MP’s Ujjain Plans Safer, Inclusive Public Spaces For Young Children And Caregivers

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): A capacity-building workshop on designing and developing public spaces for young children and their caregivers was held at Ujjain Municipal Corporation on Wednesday under the Nurturing Neighbourhoods 2.0 (NN 2.0) initiative.

The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of officials and technical staff of the urban garden department to plan and develop safe, inclusive, convenient and attractive public spaces for children aged zero to six years and their caregivers.

Nikita Pal and Vivek Maddirala of WRI India shared information on planning and designing public spaces according to the needs of young children in urban areas.

Participants discussed the role of the physical and social environment in early childhood development and the need to make roads, parks, public places and early childhood development centres child-friendly.

The workshop emphasised age-appropriate play areas, safe movement, adequate seating, shaded spaces, cleanliness and facilities for caregivers.

Participants were also briefed on key principles of child-friendly and caregiver-friendly public spaces, including safety, access, usability, opportunities for play and learning, and equal access for all sections of society.

Case studies and good practices from successful projects in various cities were shared to demonstrate how better public spaces for children and families could be developed according to local conditions and available resources.

Deputy municipal commissioner Yogendra Patel and executive engineer Deepak Sharma participated in the workshop along with engineers and garden supervisors of the department.