Parents’ View of Child-Friendly Cities Initiative: The Case of Mersin

Abstract

This study is about the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative, which was carried out in 2014 and 2015 in Türkiye. A child-friendly city is a concept that responds to the needs of children, who represent the future of cities, to develop healthily, to feel happy and free, and to develop physically, mentally, and socially in the city they live in. Child-Friendly Cities Initiative started in 10 municipalities in 2014, to intervene in the difficulties faced by disadvantaged children and adolescents in urban areas in Türkiye. In this study, the situation in Mersin, which was within the scope of the project in 2014-2015, is discussed from the parent's perspective. Six parents living in Mersin are included in the scope of the research. Parents' awareness and satisfaction levels, together with their expectations, regarding the child-friendly city project carried out in the city are measured through in-depth interviews. Five main objectives of the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative are determined as a framework for preparing the interview questions. These goals are (1) the right of children to enjoy basic facilities such as health, education, and nutrition, (2) the right to be heard, (3) the right to be valued, respected, and treated fairly, (4) the right to be safe, and (5) the right to spend quality time with family, have free time and play games. The data is analyzed using descriptive analysis. The findings showed that most of the parents were not aware of the child-friendly city project carried out in partnership with the municipality and UNICEF in Mersin, but they could still define Mersin as a “child-friendly city”. Parents' expectations from similar projects in the future focus on health, education, nutrition, and security components. Keywords: child-friendly cities initiative, children's rights, Mersin, Türkiye