Localized Spatial Planning Practices of Child-Friendly Cities under the New Urban Agenda: A Case Study of the City of Wuhan

Under the development framework of the "New Urban Agenda", UNICEF provides a unified toolkit for the implementation of the "Child-Friendly City Initiative" in various countries, and provides guidelines for spatial and environmental development of child-friendly cities. In light of the differences in each country and city in the spatial planning and development of (a specific) child-friendly city, localization and translation need to be made to the general framework and basic principles. However, most previous studies on child-friendly urban space focused on the design of public spaces, but few on localized spatial planning of child-friendly cities. Taking Wuhan as a case, the present study attempts to localize the spatial planning strategy and implementation path of child-friendly city under the framework of the "New Urban Agenda". The study first sorts out the overall development framework and spatial objectives of a child-friendly city, and proposes an overall strategic framework guided by top design, supported by "social environment", and carried by "spatial environment". Drawing on practical experiences from various sources, the study identifies the orientation of spatial planning in Wuhan's child-friendly city endeavor, and proposes a three-level spatial planning system of "city - sub-district - community" to build a child-friendly city with Chinese local characteristics. Aiming at the four typical children's activity spaces including community socializing space, public service facilities, urban recreational space, and street activity space, and taking into account the local features of Wuhan, the study further proposes the strategy for spatial improvement and standards for construction in line with local conditions, in an effort to materialize the idea of child-friendly city into specific actions of spatial development. Finally, based on current research findings, the study reviews Wuhan’s approach to building a child-friendly city from a practical perspective, and puts forward suggestions for other cities in similar practices.