Bhubaneswar: In a significant step towards building a more inclusive and child-centric city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and UNICEF Odisha on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the BMC Office to transform the city’s urban landscape into safer, greener, and more child-friendly public spaces.
The partnership aims to integrate child-friendly planning into Bhubaneswar’s ongoing development initiatives, ensuring that the needs of children are meaningfully addressed in civic projects and city-level schemes. Under the collaboration, BMC will work on identifying and developing child-friendly spaces across the city, creating environments that are not only safe but also accessible and beneficial for the wider public.
Officials said the initiative will focus on designing spaces that encourage children’s social interaction, wellbeing and engagement, while also strengthening public safety and usability. The joint effort is expected to contribute towards making Bhubaneswar a more liveable city for children and families, according to a BMC release.
As part of the MoU, UNICEF will provide technical support and expert guidance to help implement the child-friendly urban development framework, including planning, design inputs, and monitoring mechanisms.
The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, BMC Commissioner Chanchal Rana, and UNICEF Odisha State Head Prashant Das, along with teams from both BMC and UNICEF.
The collaboration marks another milestone in Bhubaneswar’s push towards sustainable and people-friendly urban development, with children placed at the centre of city planning and public infrastructure.
