ABSTRACT
The Town of Children project was created in 1991 in Fano, a small Italian coastal town, and was inspired by the Italian psychologist Francesco Tonucci (1997). Tonucci’s starting point was a belief that everyday life in urban settings was becoming unsafe because of increases in traffic, and loss of places where people can walk, meet and enjoy public life. According to Tonucci, children are the main victims of this situation, being confined to their homes and educational institutional contexts, preventing them from autonomous action and movement. As a consequence of this restriction Tonucci suggested that children could be key active and conscious instruments for change in the future of the towns. In line with his ideas, the Town of Children project aimed at changing town life through children’s empowerment in the processes of knowing, planning, advising, discussing, deciding and finally acting.
