In the last 10 years several of the major international children's organizations have started to focus on the need to create more sustainable communities for children. While these organizations have tended to have a mandate that has focused more on the developing nations, much of what they are saying is equally applicable to Canadian communities. While some of these organizations started this work in the early 1990's, the Habitat II conference in Istanbul in 1996 was a major impetus for children's rights organizations to consider the links between children's growth and development and the built and man-made environments.

UNICEF - www.unicef.org
During the preparation for Habitat II, delegates recognized they had been giving insufficient attention in their agenda to the special needs of children for safe, secure and healthy living conditions. Subsequent work by various organizations led to a series of publications that defined the child friendly city. Their final working paper was entitled "Working Towards Child Friendly Cities."

UNICEF International Child Development Centre - www.unicef-icdc.it
This research centre in Florence, Italy, provides a range of information on issues related to Child and Youth Friendly Communities.

Greenmaps - www.greenmap.org
The Green Map System is a globally connected, locally adaptable framework for community sustainability. Green Maps utilize Green Map Icons to chart the sites of environmental significance in urban places around the world.

Growing Up In Cities - www.unesco.org/most/guic/guicmain.htm
One major research project that looked at issues of children's participation in decision-making in various cities on all continents, and how it can be fostered. Thia is an international program to involve children, young people and governments in evaluating and improving local environments.

International Play Association: Promoting the Child's Right to Play (IPA) - www.ipaworld.org
IPA is an international, non-government organization founded in Denmark in 1961, with members in close to 50 countries. IPA is an interdisciplinary organization which brings together people from a wide variety of professions including play-workers, planners, psychologists, educators, architects, academics, artists, researchers, childcare workers, landscape designers, health workers and many more.

These sites provide a wide range of information about children in cities around the world, although their information is not specifically child and youth centered.