Small children, big cities - Early Childhood Matters · 2019. 6. 14. · 3 arl hildhoo atter...

Small children, big cit ies

EARLY CHILDHOOD MATTERS

November 2014 / 123

Early Childhood Matters is a journal about early childhood.

It looks at specif ic issues regarding the development

of young children, in particular from a psychosocial

perspective. It is published twice per year by the Bernard

van Leer Foundation. The views expressed in Early Childhood

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ISSN 1387-9553

Cover: Two girls looking out over Barcelona from a bench in

Antonio Gaudi’s Parc Güell.

Photo: ©iStock.com/Maica

Early Childhood Matters is also published in Spanish:

Espacio para la Infancia (ISSN 1566-6476). Both publications

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3 • Ear ly Ch i ldhood Mat ters • November 2014

5 Smallchildren,bigcities John Cary

7 ‘Peoplewhogrowupinacitythatcaredforthemaremorelikelytocarefortheircity’ An interview with Jagan Shah

10 TheenduringlegacyofplaygrounddesignerAldovanEyck Katie Crepeau

14 ‘Familiesarebeginningtoreclaimcitycentres’ An interview with Lia Karsten

17 TheBureauofRe-Funification An interview with Andrew Slack

20 ‘Cumulativerisksneedcomprehensiveresponses’ An interview with Gary Evans

24 Human-centreddesignandtheneedfornewideas Marika Shioiri-Clark

27 Blueprintsforhope:engagingchildrenascriticalactorsinurbanplacemaking Deborah McKoy, Shirl Buss and Jessie Stewart

31 Designingspacesthatuserscandefine Monica Chadha

34 ‘Interventionsmustbelow-cost,low-tech,andpairedwithapublichealthmessage’ An interview with Peter Will iams

Contents

4• Bernard van Leer Foundat ion

‘And how to involve chi ldren themselves, tapping the f resh th inking and creat ive energy of urban youth? Where the i r governments, schools and parents fa i l them, chi ldren themselves of ten innovate surpr is ingly ef fec t ive and power fu l responses.’

Increasingly policies and frameworks exist to address the needs of children in cities – but many challenges remain. How to move the needs of children further into the mainstream of discussions about urbanisation? Photo • Jon Spaull/Bernard van Leer Foundation


Welloverabillionchildrenaregrowingupincitiestoday,anumberwhichwillonlyclimbinthecomingyears.ItisnearlytwodecadesnowsinceunICEFandtheunitednationsHumanSettlementsProgrammejointlylaunchedtheChild-FriendlyCitiesInitiative,andincreasinglypoliciesandframeworksexisttoaddresstheneedsofchildrenincities–butmanychallengesremain.Howtoconnectabstractpoliciestothedailyexperiencesofchildren,caregiversandparents?Howtomovetheneedsofchildrenfurtherintothemainstreamofdiscussionsabouturbanisation?Andhowtoinvolvechildrenthemselves,tappingthefreshthinkingandcreativeenergyofurbanyouth?Wheretheirgovernments,schoolsandparentsfailthem,childrenthemselvesofteninnovatesurprisinglyeffectiveandpowerfulresponses.

ThisissueofEarly Childhood MattersisbeingpublishedtocoincidewithaconferenceheldbytheBernardvanLeerFoundationinnewDelhiinnovember2014,inpartnershipwithIndia’snationalInstituteofurbanAffairs(nIuA).Onpage7,thenIuA’sdirector,JaganShah,discussesthephilosophicalimplicationsofmakingcitieschild-friendly‘asawaytoinculcateinyoungpeopletheresponsibilityandreciprocityonwhichalldemocraticsocietiesultimatelydepend’.Ashesays,explainingwhychild-friendlinessisanobjectivethatinterestshisorganisationsomuch,it‘cutstotheheartofmanyoverlappingproblemsanddoesn’tjustbenefitchildren’.

ItisinemergingcountriessuchasIndiathatthemajorityofgrowthintheworld’scitiesisoccurring–andtheserisingcitiesoftenfeaturebothexpandingslumsandaburgeoningmiddleclass.Inthiscontextofinequality,thepublicspaceoftheworld’sbustlingcitieshasthepotentialtobethegreatequaliseramongchildren.Whilesomechildrenmaynotbereadtointheirhomes,theycanoftenaccesstheliteraryworldandallthatitpromisesthroughpubliclibraries;whilenotallkidshavetheprivilegeoftravelling,theycanbeexposedtonatureinpublicparksandadiversityofpeopleonpublictransport.Itisinthesecommonspacesthattheurbanchild,nomatterhowrichorhowpoor,hasthepotentialformind-expandingexperience.

WheninvitedbytheBernardvanLeerFoundationtoguesteditthisissueofEarly Childhood Matters,IbegantothinkabouthowAmsterdam–closetotheFoundation’shometownofTheHague–hadbeentheepicentreofanearlymovementpertinenttothisissuefromwhichtheworld’semergingcitiescantakeinspiration.AsKatieCrepeauexplains(page10),itwasthereovera30-yearperiodstartingin1947thatDutcharchitectAldovanEyckdesignedandbuiltover800playgrounds,puttingbothpolicyandpragmatismtowork.Theveryfirst,inthecity’sBertelmanpleinneighbourhood,remainsunchangedtothisday.Crepeauspotlightstwopresent-dayinitiativesinthesamevein,focusedonreintroducingplayascriticaltochilddevelopment(andparentalsanity).

Alsotakingahistoricalperspectiveonurbanlifeforchildreninthenetherlands,LiaKarsten(page14)observesthat‘childrenusedtobeseenasresilient,whereastodaytheyareprimarilyseenasvulnerable’.Whilesomethingvaluablehasbeenlostinthistransition,Karstenalsobelievesinstudying‘thepositiveaspectsofwhathasbecomenewpractice’;assheexplores,urbanspacesareincreasinglybeingclaimedbymiddle-classparentsasvenuesfor‘publicparenting’.

