Two streets in León, Mexico have been redesigned for the safe mobility of their primary users – children, through the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) Streets for Kids programme, supported by the FIA Foundation.

The Municipality of León, Mexico, partnered with the Government Family Service Agency (DIF), and the non-profit Colectivo Tomate to work on a vision, design, and implementation of streets that keep children safe on their way to school and childcare centres starting with a pilot project at Lomas de la Trinidad through seed funding of 20,000 USD and year-long technical assistance from GDCI as part of the Streets for Kids programme.

Modifications included extended sidewalks, safe crossings, accessibility ramps, playful furniture, and plants. Local artists painted murals to further enhance the space.

The redesign, which included input and involvement of the local community and children, has benefited more than 1000 children and resulted in a marked decrease in vehicle volumes – a third, and significant reduction in speed with 82% fewer vehicles exceeding 30km/h. With the newly designed space increased outdoor activity and play tripled, and perceived safety increased with 75% of parents reporting that they felt the street was safer for their children to use. 

Following the success of the pilot the city received further technical assistance from GDCI to replicate the project at another location in 10 de Mayo, a low-income neighbourhood on the outskirts of León. The interventions included almost 800m of streets around schools – nearly ten times larger than the pilot – where almost half of road users are cyclists and 40% of motorised vehicles exceeded 30km/h speeds. The project redesigned nine intersections using pavement art, installing 70 bollards, chicanes, sidewalk extensions, speed bumps, signage, and planting trees. More than 1,200 children from two elementary schools and a community centre are impacted by the project, with a notable 33% reduction in pedestrians walking on the road, and a 75% reduction in vehicles exceeding 30km/h speeds. A survey of over 100 local community members showed that 93% feel the streets are safer and more accessible to children.

Upon completion, Aggie Krasnolucka, FIA Foundation Programmes Director, visited the sites to meet the local project partners at both locations, including representatives of the León Municipality Mobility department, DIF, and the local NGO Colectivo Tomate, to better understand the local context, challenges, and opportunities in implementing projects that promote safe active mobility to children.

Aggie Krasnolucka said: “We’re delighted to see the authorities of León leading the implementation of these critical safety treatments. The commitment of all stakeholders in this project is commendable and we hope to see more life-saving interventions as these being applied across the city of León.”

The project, a first of its kind in León, was transformational for the local communities that benefited from it and is an inspiring example of what cities can do to improve spaces so that they are safe for children to walk, cycle, and play in, encouraging safe active mobility and better overall wellbeing.