Watch the Awards Ceremony
2021 Cities Inspire Awards Finalists
Category 1: Child Participation
YAZD, IRAN
Shahramooz
The Shahramooz Summer School builds the skills of child advocates by teaching children about participation, citizenship, and life in their city.
AVILÉS, SPAIN
Avilés Child and Youth Council – Children Shaping Our City
The Avilés Child and Youth Council offers all children in the city a chance to be heard – with real impact on the lives of children and the broader community.
WANJU COUNTY, REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Wanju County Child and Youth Parliament
The Wanju County Child and Youth Parliament is a platform for children and young people to voice their concerns, creating tangible changes in their everyday life.
Category 2: Child-Friendly Social Services
BAKHMUT, UKRAINE
The SPILNO (Jointly) Project
The project ‘SPILNO (Jointly)’ creates a continuum of social services for children with disabilities all the way from early intervention to adequate services and follow-up.
HAFNARFJÖRÐUR, ICELAND
The Bridge
The Bridge brings together all services within the municipality to address the needs of children holistically, providing better and timely support to children and their families in challenging situations.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
Our Zone – Protecting Children from Violence
By using low-cost and replicable methodologies, the Our Zone project has changed child protection worker’s perceptions, improved services, and safeguarded children in low-income areas of Rio de Janeiro.
Category 3: Child Poverty Reduction and Social Protection
LISBON, PORTUGAL
Desporto Mexe Comigo – Sport Inspires Me
The Desporto Mexe Comigo -project offers access to free sports activities in low-income neighborhoods of Lisbon, building social cohesion and self-confidence.
LVIV, UKRAINE
Social Design School Pix Lab
The Social Design School Pix Lab equips children from low-income families with 21st century skills to change their perception of their future opportunities.
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA
District Strategy for Children
The District Strategy for Children presents a territorial approach to protecting children from the impacts of poverty, such as child labour.
Category 4: Safe, Clean, Sustainable and Child-Friendly Environments
TUMACO, COLOMBIA
Fall in Love with the Free Wind Neighborhood
The comprehensive ‘Fall in Love with the Free Wind Neighborhood’ intervention strategy brings together different local actors to increase safety in the most dangerous areas of Tumaco.
SAN FRANCISCO, USA
Heron’s Head Nature Exploration Area
The Heron’s Head Nature Exploration Area encourages people of all ages to engage with diverse natural elements, while promoting more equal access to outdoor play and nature.
RIO QUITO, COLOMBIA
Protective Environments for Children and Adolescents
Rio Quito has created protective environments for children through investments in play, participation, cultural activities and improved urban planning – successfully reducing violence against children.
Category 5: Play, Leisure and Family Time
REGENSBURG, GERMANY
Brixenpark: A Child-friendly and Inclusive Park for All
Brixenpark is a result of working together with children from all backgrounds. Built on a former army base, it provides a green and playful space for all citizens.
NAVAPOLATSK, BELARUS
“V Dvizhenii” (In Motion)
V Dzizhenii is an interactive boardgame that teaches children about their rights – in a playful way!
BUCARAMANGA, COLOMBIA
Santanter, a Protective Scenario Through Family Play!
The initiative, implemented in 87 municipalities in the Department of Santander, creates safe and loving family environments through playful parenting.
Category 6: Child-Friendly Governance
SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Sharjah Child Friendly City Project
The Sharjah Child Friendly City Project sets a comprehensive vision for making the city fit for children through awareness raising and participation, child-friendly policies, and improved services.
WANJU COUNTY, REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Wanju County UNICEF CFCI Strategic Planning Project Development
Wanju County’s Child Friendly City strategy places children’s rights and opinions at the center of local policies, budgets and decisions.
BERBERA, SOMALIA (SOMALILAND)
Local Government-led Decentralized Basic Service Delivery
By investing in a stronger local capacity for planning, budgeting and citizen participation, Berbera has successfully expanded access to healthcare and education for children – with impressive results.
The Child Friendly Cities and Local Governments Inspire Awards (‘Cities Inspire Awards’) are a celebration of inspiring and promising child friendly practices in cities and communities. The Cities Inspire Awards are not an endorsement — express or implied — by UNICEF of the awarded participants nor the accuracy of the information contained, or the views expressed, in the participants’ submissions. The Cities Inspire Awards are not a recognition of the concerned cities and communities as child friendly.
A note on logo use:
Only those participants who have won an award will receive a certificate and will be entitled to display their certificate and the Inspire Award logo on their websites and social media channels. Use of the Inspire Award logo is limited to the format shown in the certificate along with the date of the award. Any other use requires UNICEF’s prior written consent.
Please note that recognition as child friendly, and the right to use the Child Friendly Cities Initiative logo, require cities and communities to follow separate arrangements and are subject to a separate process. For more information, please see The Child Friendly Cities Handbook.