Amman, Aug. 3 (Petra) — The advisory committee for the “Cities that
Care: Towards Child-Friendly Cities” project held its second meeting
on Monday at the Zaha Cultural Center, bringing together committee
members and representatives of national and international partner
organizations to review and approve the project’s implementation
framework ahead of its national rollout.

The project is overseen by the Ministry of Local Administration,
implemented by the Zaha Cultural Center, and supported by the Van
Leer Foundation. It aims to integrate early childhood development
principles into urban planning and create more inclusive cities that
better respond to the needs of young children and caregivers, in line
with the Urban95 program and Jordan’s national priorities for local
development and quality of life.

During the meeting, the committee reviewed the project’s
implementation framework, including the “Cities that Care Challenge”
guide, challenge methodology, governance framework, evaluation
mechanisms, approved urban interventions, visual identity, and
implementation timeline. The framework is intended to ensure
transparent and standardized implementation while enhancing
municipalities’ capacity to develop sustainable urban interventions
that address the needs of children, particularly those aged one to
five.

Committee members said the project represents a comprehensive
national model to support municipalities in developing evidence-based
urban policies and interventions while strengthening partnerships
among government institutions, academia, and national and
international organizations. They added that the initiative will help
promote child-friendly cities and establish a scalable model for
implementation across Jordan.

The committee approved several strategic decisions, including the
launch date of the “Cities that Care Challenge” and the adoption of
the challenge guide as the project’s official implementation
reference governing participation, evaluation, and execution.

Zaha Cultural Center Executive Director Rania Sbeih said the
decisions mark the transition from planning to implementation and
reflect the level of cooperation between national institutions and
international organizations in developing a Jordanian model for
child-friendly cities.

She added that, building on the center’s expertise in early childhood
development, Zaha will continue working with partners and
municipalities to move the initiative into the implementation phase,
helping create more inclusive and sustainable cities that provide
supportive environments for children and caregivers across the
Kingdom.

Van Leer Foundation Jordan representative Farah Jadallah said
investing in early childhood is an investment in the future of cities
and communities. She noted that the “Cities that Care” project offers
a practical model for integrating the needs of children aged one to
five into urban planning, contributing to more responsive and
sustainable cities while improving quality of life for children and
families.

The committee concluded the meeting by reaffirming its commitment to
implementing the project according to the approved timeline, paving
the way for the national launch of the “Cities that Care Challenge”
and supporting municipalities in developing innovative urban
interventions that position Jordan as a regional model for
integrating early childhood development into urban planning and local
development policies.

//Petra// AF