Scaling Urban95 in Israel: From one pioneering city to a national network

In 2025, the Urban95 network has set the ambition to expand from our current eight members to include up to 20 cities. This shift reflects the programme’s expansion and its evolving impact on early childhood development and urban transformation across the country. As explored in our national Child Friendly Cities Planning and Design Guidelines, published earlier this year, the Urban95 perspective informs all kinds of municipal decisions – from the design of parks and gardens to the location of services, public transport, pedestrian zones and much more.

Cities across Israel have seen how, as Urban95 ideas become embedded in municipalities, the programme is able to break down silos.

Working in the public sector can be isolating, and Urban95 brings a sense of belonging. It connects professionals in different departments that had not previously imagined working together. We do this not only to empower leaders to champion early childhood, but also to create a multi-sectoral interdisciplinary movement that seeks to improve life for young families in cities.

For example, two city officials involved in the network from Netanya – the head of early childhood education and the head of parks and gardens – realised that while they had been personal friends for 20 years, until then they had never thought about how their municipal roles could intersect. Later, these participants shared that they had begun to collaborate on renovating a space outside an early childhood centre.

Urban95 also brings cities together across cultural lines, creating energy through hope for a better future for children. The recent conflict in Israel has tested everyone’s capacity for respectful dialogue, but it has also shown how young children can act as a unifying force in a multicultural society. In the end, everyone wants to build a better future for every child, from every community.

Urban95 started in Israel in 2016. With a background as an architect and urban designer, I joined the municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo to head up the new Urban95 programme, which was initiated and supported by the Van Leer Foundation. The model of situating a programme coordinator within the municipal government itself was innovative. As it proved to work well, Tel Aviv-Yafo became a hub for Urban95 innovation, offering inspiration for others.

I have seen from my own personal experience the difference it has made. When I joined, I had two sons. More recently, I had a third son. I can say that bringing up my youngest son has been a completely different experience to when the older two were toddlers.

The differences are visible in countless small moments – from playing barefoot in a sandpit in a playground in the middle of winter, to enjoying various free activities provided by the municipal government. Together, they add up to an overall feeling that the city prioritises and values young children now in a way it didn’t before.

This feeling comes across clearly in policy terms. The Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality is currently launching a holistic strategic plan to address the needs of parents and young children—a process that has taken six years to develop. This transformation was driven by recognising and addressing their needs through various initiatives, such as creating a new division within the education department, and launching a dedicated Facebook group for parents to share information and foster connection. At the same time, strong community-building within neighbourhoods provided parents with a sense of anchor and resilience, proving invaluable during moments of emergency and crisis.

The overarching sentiment that has emerged is, “We are not alone,” even during life’s most significant transitions like welcoming a new child into the family.

As the Urban95 programme became established in Tel Aviv-Yafo, the Foundation began to think about what cultural adaptations might be needed to expand into other Israeli cities through a new partnership with the Israel Green Building Council. The Council offers robust managerial and organisational support to the diverse initiatives operating under its umbrella. We already had experience of adaptation to different settings within the city and saw the importance of each community being able to identify with the process and contribute according to their local needs and values. In Yafo, for example, a predominantly Arab part of the city, we understood that it was necessary to work with respected community leaders who could help to overcome a lack of trust in the municipal government. This approach fostered a sense of ownership and relevant, significantly improving the community’s engagement with available services.

For the first expansion of Urban95 beyond Tel Aviv-Yafo, in 2021, we deliberately chose three very different cities: Ashdod, located in a high-risk area; Beit Shemesh, which is majority Ultra-Orthodox Jews; and Tira, which is home to a majority Arab population. We then formed the Urban95 network and added new cities: Dimona, Lod, Baka al-Gharbiyye and Tirat Hacarmel.

With each new city, we have expanded our practical experience by understanding what kinds of adaptations were needed in different settings, in terms of the language we use, the initiatives we prioritise, and the approaches we take to engaging with caregivers. We are currently working with a laboratory in the Negev, a southern desert region, to create a healthy neighbourhood index, engaging experts and stakeholders to define what a healthy city looks like in different contexts.

The composition of the Urban95 Israel team intentionally represents the communities we seek to support, including a regional manager from the Arab community and a regional manager from the ultra-orthodox community – both bring incredible drive for the work, and deep understanding of their particular communities. Our diversity brings richness to our conversations and relationships.

As the existing cities in the network have learned from each other’s experiences, new cities have expressed an interest in joining. Representatives from Be’er Sheva, Afula, Rishon LeTsiyon, Ra’anana and Netanya, for example, all participated in a unique “Lighthouse City” study tour to Tel Aviv-Yafo. Senior municipal officials return to their cities equipped to independently drive change.

These cities see the potential to draw on the expertise we have developed, and our capacity to support and advise them. The Urban95 team meets cities where they are. We look at existing plans and budgets and find opportunities to bring in an early childhood lens. This creates more value and support for families within the existing plans of a municipality – whether it is adapting to climate change, improving walkability, or tackling the cost-of-living crisis.

Mayors and city officials across Israel increasingly see the value in prioritising support for families.

In Tel Aviv-Yafo, for example, the city makes a point of monitoring what parents are saying in groups on social media such as Facebook, to track whether improvements and services for families are being noticed and appreciated, and where there is unmet demand.

As we work to include new cities, we are also being approached by new potential partners who see that they also have a role in creating a good start for children and parents. These include the Ministry of Housing and Construction, and the national authority responsible for safety regulations in playgrounds. Alongside expanding the Urban95 network, our partnerships aim to shape policy and develop new knowledge that will positively impact the quality of life for children and families in Israel.