What’s our vision for the future of Raleigh from a kid’s perspective? In an effort to educate kids on the role each person can play in how communities grow, the City of Raleigh Planning Department has partnered with Marbles Kids Museum to host the first Kids City Planning Day - Raleigh 2030.

The event, set for May 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will introduce kids to city planning. Throughout the day, kids 10 and under will use recycled boxes, construction paper, string, tape, crayons, markers and other creative tools to construct their ideal city on a grid that winds through the museum’s first floor. The grid includes streets and other transit corridors, greenways and a zoned downtown, suburbs, small towns, and farm land. Over the course of the day, the city grows from a small 18th century “planned” capital city to a 21st century metro area that encompasses the outlying area. Mentors and planning experts help guide activities and the city’s growth throughout the day.

Upon entering the grid, participants check in at the Permitting station to get a permit to build in the city. Next door at the Geography station they learn about building options and what can be built where (Zoning). After matching their permit with a place in the grid, they are off to the Construction Zone where they will construct their buildings, and place them in the grid.

A large screen will display Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and real time images of the growing city on the grid.  Kids and adults can explore the role this computer mapping system plays in the planning process.

To commemorate their participation, kids will receive a Kids Planning Day Certificate and a goody bag of gifts from sponsors.

The City of Raleigh currently is updating its Comprehensive Plan for the first time since 1989. Over the past two decades, Raleigh has seen tremendous growth and change. Over the next 20 years, the city is expected to grow by 70 percent and reach a population of 700,000. Kids City is one element of the City’s strategy to educate people on the issues and engage them in envisioning Raleigh’s future. The public has expressed its desire to create and shape a great city that is founded on economic competitiveness, quality of life, sustainability and environmental stewardship. The Comprehensive Plan for the next generation — today’s kids — will do that.

Marbles Kids Museum
201 East Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC 
(919) 834-4040