How can we improve children’s safety on the way to school? Why is it worth reducing car traffic around schools? What changes can we introduce in our own communities? We discussed these questions with Agnieszka Krzyżak-Pitura, an expert in urban mobility, president of the Foundation Rodzic w Mieście (Parent in the City), and host of the webinar “How to Start School Streets in Your City?”
Pracownia Zmiany:
Agnieszka, I’d like to start with a question often asked by people involved in changing urban spaces – when did you first think, “school streets need to look different”?
Agnieszka Krzyżak-Pitura:
I remember. It was when my children started going to nursery and preschool. For the first time, I really felt how unsafe and frustrating it can be to navigate through cars parked on sidewalks. Sometimes I was pushing a stroller, sometimes we used balance bikes. I thought, something isn’t right – little children, just starting their journey in life, shouldn’t have to deal with this reality. It made me reflect and take action.
Pracownia Zmiany:
That must have been difficult. Do you think children in 2025 still face these problems? How can the situation be changed?
Agnieszka:
The longer I work on school streets, the more I’m convinced that cars don’t need to be near schools. Interestingly, parents who remember their own childhoods often feel nostalgic – for autonomy, walking to school on their own. They often say, “it used to be different” – fewer cars, kids moved around independently. Today, there are far more cars, and streets are full, which feels normal. But research from the School Street project shows that 80% of parents in the Mazovia region see air pollution as a serious problem. In 2022, 65% of Warsaw parents supported the idea of school streets. So convincing parents is not that hard anymore – awareness is growing.
Pracownia Zmiany:
How do people react to the idea of changing the space around schools? Have you faced resistance?
Agnieszka:
Interestingly, most resistance comes from teachers who travel between schools. They often need to park nearby because of different work hours and locations. School directors face a tough choice – if they don’t allow teachers to park, they risk losing staff, especially during the current workforce shortage. So instead of converting streets into woonerfs, they often choose other solutions, like installing barriers between sidewalks and roads. While children’s safety is important, they sometimes pick alternatives to changing traffic organization.
Pracownia Zmiany:
So changes around schools don’t have to be complicated and expensive?
Agnieszka:
Absolutely! That’s the best part – making school streets safe doesn’t require big investments. At workshops, I show examples from around the world of low-cost solutions. They might not look traditional or polished, but they are functional, colorful, and let children use the space in ways they enjoy – like climbing small structures or exploring safety installations. It’s important that children can co-create the space, which gives them a sense of agency.
Pracownia Zmiany:
Children would have a lot to say if they could shape their surroundings. Have you ever seen kids take action to improve their space?
Agnieszka:
Unfortunately, I haven’t seen children take initiative on their own. Kids often feel ignored. Involving them in urban changes is hard because adults don’t always accept that children have an equal voice. Kids have a different perspective – they notice things adults miss and experience space differently because they are smaller, more active, and impulsive. They often spot details we overlook. That’s why including their voice is so important – they use these spaces every day.
Pracownia Zmiany:
Finally, imagine the year 2050. What will a primary school in a large Polish city look like? How will the surroundings change?
Agnieszka:
I’d rather look at 2030 than 2050! Goals like this are already set by European organizations and big cities. By 2030, I want to see green spaces around schools, with places to play, relax, and even spontaneous play that children invent themselves. The space should be friendly for all children – including those with disabilities, mobility limitations, or developmental challenges. I imagine car-free streets, greenery, water (kids love water!), biodiversity – small animals, insects, vegetable and fruit gardens, even rain gardens. This is the future I see, and I hope we can achieve it by 2030.
Pracownia Zmiany:
Thank you so much, Agnieszka, for this inspiring conversation. I hope your vision will soon become reality in Polish cities!
Agnieszka:
Thank you! I also hope we can make it happen together.