AndrewSlack(page17)extendsthesethemesofplayandchildren’sinvolvementinreclaimingurbanspaces,describinganexperimental‘BureauforRe-Funification’thatheandagroupofyoungpeoplepilotedinWashingtonDC,aspartofaSmithsonianInstituteinitiative.SlackfoundedtheglobalHarryPotterAlliance,whichencouragesyoungadultfanstotakerealworldactioninlinewiththethemesoftheirfavouritebooks;funisatthecentreofSlack’severyeffort,butheseesitasseriousbusiness.HepractiseswhatmediascholarHenryJenkinshascoined‘civicimagination’,empoweringchildrenandadultsalikewiththecapacitytoimaginebeyondthestatusquo.

Attheotherendofthespectrumfromcivicimaginationistheconceptoflearnedhelplessness–aphenomenoninwhich,inthewordsofGaryEvans,‘onceyouconcludethere’snothingyoucandoaboutanadversestimulus,

Edi tor ia l

Smal l chi ldren, big ci t iesJohn Car y

San Francisco-based John Car y, Curator of TEDCi t y2.0, i s gues t ed i tor of th is i ssue of Ear ly Ch i ldhood Mat te rs.


youstopeventrying’.Onpage20,Evans,aprofessorintheCollegeofHumanEcologyatCornelluniversity,surveyswhatweknowaboutissuespertinenttochilddevelopmentincities,frompollutiontoovercrowdingtochronicnoiseexposure–theconstanthumofanearbyhighway,railwayorflightpath.Thegoodnewsisthatit’salsopossibletounlearnhelplessness.

Anyattempttoimprovecitylifeforchildrenneedstostartwitharoundedunderstandingofwhattheirlifeisnowlike–apracticecalled‘human-centreddesign’.Onpage24,MarikaShioiri-ClarkdetailsherworkinIndia,nigeriaandelsewheretodirectlyengagewomenandgirls.Assheputsit,‘youcomeupwithideasbymeetingwithrealpeopleandunderstandingabroadpictureoftheirlives,whatbarrierstheyface,andwherethereareopportunitiestomakethingsbetter’.

ThattypeofdirectengagementissomethingthatDeborahMcKoy,ShirlBussandJessieStewart(page27)seektoimparttotheirstudentsandthroughtheirownresearchwiththeCenterforCities+SchoolsattheuniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley.Theypointoutthat‘while[youngpeople]arewillingandabletocontributemeaningfulinsightsabouttheplaceswheretheylive,theyarerarelyinvolvedincommunityredevelopmentvisioninganddesignprocesses.’That’ssomethingthatcanandshouldchange.

ForMonicaChadha(page31),anarchitectbytraining,thegreatestchallengeisforurbanplannerstoavoidbeingoverlyprescriptiveastheydesignpublicspacesforchildren.‘Incompletethinkingaboutwhatchildrenneed’,shewarns,‘canbeworsethannotthinkingaboutitatall,asitcanleadtounexpectedrestrictionsincircumstancesthathavenotbeenproperlyconsidered.’

Theimportanceoflocalnuanceisalsoathemetakenuponpage34byPeterWilliams,FounderandExecutiveDirectorofARCHIvE(ArchitectureforHealthinvulnerableEnvironments),wholooksattheintersectionbetweenurbandesignandinfectiousdisease.FromtuberculosisinLondontodiarrhoeainBangladesh,whatneedstobedoneiswellunderstood;thekeytomaking

ithappenistounderstandtheinterplayamonglocalstakeholdersandwhatresourcescanbeleveraged.

Howtogetabillion-plusurbanchildrenofftoabetterstartinlifeisacomplexquestionthatwillrequiresustainedeffortfromawiderangeofstakeholders,fromgovernmentandfoundationstocommunitiesandchildrenthemselves.Wehopethearticlesinthisedition,andthediscussionsatthenewDelhiconference,willmakeausefulcontributiontoadvanceunderstandingandactionontheissuesinvolved.


India’s National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is a think tank attached to the national Ministry of Urban Development. It participates in consultations and serves as a sounding board in the formulation of policies. The NIUA’s director, Jagan Shah, here talks to Early Childhood Matters about parks, planning and how ‘smart cities’ could help with child-friendliness.

Can you start by telling us about the niua’s position on child-friendly cities?We’reenthusiasticabouttheagendaofmakingcitiesmorechild-friendly,bothasaworthwhileaiminitselfandbecausemanyoftheissuesthatmakeurbanlifedifficultforchildrenalsomakeitdifficultforothersectionsofsociety,suchaswomenandelderlyanddisabledpeople.Makingcitiesmorechild-friendlyisanobjectivethatcutstotheheartofmanyoverlappingproblemsanddoesn’tjustbenefitchildren.

How child-friendly are indian cities?Ifyou’veevervisitedanIndiancityit’sveryunlikelythatyouwouldobservechildrenplayinginparksorwalkingtoandhomefromschool–allofthesevisualimagesyouassociatewithachild-friendlycity.Onascaleofonetoten,Iwouldsaywe’renobetterthanafive.

YouhaveonlytocompareatypicalIndiancitysidewalktothoseofcitiesinothercountrieswhichhavedevelopeduptothepointwheretheyhavedoneabetterjobofaddressingtheneedsofchildren–towalk,rollerbladeorrideabicycle,orgooutafterdarkwithoutfearoftheirlives.TheseelementshardlyexistinIndia,wherepavementsareoftendangerouswithtrippinghazards,missingmanholecovers,alackofstreetlighting,andsoon.

