Catalogue of Public Spaces for Early Childhood and Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding and Public Spaces 

This project explores the relationship between public spaces and the needs surrounding breastfeeding – an essential moment of care and bonding between infants and their caregivers. Developed by Estúdio+1 as part of the Proximity of Care (PoC) training programme, promoted by Arup and the Van Leer Foundation, the project reimagines public spaces to better accommodate infants, toddlers and their caregivers.  

It depicts the second phase of a thought process about the relationship between public space and very early childhood. There were a first project experience, located at Jurujuba, Niterói, where the focus was on encouraging and breaking down barriers to breastfeeding in public spaces. 
This second phase has started with a temporary space that was installed and activated at “Via Parque”, which is a linear park that runs through the city of Caruaru, located in the northeastern state of Pernambuco, Brazil. In the project’s first phase, we noticed a significant absence of men when the topic was care, and even more when it came to breastfeeding. Therefore, in this second phase in Caruaru, the events focused on discussing and inviting men to participate in these activities. 

It aims to create environments that promote bonding, protection, and comfort while encouraging men’s active participation in very early childhood care, including breastfeeding moments. The goal is to strengthen local community connections and provide a safe, stimulating environment for child development.

Actions for interaction and awareness 
The first phase of the project, carried out in Niterói, allowed testing solutions and brought reflections on the socialization of caregivers and children in public spaces. It became evident that opportunities for connection and exchange were vital for infants and, especially, for mothers during breastfeeding. This experience reinforced the importance of collective care and leisure in expanding mothers’ socialization with the community, precisely in a period of child care that generally leads to women’s isolation. 

These observations guided refinements for the second project phase, carried out in Caruaru. In this edition, the project expanded its focus to emphasize male caregivers’ participation in breastfeeding and baby care. The goal is for these spaces to foster bonds between fathers and infants while simultaneously encouraging children’s autonomy, strengthening relationships through free play, and promoting social interaction among caregivers—all while ensuring safety and comfort. 

To address the needs of various audiences and encourage behavioral change, several Engagement Actions were implemented to socialise, share, and raise awareness on the topic: 

• Caregivers’ discussion circles: Expert-led discussions to spread information and promote exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months. 

• Surveys: Studies on women’s support networks and public breastfeeding, as well as men’s participation in breastfeeding and perceptions of harassment in public spaces. 

• Caregivers and children’s cultural events: Activities that promote bonding and positive parenting. 

• Men’s themed play: Games and dynamics to encourage behavior change and greater involvement in child care. 

• Early childhood space inauguration: Events to showcase the spaces, featuring seedling donations and storytelling sessions. 

Each activity was documented through photographs and videos to monitor and evaluate the interventions’ impacts. 

The entire engagement process resulted in a temporary action, with tests to occupy the space that will receive definitive implementation. Furthermore, some actions were carried out to strengthen the topic of breastfeeding and positive parenting in partnership with the Urban95 initiative in Caruaru, involving children who attend daycare centers in the municipality. 

How Can Public Spaces Cater to Early Childhood? 

Space Design 

Spaces were designed to support daily interactions between caregivers and children, ensuring safe, functional, and stimulating environments.  
Five essential categories were defined: 

• Sit, change, and breastfeed: Furniture that supports caregivers in resting, playing, breastfeeding, and changing diapers, encouraging extended stays in the space. 

• Crawl, discover, roll: Playful and safe elements that stimulate motor development and children’s autonomy. 

• Feel, touch, explore: Varied surfaces, such as rubber, sand, and pebbles, encourage movement and build children’s confidence. 

• Support, challenge, embrace: Support bars, natural shading, and water structures provide comfort and encourage extended use of the space. 

• Interact, imagine, value: Symbolic and natural elements, such as toys and local cultural objects, foster identification and emotional connection. 

The final project is slated for implementation in the first half of 2025, supported by Vianna e Moura Construction Company, Instituto Pipa, and the FEMSA Foundation, as a result of the project’s advocacy efforts. 

The design of the urban furniture and the arrangement of objects at the site, which are registered at the project catalog, were the results of training, discussions, reflections, and tests that took place inspired for the Proximity of Care methodology. The tools available within it also were used in the project. It is important to highlight the significance of the Influence actions, which guided the behavior change workshops. 

Links and sources
Website: https://estudiomaisum.com/ 
Report: POC_ENGLISH_Catalog_R02_V05.pdf;  POC_PORTUGUES_Catálogo de Soluções_R02_V03.pdf 
Other project (first phase): https://www.proximityofcare.com/blog/2023/03/23/creating-public-spaces-in-brazil-where-caregivers-feel-free-to-breastfeed/ 
Video: Amamentação e espaço público