​In urban core, children playing in traditional "Pati", originally built as rest house ,in absence of adequate open spaces, while some children enjoys greener open space in community planned housing in sub-urban areas.Picture source: site visit,2017

Every human development evolves from the beautiful journey of childhood. In fact, if we ask any adult, he/she will respond that wish, they could turn back time and relive their childhood. Childhood is a phase where you are deserved to get enough love, pampers and stress-free play-time.The way you spend your childhood will surely leave a mark on you for the rest of your life. 

Nepal, at present, is in the sensitive phase of development with amendment of new constitution and complete restructuring of the country into federal systems to safeguard the rights and role of every citizen around the country. In national context, Children as a development concern was already included for the first time in the seventh Plan (1985-90). (source: www.cbs.gov.np) and the issues of children are addressed under the role of ministry of women children and social welfare, which mainly concentrates in broader perspective that mostly focused in providing basic human rights and addressing UN millennium development goals. While the policy makers are rapidly bracing their role in paving new motorable roads for cars and vehicles, and strongly advocating the need of economic development, children’s requirements and needs in the cities are significantly ignored. Cities are for people and with people it includes each human regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity or colors. It is sad to know that even in the national report published by government of Nepal (Nepal, national report, 2016) for third united nations conference on housing and sustainable urban development, the issue of role of children and their right to the city have been significantly disregarded as part of sustainable development, while it has emphasized the need to address gender disparity, and senior citizen’s role as part of sustainable urban development.

We live in 21st century where the world is heading towards more creative and knowledge based society, where even conventional approach of education system is slowly being criticized by research and the scientific research continuously advocates for continue learning through explorations and practical learning are more beneficial for children for their creative brain and skill development. But the urban family and the social structure of Nepal still today focused on traditional school going system as the base for their learning. The attitude of learning within the family system is also mostly conventional where one way delivering system from parents to child is prioritized. The type of family system lived in Nepal, mostly believes in the attitude that if the children argues or voice their opinions to the elders, in most of the cases it is taken as matter of disrespect .With these conventional social attitude still existing, the role and importance of children in decision making is challenging and questionable,  right from the family kinship of society and this social system is well reflected in bigger picture of urban governance, which means disregarding children for their needs and opinions.

Role of children in contemporary Kathmandu 

Does City Have Right To Disregard Children?

Kathmandu has prioritised cars over Children.Picture in the left shows the Ongoing road expansion project for paving spaces for cars while picture in the right shows encroachment of traditional neighborhood open spaces for car parking .Picture Source: Site visit,2017

Within the realm of these discourses, as an educated urban mom and the urban planner,  wonder when would the policy makers understands the significance of having the streets and public space where children can walk and play safely? When would I visit the public space where my child would enjoy and feel it’s the place for him as well? While I constantly question myself with those desires, I genuinely yearn for my traditional open spaces to be revived back to their original social space, belonging to human and freed from ad-hoc modern encroachment. 

Born and raised in the traditional urban core of Patan City, in Kathmandu valley, I still remember those days of my childhood when as a child, I grew up playing outdoors mostly in the open space called as “Tole” one of the various types of open space of medieval city planning concept. The “Tole’ was a common place for the residents there to perform various communal and social activities. For adults, and it was placed to chitchat with neighbors and friends sharing their stories, while for kids, it was a playground where they could play, run, cycle, make new friends and the list goes on. Moreover, I feel space created the bonding with me as a kid and with my residence by connecting the voids of my residence with the immediate space. We observe many such chowks, bahals, toles squares having multipurpose dimensions of social and public life in our medieval cities of Kathmandu.

After exploring some developed cities around the world, I really felt how my so-tagged modern city fails to address children as part of city dwellers. While many parts of the country, still suffer from the basic human rights, such as the right to education, sanitation, health, and shelter, discussing children in city planning perspective would sound as a farsighted issue in the context of Nepal. But given the fact, that country is rapidly urbanizing and there is a significant disparity between an urban and rural scenario in the country, we find more globalized and modern social dynamism in the capital Kathmandu. The policy makers while delivering around conference and seminar talks, might have forgotten the fact that children contribute to the larger percentage of the population of the country. According to national census 2001 of Nepal,40% of total population is below 15 years (source CBS 2001) where (before federal system implemented) central development regions, which includes capital, has the highest share of children population 33.7%. This figure clearly suggests the importance of their role in planning the city.

As children could not voice for their needs and rights, the policymakers and the decision makers seem to completely neglect their role and their needs in shaping the city they live. As any other citizen of the country children does have right to live in the city that best shapes their needs and necessity. While coming to the present-day city concept in the country, as part of modern day city planning interventions, we mostly hear discourses on smart cities and inclusive cities. In common understanding, inclusive cities aim to participate all firms of human beings regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity or ability in this regard, cities equally belong to the children as it belongs to any adult capable of making their decisions.

Architect/Planner Brinda Shrestha 

Scientific research has proved that children in many aspects are affected by the living conditions they grew up. In many European cities and developed cities, we would sense the adoption of city planning with regards to child-friendly strategies. Discussing with children groups are part of the urban development process in Italy, Denmark and many other developed cities. Community play area, greener open space, availability of safer pedestrian footpaths and safer neighborhood street network and ramps for children to move safely are some of the implemented city planning interventions, I felt while roaming around those cities. And even for new moms, comfortable breastfeeding space, diaper change rooms were part of space planning in public buildings which made parents more comfortable taking their babies out and encouraged mobility for new parents as well. Most of the public spaces were integrated with child-friendly amenities like play area, ramps, public toilets, public transport and a cleaner environment. According to Gehl-Institute, playing marks an important aspect not only in children but also in adults by alleviating stress and promoting creativity. It helps to facilitate social interaction among people and the neighbors, and thus advocates for creating “Playful City”. (Source: http://gehlpeople.com/blog/play/).The international Child-friendly cities Initiative was launched in 1996 and according to UN conventions, a child-friendly city is defined as 'any local system of governance, urban or rural, large or small, committed to fulfilling children’s rights. UN conference on human settlements declared that well-being of children is the ultimate indicator of a healthy habitat, a democratic society, and good governance.' (Source: www.unicef.org)