Decision makers in local government don’t always see why there is a need to modify public space for children. Mayors and public servants are judged, and returned to office, on “bigger” issues such as their economic record or whether the trains run on time. “It is hard to advocate for children and young people, because they don’t have a natural voice,” said Bornat.

Despite this, Bornat managed to convince the mayor of Hackney to commit to making the borough child-friendly by 2026. Local government will help manage public space for the benefit of children, while encouraging developers to build open spaces for them to congregate and play.

In a research project conducted in 2016, Bornat demonstrated that the approach improves lives. “We were able to show we could move away from anecdote and towards actual data and outcomes,” she said.

Join Architect Dinah Bornat to discover how making cities child-friendly improves life for all citizens.

Dinah Bornat is a co-founder and Director at ZCD Architects. The practice is design lead and has a particular focus on projects with a social purpose. Dinah is a Mayor’s Design Advocate, a design review panel member for Harrow Council and has numerous advisory and consultancy roles focusing on urban design around children and young people. She has published and continues to produce research in this area.