The "KIDS CITY MAP" participatory project

On Wednesday, an information session on the "KIDS CITY MAPP" participatory project was held at the Grand Théâtre for parents of elementary school pupils in cycles 3.1 to 4.2. The event was attended by the College of the Mayor and Aldermen, IKS Mobilitätsplanung – the engineering firm commissioned for the project –, the municipal departments involved (the Services Circulation, Enseignement, Topographie et Géomatique, Technologies de l'information et de la communication – Traffic, Education, Topography and Geomatics, Information and Communication Technology Departments), and the regional directorate of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth.

The "KIDS CITY MAP" project was presented to attendees, along with the various stages of its development, from the citizen participation process through to the finalisation of the city map for children.

A map of Luxembourg City, made by children, for children

Since the last Kids City Map was published over 15 years ago, the city has undergone a number of significant changes, including the appearance of several new neighbourhoods, infrastructure improvements – most notably in terms of safety around schools –, new schools, childcare centres and sports facilities, and the creation or upgrade of playgrounds and leisure areas.

The purpose of the "KIDS CITY MAP" project is to create a map of Luxembourg City for all of the city's children, listing major attractions, facilities for children, and various places of interest for children (sports and cultural infrastructures, playgrounds, sports and recreation areas, etc.). The project also aims to produce a list of measures that need to be implemented in order to cater to children's and their parents' needs and expectations in terms of quality facilities as fully as possible, and to rectify any shortcomings previously identified in local districts.

2,200 pupils in Cycles 3.1 to 4.2 invited to take part

Thus, the involvement of schoolchildren, parents and teachers is crucial to the project. Some 160 elementary school classes – i.e. around 2,200 cycle 3.1 to cycle 4.2 pupils – have been invited to take part in the project by plotting their daily routes through their neighbourhoods on an interactive map created by the City's Topography and Geomatics Department. The children can also pinpoint places that they think are dangerous to some degree, as well as places that they like to visit. Parents, meanwhile, will be given the opportunity to get involved in the project by taking part in an online survey, which will be published at the end of February 2025.

Once the responses have been assessed, the main findings will be incorporated into the "KIDS CITY MAP" project, which will be presented to the general public at the end of 2025, together with a list of short- and medium-term measures to create a more child-friendly city, and make Luxembourg City even more welcoming and family-friendly.