Big City, Small Wheels - 6 Part Series

BIG CITY, SMALL WHEELS - A 6 Part Series

Please note: This is not a webinar - It’s a participatory working session.

Conditions of Participation at the bottom of this page

What we’re exploring together:

Cities are not just shaped by infrastructure, but by who we design for.

If we design for children - their movement, their play, their learning - we begin to create cities that are safer, more connected, and more human for everyone.

Intention of this Series: 

To reveal what children experience every day in our cities, to document it - through photos, stories, and case studies - and to produce a collective publication that challenges current thinking and opens new pathways for action.

How we’ll work

Across six sessions, we will:

• See our cities through a new lens

• Gather real-world evidence (photos from our own environments)

• Make sense of what’s working and what’s not

• Reimagine what’s possible

• Take steps forward – together.

What to expect

• Open discussion and collaborative exploration

• Opportunities to connect with people working across planning, mobility, design, education, and community initiatives

PROGRAM

Session 1 - April 28th Ecuador / April 29th Australia (90 minutes)

Establishing the Foundation

We’ll explore how mobility shapes a child’s everyday experience.

Session 2 - May 19th Ecuador / May 20th Australia (90 minutes)

Seeing What’s There

We’ll observe, notice patterns and begin to see our cities through a new lens.

Session 3 - June 9th Ecuador / June 10th Australia (90 minutes)

What’s Working / What’s Missing

We’ll evaluate where children are supported to move independently.

Session 4 - June 30th Ecuador / July 1st Australia (90 minutes)

Reimagining What’s Possible

Through a creative process, we’ll imagine new possibilities.

We are not working alone here! Ideas are built together.

Session 5 - July 21st Ecuador / July 22nd Australia (90 minutes)

Collaboration is the Work

A new paradigm: “Who can we do this with?”  Exploring unlikely partnerships.

A Pilot Project is born.

Session 6 - August 11th Ecuador / August 12th Australia (90 minutes)

Our Work in the World

We bring everything together. An invitation to be part of a Collective publication, sharing our work, with case studies and our photos.

Conditions for Participation

We aim to make our gatherings as inclusive and welcoming as possible.

Our events are free and open to people from all backgrounds and disciplines.

At the same time, we place strong value on genuine human connection. These sessions work best when everyone is fully present and engaged with the group.

By registering for this event, you agree to the following:

Be present
Please join the session ready to participate. This means avoid multitasking or activities that divide your attention. Think of it as stepping into a shared room with others who are equally committed to the conversation.

Be safe
Join from a safe, stationary place - not while driving or travelling. The discussion deserves your focus, and your safety always comes first.

Be seen
We ask participants to keep their cameras on during the session. Seeing each other helps create trust, energy, and real connection.

Thank you for helping us create a thoughtful, respectful, and engaging space for everyone involved.

About the host

Amanda Padilla is an architect, urban planner, and designer who has collaborated with Urban Cycle Planning of Denmark on projects in Quito, La Habana, and Copenhagen.

She leads the Cycling Games initiative in Ecuador, introducing young children to urban mobility through play, and represents Quito in the Bicycle Mayor Network Program of the BYCS organisation.

🌎 About Liveable Cities Collective 🌎

We are a space that ignites lively discussions, sparks creativity, fuels curiosity, and nurtures collaboration.

We are people from diverse industries who care deeply about the future of our cities and communities. Here, purposeful conversations lead to courageous partnerships, and ultimately to Radical Action.

*PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.evergreen.ca/stories/growing-up-indoors-how-biking-with-kids-can-help-them-reclaim-their-right-to-public-space/