Urban environments can either support or hinder children's ability to explore, play, learn, feel safe, enjoy good health, and relate with the larger community - all of which are vital to their intellectual, creative and ethical development.

Learning about the realm of children's activities, their concerns regarding their community, and actually addressing these issues in our long-range plans will help to build communities that promote human development. When our cities nurture the development of children, society at-large benefits by a decrease in crime statistics, a better educated workforce, social stability, and reduced substance abuse and health problems.

City planning has historically occurred within the adult arena, inadvertently, excluding input from younger residents. To include children in the planning process and address their issues, we must first ask them about their experiences. Obtaining useful input from kids requires creative alternatives to the standard outreach techniques used with adults (e.g., surveys and town hall meetings).

In preparing a recent update of its comprehensive General Plan, the City of Lemon Grove, California, recognized the importance of seeking input from children in the community. With limited resources and schedule constraints, the City's planning consultant, Lettieri-McIntyre and Associates, initiated an innovative program with a fifth-grade class. Three participatory sessions were conducted in consecutive weeks, culminating with a student presentation of their ideas to the citizens committee and elected officials charged with updating the General Plan.
In the first session, the project team introduced the students to the concepts of city planning. The students then set forth to construct the types of buildings needed in creating cities. Equipped with various-sized cardboard boxes, paint, and construction paper, the student "planners" constructed colorful homes, civic buildings, stores, and businesses. Several entrepreneurial students creatively pooled their resources to develop apartment and condo projects, entertainment centers, and malls.

The second session began with a discussion about the types of land use categories found in cities. Using the buildings designed in the first session, the students then constructed a model of their "Ideal City" on an eight-by-eight street grid.

In the third session, the class discussed what they liked the most and least about Lemon Grove. The class was then divided into small groups. Led by adult facilitators, each group was assigned to develop specific directions on how to make Lemon Grove a better place to live.

They focused their attention on developing their ideas on: Housing and Neighborhoods, Public Buildings, Stores/Commercial Areas, Office and Factories, and Transportation (streets, parking, trolley and bus).

Between sessions, homework assignments completed with mom or dad required the children to explore the city, while simultaneously involving the adults in the General Plan update.

The children offered many relevant and creative ideas for the future of Lemon Grove, such as a downtown hub focused around the trolley station with a mall with six-plex theater, day care center for commuters, history center, offices, apartments, condominiums, and underground parking. Include lots of things to do such as theaters for films, operas, and rock bands, as well as book stores, and restaurants.

Another idea is building houses above stores so that people can easily shop. The students also wanted a place only for kids that is run by kids, as "parents and adults run everything!"

Other suggestions include homeless shelters, more security on the trolley, non-polluting factories, more places to work in the City, safe local bus service for children and seniors, quiet and peaceful neighborhoods, and a crime-free community.

The project team prepared a document called the Kids Element, which summarizes the characteristics of the Ideal City and the children's directives for the future Lemon Grove. During the critical stage of general plan policy formulation, representatives from the class presented the Kids Element to the citizens committee and City Council. Both bodies listened to the children's proposals, and many of the children's ideas are reflected in the draft general plan policies pertaining to land use, community development, parks, recreation, mobility and safety.
The Lemon Grove Kids City Planning Program is a prototype that can be easily implemented in other communities. Especially, for smaller cities with limited resources, the three-session format permits an investigation of children's ideas and concerns without excessive staff and resource commitments. In addition to general plans, planning for parks and recreational facilities, business districts, neighborhoods, schools, and transportation can benefit from including the input of children in the process. Advocacy programs like the Lemon Grove project represent a crucial first step in creating nurturing community environments for our children.

The Lemon Grove Kids City Planning Program received the 1996 Education Award from the San Diego APA Section and the 1996 Award for Excellence for an Education Project by the California APA Chapter.