‘People who grow up in a ci t y that cared for them are more l ikely to care for their c i t y ’An inte r v iew wi th Jagan Shah, D i rec tor of the Nat iona l Ins t i tu te of Urban Af fa i rs , New De lh i , Ind ia

The basics of what makes a city child-friendly are not new ideas: we have to think on the scale of neighbourhoods, because children tend to occupy their own universe of home, school and recreational spaces. Photo • Jon Spaull/Bernard van Leer Foundation


With parks, is the problem that there aren’t enough of them, or that they aren’t welcoming to children?Childrenandwomentypicallyfeeltoothreatenedtoenterpublicparksbecausetheyareoftenfrequentedbyhomelesspeople,anddegenerateanddelinquentelements.Thesepotentiallyvitalspacesarerejectedbythemajorityofpeople,whichisnothealthy.

Asforwhetherenoughparksexist,itvariesfromcitytocity.WearefortunateinDelhi,forexample,thatthe1962MasterPlanspecifiedalotofparks.Thesestillexistinmiddle-classareas–though,ironically,themiddleclasseswhohavemanagedtopreservethemdon’tactuallyusethem.Inpoorerquartersofthecity,however,theyhavebeenencroacheduponbydevelopment.Inothercities,suchasBombay,thereisagenuineshortageofparks.

is it that city planners in india have not been aware of the needs of children, or that cities in india have simply not, in general, developed in a planned way?It’sthattheplanningsystemingeneralisjustnoteffective.Plannershavenotbeenunawareofchildren’sissues.Thebasicsofwhatmakesacitychild-friendlyarenotnewideas:wehavetothinkonthescaleofneighbourhoods,becausechildrentendtooccupytheirownuniverseofhome,schoolandrecreationalspaces–theseneedtobelocallyprovided,andtherouteslinkingthemneedtobesafeandshortenoughtowalkorbike.Plannershaveknownthisforhalfacentury–butinthattimeplanning,ingeneral,hasbeenweak.

ButIthinkthatthereisadeeperphilosophicalpointherethatwehavefailedcomprehensivelytoaddressinIndiancities.Andthatis:howtomakechildrengrowintoadultswhofeelasenseofbelongingandcivicduty–asenseofobligationtoobservetherulesandregulationofsociety.Thisisoftennotthecase.Ourcitiesseemtoproduceyoungpeoplewhoarealienatedanddevelopasenseofhostilityandhavedifficultywithcivicbehaviour.

How can making urban areas more child-friendly address this philosophical issue?

Childrenrequireanurturingenvironment,wheretheyhaveconfidenceinthesocialsystemsthattheyarepartof,andfeelasenseofassuranceandbelonging.Wehavetothinkofcitiesasoneofthemodesbywhichcivicbehaviourandcivilisationareperpetuated–peoplewhogrewupinacitythatcaredforthemaremorelikelytocarefortheircity.So,onaphilosophicallevel,Iseethechild-friendlinessofcitiesasawaytoinculcateinyoungpeopletheresponsibilityandreciprocityonwhichalldemocraticsocietiesultimatelydepend.

Practically,themostimmediatewaywecangoaboutthisisthroughnurturingcommunity-ledmovementstoreclaimpublicspacesforchildrenandyoungpeople,asvenuesforhealthandrecreationandespeciallyforculturalevents.Indiancitiesingeneralareshortofinfrastructuralprovisioningfortheperformingarts,andyoungpeopleinparticularsufferfromlackofopportunitiesforculturalactivities–especiallynowthattheschoolsystemisbecomingmoreregimentedandlessacceptingofchildren’smorespontaneousandcreativeneeds.

india is urbanising quickly. is it easier to plan new areas of cities, or whole new cities, than to retrofit existing cities to be child-friendly?Therearesomenewcitiesbeingplanned,buttheywilltaketwoorthreedecadestomakeadifference.Andexistingcitiesareexpandinginafragmentedway.Therearenewelitetownships,gatedcommunitieswhichareplannedandhavelotsofgreenspaces–notthatyoueverseechildrenusingthem,astheyaremostlyisolatedintheirbedrooms,usingtheinternet.

Butthereisnotmuchplanninginnewworking-classneighbourhoods,whicharemessyanddrivenbythenecessitiesandpressuresofcrowdingandcongestion.

How, then, can child-friendliness be retrofitted into messy cities?Someneedscanbemetthroughtechnology,andIndia’saspirationtodevelop‘smartcities’–collectingandanalysingdatainrealtimetoimprovecitymanagement–couldbeagame-changerinmakingpublicspacessafer.Thesearenotchangesthatwillbevisibleeveryday–butwhenthereissmarterdigitisedmanagement


ofpubliccrimerecords,forexample,weshouldseethestreetsstarttobecomesafer.Atthemomentmanycrimesagainstchildrenandwomenarenotreportedandrecorded,andiftheyarerecordedtheyarenotsharedacrossotherdatabases.Smartcitiesshouldhelptogetrepeatoffendersoffthestreets.

Smartcitieswillmostlikelyhaveubiquitoussurveillancesystems–somethingaboutwhichIhavemixedfeelings,butthesemightbeanecessaryresponseintheshorttermtotheproblemofreclaimingopenpublicspaces.Transportmanagementisanotherareawherenewpossibilitieswillopenupwithsmartcities–youcanthinkof,forexample,thewayinwhichsomeuSstatesmandatethatovertakingofaparkedschoolbusisprohibitedbecausechildrenmaybetryingtocrosstheroad.Measuresofthiskindwillhelpbringasenseoforder.

Perhapsaboveall,digitisedmappingtoolsinsmartcitieswillhelpustopiecetogetheradeeperunderstandingofwhatishappeninginparticularurbanneighbourhoodsandfindlocal,customisedsolutions.Itisstillnotcleartomeexactlyhowtheelementsofsmartcitieswilltranslateintogreaterchild-friendliness–butthepotentialisthere.

‘ The most immediate way we can go about th is is through nur tur ing community- led movements to recla im publ ic spaces for chi ldren and young people, as venues for heal th and recreat ion and especia l ly for cul tura l events.’


Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck designed over 800 playgrounds in Amsterdam between 1947 and 1978. This article identifies the three elements of his success and shows how organisations are using each of those ideas to create play spaces for today’s urban children.

