The Journey and the Destination Matter: Child-Friendly Cities and Children's Right to the City

A precipitous decline in the ability of children to walk, cycle, and play outdoors without adult supervision has led to increasing research and policy supporting children's independent mobility (CIM). This article analyses the role of Child-Friendly City initiatives at the local government level in Victoria, Australia, in addressing CIM. Child-Friendly Cities are a promising practice, as they focus on children's right to public space, as opposed to a more limited public health approach that stresses relative risks of traffic and abduction by strangers versus physical inactivity. However, significant barriers are found in the policies and practices of five case studies within Victoria; specifically, the difficulties in moving from the social and health planning perspective informing Child-Friendly City initiatives, towards impacts on land-use planning policies and practices.