Children's Voices Must Be Heard in Urban Planning

Qazvin – Deputy Mayor of Qazvin, stressing the need to address children's wishes and concerns, said: Participation of this group of citizens in urban programs is an effective step toward building a child-friendly city.

According to the Mehr reporter, Abolfazl Akbari, in a meeting with a group of elite and selected children in the fields of science, literature and Quran, stressed the need to listen to the views of children and provide the basis for their participation in urban and cultural activities.

According to the secretariat of the child-friendly city of Qazvin Municipality, Akbari said in this meeting: Children are the valuable assets of the society and the future builders of the country, and attention to their rights, needs and desires should be prioritized in cultural and social planning.

He added: National Children's Week is a good opportunity to get closer to the world of children and get to know their concerns, expectations and ideas. A space should be provided so that children can freely express their views and be sure that their opinions and suggestions are heard and taken into account.

The deputy mayor of Qazvin stressed that attention to children should not be limited to special programs and stated: the needs and demands of this group should be taken into account in the planning and implementation of cultural, social, artistic and sports activities, and the grounds for their participation in activities appropriate to their age and abilities should be provided.

The head of cultural, social and sports organization of Qazvin municipality also considered it necessary to create safe, happy and suitable spaces for children and said: supporting children's talents and creativity, providing equal opportunities for cultural, artistic and sports activities and paying attention to their needs in urban environments are important issues in the path of realizing the goals of a child-friendly city.

In the end, Akbari considered talking with children and paying attention to their suggestions as an opportunity to better understand the needs of the future generation and emphasized the necessity of cooperation between families, cultural institutions and urban management to improve the quality of life of children.