About Urban95 Tel Aviv-Jaffa
Urban95 is an international program 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.
Urban95 Tel Aviv-Jaffa was established in 2017 and became the first initiative in Israel launched as part of the program’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.
n establishing the program, we focused on building infrastructure, identifying needs, creating pilot projects, and raising internal municipal awareness around early childhood development while establishing initial partnerships. In the second phase, we concentrated on growth and refinement: adapting programs to diverse target audiences, emphasizing underprivileged populations in South Tel Aviv and Jaffa, and expanding partnerships within and outside the municipality. Currently, alongside the ongoing development of municipal projects, we are dedicating significant efforts to organizational integration, sharing the knowledge and experience we have gained over the years, and maintaining professional relevance alongside continuous innovation.
Our activity combines the systemic and strategic perspective of the headquarters with practical, on-the-ground implementation. In recent years, our efforts have focused on developing urban community services, adapting public spaces, and establishing the program as a professional knowledge center in early childhood development.
Guiding Principles
Addressing urban challenges through the perspective of early childhood. Representing the unique needs of toddlers and their caregivers in broader urban planning and proposing solutions to complex challenges through the lens of early childhood development.
ntra-municipal collaborations - identifying relevant municipal units and engaging stakeholders.
Data-driven work through measurement and evaluation processes enables rapid learning, growth, and transitioning from pilot stages to high-impact programs. Our learning processes are based on data collection, international research, academic expertise, and parallel programs, and promote innovation and creativity.
Our work based on developmental principles - content development, creating municipal services, and implementing interventions in public spaces based on principles that encourage optimal motor, cognitive, and emotional development.
Engaging city residents as much as possible in planning processes and adaptation to the characteristics of each community to ensure resident satisfaction.
Constructing municipal infrastructure -
- Establishing internal municipal mechanisms dedicated to promoting early childhood development.
- Training and knowledge on early childhood -expanding spheres of influence by providing relevant professional knowledge to individuals working directly and indirectly in this field.
We are excited to share our work, learning processes and the insights we have gained thus far, aiming to promote a holistic approach to early childhood in Tel Aviv-Jaffa and other communities across the country and worldwide.
