Resilient Thessaloniki
A resilient city is an open, just and adaptable city prepared to respond to challenges that might occur, while being capable to enable its citizens -and especially children- to thrive.
A resilient city demonstrates inclusive decision-making processes, integrated systems and resourceful plans. Thessaloniki designed a range of concrete action plans aiming to embed children’s rights into decision-making processes and urban planning approaches. By elevating the position of the child in the city’s agenda, the intervention urges for an institutional shift through primarily raising awareness on the importance of the issue and ensuring acceptance of the child as an equal citizen.
Location Thessaloniki, Greece
Organisation Municipality of Thessaloniki Local Government
Partner organisations
100 Resilient Cities Network,
Thessaloniki Child Friendly City Advisor: Maria Sitzoglou, World Bank, GFDRR.
Beneficiary
Children all ages and their caregivers
Scale of catchment
City
Built environment component Planning Policy
Implementation learnings
(1) Child friendliness can be a driver for urban resilience as it is a cross-cutting theme. Thinking through the child’s perspective provides innovative and resourceful solutions.
(2) Gaining the “political will” to ensure awareness and secure funding
(3) Achieving cross-sector engagement and multi-stakeholder partnerships
(4) Designing communication tools to translate children’s ideas into “adult language”
(5) Discovering where mutual interests between different stakeholders lie
(6) Recognising the time needed for institutional and cultural shifts
Links/Sources
https://www.gfdrr.org/en/feature-story/citizen-engagement-and-open-data-disaster-risk-reduction-thessaloniki