Urban95 Tel Aviv-Jaffa

About the Program

Urban95 is an international initiative by the Bernard van Leer Foundation to promote the development of safe, child-friendly cities for young children and their caregivers. The program aims to enhance children’s development by improving how they play, interact, and move within the urban space. Viewing the city from a height of 95 cm - the average height of a three-year-old - provides a fresh, holistic perspective on urban spaces, offering unique insights for addressing various urban issues.

Established in 2017, Urban95 Tel Aviv-Jaffa became the first program in Israel launched as part of the initiative’s global expansion. The program team operates within the strategic headquarters of the Community, Culture, and Sports Administration and works in full cooperation with the Bernard van Leer Foundation, the Tel Aviv Foundation, and various departments within the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality.

Our work integrates the strategic and systemic perspective of the headquarters with practical, on-the-ground implementation. In recent years, our efforts have primarily focused on developing urban community services, adapting public spaces, and establishing the program as a professional knowledge center in the field of early childhood development.

The program is implemented across three key areas:

Community Content and Services

Over the years, and in communication with field coordinators and residents, we have mapped the municipal services needed for young children, their caregivers, and families. We work to provide a diverse range of high-quality, subsidized services accessible across all city neighborhoods. Some services are tailored to individual needs, while others are designed with a community-centered approach.

All services are designed according to principles that promote physical, cognitive, and emotional development while strengthening the parent-child bond. Some are permanent offerings, such as innovative urban play spaces established in community centers, which provide a holistic, developmentally enriching experience for children and meet the needs of their caregivers. Other activities are delivered through special or seasonal events at community hubs and are tailored to each local community's unique characteristics and needs.

Public Spaces

In Israel, over 90% of the population lives in urban areas, with nearly 10% of the population comprised of children aged birth to four. Public spaces are essential to early childhood development, as infants and children grow through a range of experiences in these environments, often guided by the presence and support of a significant adult.

Developmental processes continue as children step out of their homes and into the urban environment, where they explore, learn about the world, and build relationships with their surroundings.
Viewing the city from a height of 95 cm - the average height of a healthy three-year-old - allows us to experience the world from a perspective often overlooked by adults. From this vantage point, we at Urban95 Tel Aviv-Jaffa identify the challenges and opportunities the public space presents and work to address them.

Our methodology often involves tactical interventions that are cost-effective, quick to implement, require no major infrastructural changes, and are designed to encourage rapid change.

Knowledge Base

At Urban95, all programs and interventions are based on research and up-to-date data, drawing on professional expertise from both local and international sources, particularly related to urban renewal and early childhood development. Data collection begins with identifying needs, followed by measuring and evaluating programs in their early stages, and continues through their development or completion. We make sure to share all collected insights with municipal partners and decision-makers, providing them with relevant and reliable information on urban challenges from the perspective of young children and their caregivers.

To effectively connect the data, its interpretation, and interventions in urban spaces, we lead learning and training processes on early childhood development for our partners across all spheres influencing young children and their caregivers. We organize municipal conferences, training programs, and tours that include shared learning on early childhood characteristics, various developmental processes, environmental impacts, current urban challenges, and unique community needs emerging from the field. This approach allows us to establish a common language among all municipal stakeholders involved in early childhood development, strengthening relationships and collaborations within our field.