Design Ideas for Inclusive Smart Cities
Project Overview
Design Ideas for Inclusive Smart Cities is a free illustrated book that helps children explore how cities can work better for everyone. Through 243 ideas, it shows a city challenge, the people affected, and a possible design response, then invites readers to discuss what they might change. The final public edition was released on 20 September 2026. The book contains 14 sections covering accessible routes, transport, places to play and meet, safety, ageing, young people, calm and clear places, digital inclusion, homes and services, culture and belonging, fair work, climate readiness, shared decisions, and learning from experience. Think & Talk prompts accompany the visual stories to support discussion and learning. Created in collaboration with IEEE Smart Cities, the book connects the inclusive-city themes explored in the Smart City EDI Atlas with an accessible resource for children, families, teachers, planners, and community groups.
Design Ideas for Inclusive Smart Cities turns inclusive urban design into short visual stories that children and adults can explore together. Each idea introduces a city problem, shows who it affects, and suggests a design response, followed by Think & Talk prompts for discussion.
Fourteen connected topics. The 243 ideas range from accessible routes, transport, play and safety to digital inclusion, culture, climate readiness, and shared decisions. The sections help readers move from everyday experiences of a city to questions about how it is planned and improved.
Made for shared learning. The free illustrated book is intended for children, families, teachers, planners, and community groups. The project site provides several PDF quality options and a searchable text companion organised by story ID.
From the Smart City EDI Atlas to a children’s book. The book makes inclusive-city ideas approachable for younger audiences and community discussion. See the Smart City EDI Atlas for the related interactive resource on evidence-backed EDI themes and urban design guidance.
Team
