Milan and UNICEF unveil a children-only city garden

Honouring the 30th anniversary of Italy’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Municipality of Milan unveiled a specially dedicated area on Piazza Luigi di Savoia, on 27 May, aimed only for the exclusive use of children and their companions. The space, called ‘Garden of girls and boys from all over the world', was unveiled with the support of UNICEF and is meant as a homage to the 30^th anniversary of the Italian ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Adolescent.

The right to play and feel free

The garden, which is equipped with a gate will be open for visit by children every day between 8 am and 8 pm. The space will be only accessible to minors and their companions, as the municipal website of Milan has informed.

“We are very proud of a project that changes the face of the square by focusing on the right to play for all children and helping to regenerate the neighbourhood around the Central Station,” stated the city planning councillor Pierfrancesco Maran, referring to the garden’s location near the main train station.

He added: “We wanted to inaugurate the garden today as a symbol of rebirth and hope; with the support of UNICEF we take up the challenge to transform this space into a place of light-heartedness, but also of spreading universal values ​​and rights among the new generations”.

UNICEF will bring the new garden to life through a series of initiatives aimed at children and families that will raise awareness of the rights of the less privileged children forced to grow up in foreign environments and far from their native place. The mission is also to instil appreciation, respect and care for the urban greenery and environmental sustainability in the minds of the youngsters.