IntheyearsfollowingWorldWarII,Amsterdamwentthroughabigtransformationinitsapproachtourbanplanninganddesign.Thethen-unknown‘rebel’architectAldovanEyckbeganchangingpolicyandplanningfromatraditionaltop-downmethodologytoonethatwasground-up–andtheyoungestDutchresidentswerethebeneficiaries.

From1947to1978,withthehelpofcityplanners,policymakersandresidents,vanEyckbuiltanetworkofover800publicplaygroundsacrossAmsterdam.This

constellationofplayspaces–deemed‘oneofthebest-keptsecretsofthetwentiethcentury’byarchitecturalhistorianLianeLefaivre–incorporatedtheyoungestresidentsintothecity’splaninawayneverseenbeforeinthenetherlands.

Itisnownearly60yearssincevanEyck,aged28,designedhisfirstplayground,fortheneighbourhoodofBertelmanplein,Amsterdam.Theplaygroundremainsunchangedtothisday,givingpeoplewhofirstplayedonitaschildrenachancetositonthesamewoodenbenchesandwatchtheirgrandchildrenandgreat-grandchildrenplayonthesameequipment.

ThepopularityandlongevityofvanEyck’sworkisattributabletothreemaintactics:hedesignedeachspacewithsimple,replicablegeometriccomponents;heinvolvedpolicymakers;andheutilisedanyand

The endur ing legacy of playground designer Aldo van EyckKat ie Crepeau, Ed i tor, Impac t Des ign Hub, London, UK

From 1947 to 1978, van Eyck built a network of over 800 public playgrounds across Amsterdam. The first was for the neighbourhood of Bertelmanplein (above). Photo • Amsterdam City Archives


allsites,nomatterhowchallenging.Aswewillsee,architects,designersandplayspacechampionscontinuetousethesetacticstocreateplacesforchildrentobepartofurbanenvironmentsinsafety,aroundtheworld.

Simple geometrical components

Setinablockstraddledbytwomainavenuesandacanal,theplaygroundinBertelmanpleincontainsthreesimpleelements:asandpitatthecentre,metaltubesomersaultframescirclingit,andcurvedwoodenbenchesforparentsandpassers-bytositon.Anotheressentialelement,althoughoftenunnoticed,wasagenerousamountofopenspace.Ratherthanfillinguptheplayareawithendlessequipmentforchildrentoplayon,vanEyckprovidedopenspaceforchildrentorun,jumpandskip.

AsvanEyckdesignedmoreplaygrounds,headdedmoregeometricplayelementstothekitofparts,suchashexagonalandcylindricalconcretestepping-stonesandmorecomplexclimbing-framesintheshapeofanarchordome.Inaldo van Eyck: The playgrounds and the city(Lefaivreet al.,2002),authorandarchitecturalhistorianFrancisStrauvenwrote: Van Eyck paid special attention to the distances between the

spokes to enable the children to clamber about in safety to their heart’s content. He even tried out the possibilities and risks with the assistance of his own children.

Theseadditionalelementsremainedbasedinelementarycomponentsofvisuallanguage–geometricshapes–whosepowerliesinthesimplicitythatevokeddifferentassociationsforeachchild.vanEyckobjectedtoplayelementsdesignedtoresembleanimalormythologicalcreatures.Heargued,inalecturein1962: They are not real enough. a play object has to be real in the way

that a telephone box is real because you can make calls from it ... an aluminum elephant is not real.

Thesimplegeometricplayobjectshepreferredprovidechildrenwithanexperimentalplaygroundtomovewithacrobatismandsuppleness.Togetherwithbenches,hedges,shrubsandtrees,vanEyckarrangedtheplay

objectstogetherinconstantlychangingcompositionsforchildrenthroughoutAmsterdam.

Today,thenon-profitorganisationPlaygroundIdeasisusingasimilarmethodologytocreateplaygroundsinunder-resourcedcommunitiesinAfrica,South-EastAsiaandSouthAmerica.FoundedbyAustralianMarcusveerman,whobuilthisfirstplaygroundin2010inChiangDao,Thailand,PlaygroundIdeas’teammembershavesincehelpedbuildover500playgroundsusingsimpleelementsmadewithlocallysourcedmaterialsincludingdiscardedtyres,timber,ropeandmetaltubing.PlaygroundIdeas’onlinedesignlibrary1hasover180playobjectsthatcommunitiesaroundtheworldhaveusedtocreatetheirownplayspaces.

AlthoughthislibraryisfarlargerthanvanEyck’s,thevarietyofelementsallowsformorecommunitiestodeveloptheirownplayspacesbasedontheresourcesavailable.PlaygroundIdeashasanonlinefive-stepmanualondesigningplaygrounds,whichisbeingturnedintoa‘drag-and-drop’playgrounddesignertool,tobereleasedsoon.Thisaccessiblesetofresourceswillenablemorecommunitiestocreatetheirownplayspaceseveniftheydonothaveaccesstoanarchitect,designerorplanner.

Ground-up popular support

Backin20th-centuryAmsterdam,vanEyckdidnotachievethetremendousfeatofbuilding800playgroundsonhisown.AfterreturningfromuniversityinZurich,hejoinedAmsterdam’sDepartmentofPublicWorks,whichgavehimaccesstopolicymakers.Atthetime,theground-upapproachtoplanningwasavant-gardeandvanEyckwasintheminority,buthewasabletousethesmallscaleoftheplaygroundstomakeincrementalchangestocityplanningmoregenerally.Intime,heconvertedevenhisfiercestopponentsintoground-uppolicymakers.

vanEyckleveragedpost-warattentiontotheimportanceofchildhoodandwonthesupportofthecity’sresidentstoexpandhisplaygroundsprogramme.BuriedinthethickpilesoftheDepartment’sdrawingsand


correspondencearelettersfromresidents,recordingyearsofpositiveandnegativereactionstotheplaygrounds:8lettersin1953(bywhichtimevanEyckhadbuilt27playgrounds),30lettersin1954(about41playgrounds),52lettersin1956(about103playgrounds),andsoon.Amongtheseletterstherequestsfornewplaygroundsfaroutweighthesmallnumberofobjections.Withthesupportofresidentspouringinandpolicymakersbeingwonover,Amsterdambecamepepperedwithplayspacesthatwereeasilyaccessible,safeandlovedbythenewgenerations.

