : co-creating child-friendly towns and villages

Abstract

This research report presents the findings of a study investigating how Maltese towns and villages may become more child-friendly and consequently drive the key stakeholders to create appropriate spaces in collaboration with children and young people themselves. The study sought to explore the views of children, parents and community stakeholders on how Maltese towns and villages may provide more child-friendly spaces for their children and families, with particular attention to the voices of children and young people themselves. It focused on areas such as safety and security, recreational, play and social spaces for children and young people, spaces where nature and the outdoor environment can be enjoyed, cleanliness, inclusive spaces, and the voice and participation of children in the community. The study adopted a mixed methods design, with surveys with over 1000 children and adolescents, over 1500 parents and 170 key locality stakeholders such as mayors, religious leaders, leaders of social, cultural and sports organisations for children and young people, Heads of School and educational centres, and business leaders. Eleven focus group discussions were also carried out: five with children, adolescents, parents and stakeholders. The report makes a number of recommendations including mandatory guidelines with a children’s rights perspective on how the voice of children and young people may be actively heard in policy and project development; a collaborative needs analysis in each locality to establish how the locality may be transformed into a more child-friendly community, national indicators of child-friendly towns and villages leading to award of a quality label and strengthening environmental education from early years to tertiary education to lifelong learning in the community.