Start with children 2025

A conference focused on building better cities for children

13 – 14 May 2025
Old Market Hall, Bratislava

Reclaiming Cities for Childhood

Housing for thriving childhoods Neighborhood design Connecting Children to Nature Playable neighborhoods Screens and Child development Supporting caregivers and more...

What’s good for children is good for everyone

In the second year of the summit, we’ll explore how to reclaim cities for childhood. We will open topics such as better housing for families, support for care givers, child and youth participation in planning, risky play, and the effect of technology in a child’s early development.

Meet the leaders transforming our cities

Get inspired, network with the experts, and mingle among more than 30 speakers – city visionaries, mayors, planners, architects, designers, and business leaders from around the world will discuss creating child-friendly cities.

Carlos Moreno ^CO

Urbanist, scientist, and professor

Angela Garbes ^US

American writer

Eva Kail ^AT

Urban planner and expert for Gender Planning

Dinah Bornat ^UK

Architect, urban designer, researcher

Tim Gill ^UK

Independent Scholar, Writer & Consultant

Sam Balto ^US

Co-founder & Executive Director Bike Bus World

Adam Gebrian ^CZ

Architect, theoretician, promoter and critic of architecture

Jonny Anstead ^UK

Founding director of TOWN and Chair of the Quality of Life Foundation

See all speakers

Tickets

Are you a business/organisation looking for group tickets?

Find out about our special offers at hello@startwithchildren.com

Are you a business/organisation looking for group tickets?

Find out about our special offers at hello@startwithchildren.com

Let's meet in the Old Market Hall in Bratislava!

Join the discussion on child-friendly urban planning right from the heart of Slovakia’s capital.

Námestie Nežnej revolúcie, 811 01 Bratislava

The first year was a fantastic success

In May 2024, we spent two days in the heart of Bratislava packed with lectures, discussions, workshops and networking with urban planning experts and mayors of world capitals.

Almost 600 participants experienced the atmosphere of the first year of Start with children, as well as the charm of the Slovak capital, and took home inspiration for their own work.

<h2>The first year was a fantastic success</h2>

“A fantastic balance between practitioners, thought leaders, policy makers, funders, and political willpower to affect real change.”

Meghan Talarowski

“I don’t think I’ve been to a more exceptional event (and in nearly 30 years of working on this stuff, I've been to a lot!).”

Tim Gill

“The event gave me real hope that there are innovative and practical solutions to the major challenges we face, it is just a matter of implementation.”

Nikhil Chaudhary