TodayinAmerica,thenon-profitorganisationKaBOOM!isusingasimilarground-upapproachtotransformneighbourhoodsinall50states.In1995,24-year-oldDarellHammondreadastoryinthenewspaperabouttwolocalchildrenwhosuffocatedwhileplayinginanabandonedcarbecausetheydidn’thaveanywhereelsetoplay.Hammondrealisedthistragedycouldhavebeenpreventedanddecidedtodosomethingaboutit.usinghisexperienceinvolunteerleadership,HammondbuilthisfirstplaygroundinOctober1995insouth-eastWashingtonDC,andhasn’tstoppedbuildingplaygroundssince.Officiallyfoundedin1996,KaBOOM!hasraisedmorethan200millionuSdollars,ralliedoveramillionvolunteers,ledhands-onconstructionofover2000playgrounds,andsparkedamovementacrossAmericaforchildren’srighttoplay.

KaBOOM!offersanonlineprojectplannersimilartothatofPlaygroundIdeas,andhasdevelopedthe‘MapofPlay’2,aplayspacefinderandawaytoidentifywhereplayspacesareneeded.SimilartovanEyck,Hammondhaslearnedtoinvolvepeopleandleveragerelationshipswiththem–fromlocalauthoritiestoresidentsandchildren,andeventheFirstLady,MichelleObama.

Envisioning transformation

AldovanEyckdidnotseekoutcleaned-up,emptysitestobuildplaygrounds.FromjunkyardstodumpsalongAmsterdam’sfamouscanalstoblandplazas,vanEyckusedanyandallsitestohostthenewplayspaces.Thisiswhereanarchitect’sskillinenvisioningtransformationanddesigningeachplayspacetofitauniquesitehelped

makethenetworkofplaygroundspossible.AnexhibitattheStedelijkMuseuminAmsterdamshowcasedaremarkableseriesofbefore-and-afterphotosdisplayinghowpreviouslyderelictlotswerereshapedintodynamicplacesfilledwithchildren.Bybringingthechildrenoutfromtheirhomes,thestreetsandsquaresinAmsterdamwereinjectedwithexuberanceandlife,essentialenergyforrecoveringfromthestressful,darkperiodofwar.

Today,arisingpopulationofarchitectsanddesignersareworkinginunder-resourcedcommunitiesaroundtheworld,wheretheirskillinenvisioningtransformationisessential.ThearchitecturalpracticeTYIntegnestue,ledbynorwegiansYasharHanstadandAndreasGrøntvedtGjertsen,hasworkedinThailand,Burma,Haiti,uganda,norway,andBrazil.Havingwitnessedavarietyoflivingconditionsanddevelopments,TYInpartnerswithcommunitiestodesignappropriatestructuresthatrespondtotheneedsoflocalpeopleandutiliseresourcesandskillsfoundneareachprojectlocation.

OnerecentprojectsuccessislocatedintheneighbourhoodofKlongToey–Bangkok’slargestandoldestinformalsettlement–whereTYInworkedwithagroupofstudentsandlocalresidentstobuildapublicplaygroundandfootballcourtinanarrowlot.Giventhedimensionsofthesite,thearchitectsdecidedtomaximisetheverticalspacebybuildinganairytwo-storeystructureenclosedbyanarrayofironlatticeworkandwoodslats.Theyoutfittedthestructurewithelementstosit,swing,andclimbon,whileleavinganopenspaceforfootball,basketballandothergames.usinglocallysourcedandreclaimedmaterials,thestructurewasbuiltbythelocalinhabitantsandhasbecomeabelovedpartofthecommunity.

Withtheacceleratingpaceofurbanisationputtingmorestrainonspaceforpeopletowork,liveandtraverse,vanEyck’simaginativeapproachtoprovidinginfrastructureforchildreninurbanenvironmentsismorecrucialthanever:keepplanssimpleandreplicable;involveciviliansandpolicymakers;anduseanyandallsites.vanEyckdidnotseehigh-densitylivingasdetrimental,butratherasanopportunitytoreducedistancesfrom


everydayfacilities.Thefast-growingcitiesofAfricaandAsiainparticularmayappeartoposemoredifficultchallengesthanvanEyckfacedin1947Amsterdam,butorganisationslikePlaygroundIdeas,KaBOOM!andTYIntegnestueshowhowhisideascancontinuetohelpchildrentothriveinmodernurbanenvironments.

ReferenceLefaivre, L., Roode, I and Fuchs, R. (2002). Aldo van Eyck: The playgrounds and the city.

Amsterdam: Stedelijk Museum.

Notes1 The Design Library can be accessed on the Playground Ideas website at: http://

www.playgroundideas.org/DesignLibrary2 The Map of Play is available at: http://mapofplay.kaboom.org/

‘ Today, a r is ing populat ion of archi tec ts and des igners are working in under-resourced communit ies around the wor ld, where the i r ski l l in envis ioning transformat ion is essent ia l .’


Lia Karsten researches the changing relationship between cities and children. Here she talks to Early Childhood Matters about the historical evolution of childhood in cities in The Netherlands, the experiences of children growing up in high-rise Hong Kong, and how urban families are reclaiming city centres, with a growing number of places allowing for ‘public parenting’.

How is urban childhood changing in the netherlands and beyond?Therearetwointerestingtrends.First,myhistoricalresearchshowsthattherehasbeenachangeindiscoursesaboutthenatureofchildhood.Childrenusedtobeseenasresilient,whereastodaytheyareprimarilyseenasvulnerable.Sointhepastitwascommonforchildrentoplayoutdoorsontheirown,butnowadaysitisseenasgoodparenthoodtosuperviseyourchildinurbanpublicspaces.

