Clean Cities Campaign releases new ranking of cities leading on child-friendly urban mobility
A new report released by the Clean Cities Campaign has cast fresh light on what makes cities truly liveable—not just for adults, but for children.
Titled 'Streets for Kids, Cities for All', the publication ranks 36 major European cities on how well they support child-friendly urban mobility, using three indicators: the prevalence of school streets, the share of the road network with 30 km/h speed limits or lower, and the extent of protected cycling infrastructure.
The ranking, published on 14 May, has also been presented during the Start with Children Summit, a high-level event aiming to shift urban mobility priorities toward the youngest—and often most vulnerable—residents of Europe’s cities.
Cities that lead the way
POLIS members Paris, Amsterdam, and Antwerp top the 2025 ranking, with Paris achieving a near A-grade performance. Its success is credited to Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s consistent efforts to implement school streets, expand cycling infrastructure, and introduce a city-wide 30 km/h speed limit. Amsterdam and Antwerp follow closely, recognised both for long-standing cycling cultures and recent accelerations in child-friendly reforms.
Brussels ranks just outside the top three but stands out as one of the fastest-moving cities in the field. With a rapidly growing number of school streets and an expanding 30 km/h zone that now covers almost the entire region, Brussels is showing that political will, supported by a clear policy framework, can drive rapid transformation. The report credits the city's progress to its Good Move mobility plan, which prioritises liveability, safety, and public space over car traffic.
Ten cities—including members Madrid and Lisbon—while making strides in sustainable mobility, have yet to implement any school streets, highlighting the uneven progress and the urgent need for broader political commitment across the continent.
Child-friendly mobility matters
The report draws on growing evidence that child-friendly infrastructure, such as pedestrianised school streets and low-speed zones—benefits everyone. These interventions reduce traffic injuries, improve air quality, and make streets safer and more welcoming for all users, not just children.
Across Europe, more than 1,200 children die prematurely each year due to air pollution, and more than 6,000 children have lost their lives in road collisions over the past decade. The report finds that children are disproportionately affected by unsafe mobility systems—yet rarely accounted for in urban planning and transport policy.
School streets, in particular, have emerged as a simple, low-cost intervention with wide benefits. Nearly 1,000 school streets have now been implemented across the 36 cities studied, most of them created since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The three indicators
The ranking is based on three practical indicators:
- School Streets: How many primary schools are located on pedestrianised or low-traffic streets?
- Safe Speeds: What share of the city’s roads are set at or below 30 km/h?
- Protected Cycling Infrastructure: How much of the road network includes physically separated cycling paths?
Together, these indicators form a strong proxy for a city’s investment in safe, independent, and active mobility for children. The report also identifies major gaps—especially in Southern and Eastern Europe—and calls for stronger legal frameworks, better data collection, and more community engagement.
POLIS members moving forward
The findings are especially relevant to POLIS members engaged in rethinking their urban mobility strategies. Many are already leading the way. London, for example, has implemented over 500 school streets, the highest in the ranking. Bologna has adopted a generalised 30 km/h speed limit as part of its 'Città 30' initiative—cutting traffic deaths by 49% in just one year.
In Barcelona—a city recognised for its Superblock model that reclaims streets for walking, play, and community use—while school streets remain limited, the broader redesign of public space is making neighbourhoods safer and more accessible for children.
Ghent has become a model for mid-sized cities with its strong 30 km/h policy and well-integrated cycling network. Its traffic circulation plan, supported by modal filters and local school streets, reflects a consistent commitment to safer, low-traffic environments for families.
The report recommends that national and EU-level policymakers do more to support city-level action. This includes mainstreaming school streets in safety regulations, adapting legal frameworks to support low-speed environments, and funding the expansion of cycling infrastructure.
Access the full report here:
Streets for Kids, Cities for All – Clean Cities Campaign
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