The Living Streets concept is an approach to designing streets that moves from giving cars priority to enhancing quality of life for the local community. This can be achieved by balancing the traffic flow with on-street activities such as pedestrians, bicycles and residential and business developments, says Paul Burden, the Christchurch City Council Living Streets advocate.

At the 18 June meeting of the Council’s Shirley/Papanui Community Board, the class of 28 nine and 10-year-olds presented the results of their two-month project that included collaboration with Christchurch City Council planners about aspects of transport, the environment, leisure, local history and ecology in the Papanui area.

"The highlight of the study was a field trip where the children, guided by council staff, walked through the block of streets under scrutiny, then travelled to Peveral Street in Riccarton, which is an example of a Living Street,” says Judith Catton, the Room 6 teacher. “The children were delighted to explore the water features, weaving paths and artwork in the area.”

The pupils, represented by four class members, made over 40 recommendations to the Community Board. These included how to improve playground space and equipment, identification of where to include children’s art along the public pathways and engineering strategies for improving drainage in low-lying areas.

"The opportunities for ongoing learning through a partnership project are very rich and for these children it has certainly sewn the seeds for further inquiry and community involvement," says Judith Catton.