Secondly,familiesarebeginningtoreclaimcitycentres.Citiesandchildrenhavelongbeenseenasmutuallyexclusionaryconcepts.Citiesbelongtothepublicsphere,whereaschildrenareseenasbelongingtotheprivatesphere–thatis,thefamilyandthehome.Whenyouthinkofcities,youthinkofconcrete;whenyouthinkofchildhood,youthinkofgreenspaces.Andsoon.

Thatischangingwiththeriseof‘YuPPs’–young,urbanprofessionalparents–whoareactivelychoosingtoliveincitycentres,ratherthantakingthetraditionalrouteofmovingouttothesuburbsassoonastheyhavechildren.Inresponse,youseeservicesforchildrenspringingupacrossurbanareas:barsandrestaurantswhichtraditionallycateredonlytochild-freeclientelearenowprovidingplayareasforchildren;therearestoresthatcaterforchildren;thereareleisurecentreswherefamiliescangotogetherorchildrencangoafterschool.TheseestablishmentsareontheriseincitiesacrossEuropeandalsoinpartsofnorthAmerica.

is this reclaiming of the city centre largely a middle-class phenomenon?Itiseffectivelyonlymiddle-classfamilieswithtwoincomeswhohavethedisposableincometofrequently

outsourcethedomestictasksofshopping,cookingandwashingupbygoingtoarestaurant.Interestingly,whenyoulookaturbanfamilieseatingouttogetherandthegrowthofleisureareasforurbanchildren,youcanseeanechooftheoldfeministidealofcommunalkitchensandlocalchildcare–butthesehavegonefrombeingfeministidealstoexpensivelifestylechoices.Culturalcapitalisgivingwaytoeconomiccapital.

Despiteworking-classparentsbeingindeedmorelimitedintheactivitiestheycanaffordtodowiththeirchildren–andsometimesalsobeingmoretime-pressed–theyarenotimmunetothefirsttrendImentioned,ofsupervisingtheirchildrenmoreandlimitingtheirfreedomofmovement.Ifoundinmylatestresearch(publicationforthcoming)thatworking-classparents,too,arespendingmoretimewiththeirchildrenthantheyhaveeverdonebefore.

What are the effects on children of spending more time in the company of their parents rather than playing without supervision?Oneunfortunateconsequenceistheweakeningofsocialcapital.Aschildrenspendmoretimesocialisinginthecompanyoftheirparents,andinsettingschosenbytheirparents,theotherchildrenwithwhomtheycomeintocontacttendtohaveparentswhoarefromthesamekindofclassandbackground.Incontrast,childrenofpreviousgenerations,playingunsupervisedinthestreets,wouldencounterabroadersocialrangeoftheirpeers.Thishasbeencriticisedbymanyscholarsinthefieldofchildren’sstudies,includingmyself.

Havingsaidthat,Ibelievethatasresearchersitisourtasktoexplorenotonlywhathasbeenlost,butalsothepositiveaspectsofwhathasbecomenewpractice.Itissometimesoverlookedthatit’snotonlychildren’sabilitytoformrelationshipswiththeirpeersthatweshouldcareabout.Theabilitytoformintergenerationalsocialrelationships,withparentsandotherfamilymembers,isimportanttoo.Takingcareofyourchildinpublichascometobeseenasawaytoestablishanidentityasaninvolvedparent,constructasenseoffamilyidentityandcementfamilytiesthroughpublicparenting.

‘Famil ies are beginning to reclaim ci t y centres’An inte r v iew wi th L ia Kars ten, Associa te Professor in Urban Geographies a t the Univers i t y of Amsterdam/AISSR, Nether lands, and Honorar y Doc torate in Educat iona l Sc ience a t Uppsa la Univers i t y, Sweden


You use the phrase ‘public parenting’ – what do you mean by that? Forexample,considerthebarsandrestaurantsingentrifiedurbanareasthatcaterforfamilies.InarecentstudymycolleaguesandIobservedhowfamiliesbehavedintensuchrestaurantsinAmsterdam(Karstenet al.,2013).Wefoundthatparentsusetheopportunityofmealtimesinapublicplaceasanopportunitytodemonstratetochildrenhowtheyshouldbehave.Goodbehaviourduringthemeal–sittingdown,takingpartinconversation–isrewardedbyparentsallowingtheirchildrentoplayintherestaurant’splayareasor,forexample,onaniPad.Theparentsinturnusethistimetotalk,ortochecktheirsmartphones.Fathersareaslikelyasmotherstobeinvolvedinpublicparenting.

as well as your studies in the netherlands, you have also recently looked at middle-class urban childhood in the high-rise environment of Hong Kong. What did you find?

Ididmyresearch(Karsten,2014a)specificallyamongEnglish-speakingmiddle-classfamiliesinHongKong,wherethehigh-riseenvironmentiscombinedwithbothparentstypicallyworkingandaparentingstylethatisverymuchfocusedonachievementandpreparationforahighlycompetitivejobsmarket.

WhatIhavefoundisthatthechildrenofthesefamilieshardlyplayoutdoors.Ofcourse,inlargepartthat’sbecausehigh-riseHongKongisnottheeasiestplacefromwhichtogetaccesstotheoutdoors.Buttherearesomedifferencesinhowthebuiltenvironmentfacilitatesoutdooraccess.Childrenaremorelikelytoplayoutdoorsiftheyliveinsmaller,enclosedestateswithgoodfacilities.Eventhen,childrenarenormallysupervisedratherthanallowedtoplayontheirown.usuallytheyareaccompaniedbyadomestichelperemployedbyparentswhoarebothworkingfull-time.

