Blog
Read the selected insights, thoughts and experiences of our staff and partners.
A call for new thinking on play safety around the world
Playgrounds have for decades been shaped by a zero risk mindset, with, any injury seen as a sign of failure. But things are changing, in what the New York Times… Read more
Our campaign to make Turin a healthy and playable city
On 23 May, the cheARIArespiro project – a winner of the Bernard van Leer Foundation’s Urban95 Challenge – will present findings and recommendations from our recent project in the Vanchiglia… Read more
Latin American city leaders discuss Urban95 for Harvard course
The Executive Leadership Course in Early Childhood Development will run for its seventh edition at Harvard University this year. Ten representatives from the Latin American cities where the Bernard van… Read more
How can we take care of our children in a city?
Child rearing is one of the most difficult but loving and fulfilling tasks in the world: feeding, cleaning, playing, stimulating, educating, carrying, healing when they are sick, and the list… Read more
Supporting parents to keep their children’s weight healthy: An interview with Linda Leijdekker
Late in 2017, we gathered experts from 17 countries in Amsterdam to explore best practices in coaching parents on child development, part of our Parents+ programme, which bundles parent support… Read more
Oasis Game in Brazil sheds light on children’s vulnerable situation
“We want to take care of the toy library, we need adults to trust us, everywhere we go there is an adult talking about what we need to do. To… Read more
Growing up in the city: Putting children first creates cities for all
A child-friendly city is a city for everyone, young and old. This is because a place that works for children needs to be walkable, safe, green, and rich in opportunities… Read more
Nurturing care: the role of the education sector
A new year brings predictions. Here is mine: in 2018 the momentum around early childhood development will continue to build. No surprise, given the growing evidence about the importance of… Read more
Building Better Play: Five Ways London Playgrounds Are Getting It Right
A few years ago, my family was asked to relocate to London for six months for my husband’s job. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it also meant leaving behind… Read more
CityLab Paris 2017 - Placing young children on the stage of global urban innovation
The mayors of Bogotá, Austin, Quito and Tulsa were among high-profile city leaders who participated in BvLF’s Urban95 breakfast at CityLab Paris last month. The event as a whole drew… Read more