From research to action: evidence-based lessons to child-friendly public space design

Despite growing attention to child-friendly city agendas, limited research examines how children’s lived experiences can be translated into local urban planning and design practice. This study investigates the facilitators and barriers to embedding child-friendly environment (CFE) principles within municipal planning in Ankara, Türkiye. Drawing on a multi-stakeholder focus group and four in-depth interviews with municipal officials, findings are analysed through a built environment lens and interpreted using agenda-setting frameworks. Results highlight spatial form, institutional fragmentation, and political dynamics as key constraints. The study argues that advancing CFEs requires integrated street redesign, adaptive planning instruments, and institutional coordination beyond project-based approaches.