In the Netherlands families are beginning to reclaim city centres. Photo • © Stephan Gabriel/Lineair Fotoarchief


Anotherreasonwhythereissolittleoutdoorplay,however,isthatmiddle-classparentsinhigh-riseHongKongtypicallyseetheirchildren’spersonalachievementasbeingextremelyimportant,whichleadstochildrenofprimaryschoolagehavingaheavyburdenofafter-schoolextracurricularlessonsandactivities.Theseleavenotimefor‘just’playing.

Did you find that parents in Hong Kong don’t appreciate the value of play for young children?Onthecontrary,manyoftheparentsIspoketoduringmyresearchwereconcernednottobeseenasoverlydemandingparents,puttingtheirchildrenundertoomuchpressure.Buttheyalsoexplainedthatchildrenneedtodevelopa‘portfolio’ofachievementstostandachanceofgettingacceptedbyagoodschool,andplayingdoesn’tcount.Sowhatparentsoftendoisdefinetheafter-schoollessonsasbeing‘playful’,totrytolegitimisetothemselvestheheavyschedulestheirchildrenhave.

The aspects of life in Hong Kong that you’ve mentioned – high-rise living, competitive parenting – look likely to become more common as the world continues to urbanise and with the growth of middle classes in the emerging markets. What advice would you have for city governments? Ibelievethisisanareawherefurtherresearchisnecessary,especiallyincludingtheperspectivesofchildrenthemselves,whichunfortunatelyIwasnotabletodoinmyHongKongstudy;sadly,thechildrenandparentswerejusttoobusytoscheduleanytimetoparticipateintheresearchtogether.Whichillustratesmyfirstrecommendation–thatencouragingwork–lifebalanceforchildrenshouldbehighontheagendaofglobalcities.

Secondly,alsohighontheagendashouldbethecreationofgreen,openplayareasthatenticechildrentowanttobeoutdoors.Totakeanexamplefromclosetohome,inrecentyearsthedistrictofAmsterdamwhereIlive,Middenmeer,hasbecomemuchmorechild-friendlyinitspublicspacesinresponsetodemandfromfamilies:theneighbourhoodparkhasbeenrenovated,andtherearenewplaygroundsandbroadsidewalks.Ishowedinarecentstudy(Karsten,2014b)howtheselocationshave

becomeextensivelyusedbymiddle-classfamiliestodemonstratepublicparenting,bringingprivatefamilylifeintopublicspace.

Whilethisisapositivetrend,thedangeristhatlivinginneighbourhoodswithsuchpleasantpublicspacessoonbecomesunaffordableexceptforrelativelywealthyprofessionals,andurbangentrificationbenefitsonlykidswithmiddle-classparents.Somythirdpieceofadviceisthatwehavetolookforwaystoreclaimthecityforchildrenofallsocialbackgrounds,andrepairtheweakeningofsocialcapitalthatcomesfromtheincreasinglyclass-basedsegregationofhowurbanchildrensocialisewiththeirpeers.

ReferencesKarsten, L. (2014a, online). Middle-class childhood and parenting culture in high-

rise Hong Kong: on scheduled lives, the school trap and a new urban idyll. Children’s Geographies, DOI: 10.1080/14733285.2014.915288.

Karsten, L. (2014b). From Yuppies to Yupps: family gentrifiers consuming spaces and re-inventing cities. Journal of Social and Economic Geography 105(2): 175–88.

Karsten, L., Kamphuis, A. and Remeijnse, C. (2013, online). ‘Time-out’ with the family: the shaping of family leisure in the new urban consumption spaces of cafés, bars and restaurants. Leisure Studies, DOI: 10.1080/02614367.2013.845241.


Children need opportunities to show civic leadership. Cities lack opportunities for fun. Combining these ideas, Andrew Slack of the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) – which uses fiction and fantasy as a point of entry to encourage civic engagement – describes an experimental ‘Bureau for Re-Funification’ in Washington DC, and developing plans for a global urban ‘Funvolution’.

‘Childrenareourfuture’,youoftenhearpeoplesay,anditalwayssurprisesmethattheythinkit’sapositivestatement.Whatdoesitimply?Ifchildrenarethefuture,thengrown-upsmustbethepresentandtheelderlymustbethepast.Inotherwords,adultsofworkingagearethecentreofexistence;theyoungdon’tmatteryet,andtheolddon’tmatteranymore.nowhereisthisdepressingattitudemoreapparentthaninourcities.

LastyearIspentaweekworkingwithasmallgroupofchildreninWashingtonDC,inpartnershipwiththeSmithsonianEdLab.WetookthekidstounionStationandaskedthemtoobserveandmakenotes.Whatdidtheynotice?Themostcommonobservationwasthis:unionStationisnotaplacethatiswelcomingforeitherchildrenortheelderly.TheEdLabdirectoraskedthem,‘Well,whoisitwelcomingfor?’Oneofthekidspointedtotheadultsintheroom:‘Youguys!It’sallmadeforbusinesspeople.notus.’

Thisledtosomediscussionabouthowkidsandolderpeoplehavealotincommon.ShelSilversteinsumsituppoignantlyinhis1981poem,‘TheLittleBoyandtheOldMan’: Saidthelittleboy,‘SometimesIdropmyspoon.’

Saidtheoldman,‘Idothattoo.’Thelittleboywhispered,‘Iwetmypants.’‘Idothattoo,’laughedthelittleoldman.Saidthelittleboy,‘Ioftencry.’Theoldmannodded,‘SodoI.’‘Butworstofall,’saidtheboy,‘itseemsGrown-upsdon’tpayattentiontome.’Andhefeltthewarmthofawrinkledoldhand.‘Iknowwhatyoumean,’saidthelittleoldman.

It’snotonlyyoungandoldpeoplewhosufferwhencitiesarestrippedofopportunitiestostopandsmile,ortopauseandrestincomfort–whencitiesarereducedtobeingmerelyplacesforbusiness,orbusy-ness.Grown-upssuffer,too,fromadepletionofspirit,fromfeelingsofdepressionandanxiety,alienationandangst.

