What makes a neighbourhood great for kids?

Educate
April 30, 2025

We know that where children grow up has a profound influence on their daily decisions as well as on choices they will make later in their lives. Yet we seldom ask children what they think about where they live, or what they would do to improve it if they could, which is why, last year, via my neighbourhood mapping project, I asked 728 children attending 24 primary schools across Adelaide to draw me a map of their local neighbourhood.

WORDS: Commissioner Helen Connolly

I asked them to tell me what they liked most and least about where they live, and what they would like to see change. What these maps and discussions revealed was clear; some children are living in great neighbourhoods, while others are not. Seeing maps from different regions provided a quick snapshot of what children value most. It also showed that when the maps of children living in Adelaide’s north were compared with others their age, many are missing out.

Regardless of which neighbourhood children lived in, there were common elements that kids identified as being more important than others. Their home, grandparent’s home, school and local shopping centre featured most, followed by playgrounds and sports grounds.

They described how important it is to have quiet, peaceful neighbourhoods that provide them with opportunities to be in nature, and to always feel safe.

They spoke of having good neighbours who are friendly and who like kids. Not neighbours who are ‘loud’, ‘disruptive’ or ‘annoying’, with ‘dogs that bark a lot’.

They want to live in child-friendly streets where they can play freely and interact with birds and wildlife more regularly. Because cultivating friendships at this age is so important, many children drew their friends’ houses and told me how having safe spaces to go and catch up, hangout and potentially make new friends, is vital to their sense of wellbeing.

They want safe roads and pathways too – corridors where they can walk, ride, skate or scooter to their friends’ houses and to other places nearby without the fear of fast cars or feeling unsafe. Involving children in discussions about what makes a neighbourhood great sends the message that what they want matters.

If we create safe footpaths, cycle paths and crossings within the immediate areas of their school, with good street lighting and prominent signage, they will appreciate this amenity. Limiting the speed of cars around these areas and ‘opening up’ school grounds on weekends, will also provide the safe havens they crave.

Simple changes such as fencing playgrounds, cleaning public paths, and planting more trees will make a real difference to children living in neighbourhoods where they and their families have safety concerns.

Every child has the right to live in a neighbourhood that offers them all the things they need to thrive. If we are committed to addressing shortfalls in infrastructure, facilities and amenities for kids, we need to listen to what they say will make Adelaide’s neighbourhoods great for them. The challenge is ensuring the experience of growing up in a great neighbourhood is available to every child – not just a few.

Helen Connolly is South Australia’s inaugural Commissioner for Children and Young People.

Find out more about the work of the Commissioner at: ccyp.com.au | @ccyp_sa