Every Child Matters

Policy frameworks have a major impact on practice in different areas of society, including the urban outdoor environments that children use or might use in their daily lives. In England, policy is set at a national level by government, is sometimes accompanied by funding programs and delivery mechanisms, and is then interpreted and implemented by local authorities and practitioners. This chapter explains two key policy areas—travel to school and home zones—which existed prior to and during the development of Every Child Matters. It discusses the influence of the green and open spaces and play sectors in the first decades of the twenty-first century. Walking to school is one way that children can experience and learn about their urban environments on a daily basis. Key aims of the home zone concept are that priority should be given to social activities, including children's play, rather than cars, and this is expressed in the design of the physical environment.