City takes its cues from child's play

In April 2023, Yinchuan became the first city in Ningxia to be included in the second round of national pilot cities.

"The goal of creating a child-friendly city is to prioritize and meet the needs of children in urban planning by optimizing city infrastructure and public services through a child-centric approach," says Lei Jing, chairperson of the Yinchuan Women's Federation.

Concerted efforts have been made to achieve this goal. According to local authorities, Yinchuan has undertaken 27 child-adaptive reconstruction programs with an accumulative investment of 1.79 billion yuan, and designated 100 child-friendly pilot units in schools, communities, parks, hospitals, and cultural and gymnastic centers.

The city's natural resources bureau, and housing and urban-rural development bureau, review and approve construction projects with a focus on child-friendly aspects, incorporating children's activity areas and facilities into the planning and construction process.

In addition, it has worked to improve safety and travel for children. For example, the first child-friendly smart crosswalk was installed at the No 18 primary school in Xingqing. Speed monitoring and deceleration reminder signs were erected approximately 100 meters on each side of the crosswalk to ensure the safety of children in the area.