• Play streets – Independent mobility leads to higher levels of physical activity, sociability and mental wellbeing. Yet fears for children’s safety means that from 1971 to 1990, the number of UK children walking to school unsupervised has decreased from 80% down to just 9%. Temporarily closing streets to traffic would encourage people of all ages to be more active, while reducing air pollution and traffic danger. The City of Bogota is taking a lead in this, regularly closing city streets to cars, while Bristol, London, Adelaide, New York and Toronto are all forging partnerships between residents, local agencies and municipalities to take ‘play street’ schemes forward.

• Intergenerational spaces – Where children go, adults follow. The creation of active space can benefit the health and cohesion of whole communities. From early on King’s Cross Central incorporated playful interventions as a means of urban regeneration and to create a fun and vibrant destination for all ages. This involved incorporating arts programming, urban gardens and a temporary open-air swimming pond to generate outdoor activity.

• Traffic measures – In 2015, road traffic injury was the leading cause of death among 10-19 year olds globally. Increasing drivers’ awareness of pedestrians and street activities is paramount. In South Korea, the School Zone Improvement Project is doing just this, creating safe routes between children’s homes and frequently used facilities. A month-long experiment changed an inner city neighbourhood of Suwon, South Korea into a car-free zone, which proved successful when residents voted to impose parking controls, speeding restrictions and car-free weekends beyond the pilot project.

• Wild spaces – A connection with the natural world is associated with a range of physical and mental health benefits, including lower rates of obesity, depression, stress and attention disorders. Creating better ‘wild spaces’ in cities improves access to these areas, while preventing disused canal sides and parks becoming hotbeds for crime. Residents of Salinas in California saw this when the local community restored the 64-acre Natividad Creek Park, turning it into a refuge for young people from gangs and violence.