From Needs to Action: Urban Transport for Families – Urban95 experts gathered in L.A.

From 27-29 September, the Bernard van Leer Foundation gathered global experts at the intersection of transport and early childhood development in Los Angeles for the Urban95 Expert Assembly 2018: ‘From Needs to Action: Urban Transport for Families’.

The three-day gathering, facilitated by Apolitical, focused on five topics: accessing early childhood services in 15 minutes; improving walkability for families; improving public transit for families; using commutes for play and learning; and reducing young children’s exposure to air pollution.

After two days of discussion and field trips including experiencing the city as a caregiver (e.g. walking around the streets of Los Angeles with strollers and carrying a big bag of rice; the rough weight of an 18-month-old child) the convening ended with a workshop led by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) on their ongoing Streets for Kids project.

One of the main learnings is the need to revisit existing indicators, standards and current practices in transportation planning under the light of early childhood development outcomes, to highlight and better coordinate existing and simple interventions.