Sowebeganaconversationabouthowourcitiesmightbemademorewelcomingforbothkidsandelderlypeople,withcomfortableplacestopasstime,andopportunitiestohavefun.WithanodtothelanguageofDC,wedecidedthatwewouldspendtherestofourweektogetherbeingtheBureauofRe-Funification.

The Harry Pot ter Alliance

TheBureauofRe-Funificationneedstobeunderstoodinthebroadercontextofwhatmyorganisation,theHarryPotterAlliance,istryingtoachieve.Mybackgroundisincomedy,andIbecameinterestedinthepowerofstorytellingtopromotesocialchange.Anexample:in1988,theHarvardSchoolofPublicHealthaskedforthehelpofTvnetworkstopopularisetheconceptofa‘designateddriver’–thepersonwhocommitstostaysoberwhengoingoutforadrinkwithfriends.WritersofshowssuchasCheersagreedtoweavethephraseintotheirstorylines,anditbecamepartoftheculturalmainstream.

Morerecently,theshowWill and Gracehasbeencreditedwithhelpingtochangethezeitgeistonmarriageequality.nowthatgayandlesbianmarriageisnotonlylegalbutuncontroversialinmanyuSstates,itisremarkabletothinkthatjusttenyearsago,duringthe2004uSelections,theissuewasconsideredtobepoliticallytoxic.Ithinkoftheseasexamplesof‘culturalacupuncture’.Thetheoryofacupunctureisthatinsertinganeedleatjusttherightpointcantransformtheflowofenergyinthebody.Storiescandothesameinculture,sometimeswithastonishingpowerandspeed.

However,thestorytellersofoursociety–professionalsincreativity,fromscriptwriterstocomediansandevenadvertisingagencies–tendnottointeractmuchwiththeprofessionsofcompassion(charities,therapies,

The Bureau of Re-Funif icat ionAn inte r v iew wi th Andrew S lack, Co-founder, Har r y Pot te r A l l iance, Somer v i l le, MA, USA


spirituality)orwiththosewhodedicatethemselvestotryingtochangethesystem(professionalactivists,foundations,electedofficials).Sohowcanwebreakdownthewallsbetweenthoseareasofwork?

Whilethinkingalongtheselines,IfellinlovewithHarryPotter.Inmymid-20s,Iencounteredtheworldoffandomforthefirsttime:whenI’dgrownup,inthepre-internetera,fangroupsexistedbutbarriersofentrywerehigherandthegroupsthemselveswereconsideredtobeuncool.nowimmersioninafictionalorfantasyworldisbotheasyandpopular;theHarryPotterfanwebsiteMugglenet,forexample,wasstartedbya12yearoldandsoongettingover100,000visitorsaday.AsIexploredthisvirtualuniverse,IrealisedthatyoungfansofHarryPotterwerebecomingwriters,self-publishingfanfiction;theywerebecomingbroadcasters,putting

outpodcasts;theywerebecomingathletes,devisingandholdingtournamentsinQuidditch,thesportplayedinthebooks;theywerebecomingmusicians,composingandsingingsongsfromtheperspectivesofHarryPottercharacters.

ButnobodywasmakingconnectionsbetweentheworldofHarryPotterandourworld,therealworld.Therearemanyparallels,fromraceandsexualequalitytohabeascorpus.InthebookHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling,2003),Harry’sfriendscreateanorganisationcalledDumbledore’sArmy,tofightforjustice.IstartedsayingtomyfellowonlineHarryPotterfans:ifHarrylivedinourworld,doyouthinkhe’dbecontentjusttotalkabouthowcoolitwasbeingHarryPotter?Wouldn’thetakeupacause–say,climatechange,orDarfur?

We began a conversation about how our cities might be made more welcoming for both kids and the elderly, with comfortable places to pass time, and opportunities to have fun. Photo • Courtesy Harry Potter Alliance


ThoseconversationsstruckachordandledtotheHarryPotterAlliance,whichIco-foundedwithmycomedypartnerSethSoulsteinandPaulDeGeorgefromthepunkrockbandHarryandthePotters.TheHPAnowhas300chaptersonsixcontinents,throughwhichHarryPotterfanshavedonated120,000bookstolibrariesaroundtheworld,sentfivecargoplanesofemergencysuppliestoHaiti,andmuchelse.

Education and urban design

TheseareexamplesofwhathappenswhenyounurturewhatmediascholarHenryJenkinscallsthe‘civicimagination’1–thecapacitytoimaginebeyondthestatusquo.naturally,itisnotjusttheHarryPotterstoriesthatpresentanopportunitytousefictionandfantasyasentrypointsintoengagingwiththeworld,ratherthanasameanstoescapefromit.TheHunger GamesTrilogy(Collins,2008–10)canbeusedtoinspireactiononeconomicinequality.WecanpointoutthatSuperman,whoembodiestheAmericanidealoffightingfortruthandjustice,arrivedintheuSAasanundocumentedimmigrant.Andsoon.

Indeed,theBureauofRe-Funificationideawasconceivedbykidswearingsuperherocapes.WehadbeenanalysingthemovieBatman Begins,andtalkingaboutwhatproblemsthekidswouldwanttofixiftheyhadsuperheropowers.

Onthelastdayoftheweek,thekids–insuperherocostumes–decidedtodrawinchalkonthesidewalkoutsideunionStation,tobrightentheplaceupforadayatleast.Astheydidso,somethingwonderfulhappened.Agroupofolderchildrenfromaroundtheworld,whowereinDCforaneducationalcamp,askedwhatwashappeninganddecidedtojoinin.Soon,thesidewalksaroundunionStationwerebrightlydecoratedwiththeword‘love’inmanydifferentlanguages.Passingadultsstoppedandsmiled.Ourkidsweregiddywithexcitement,becausetheysawthattheyhadopenedupaspacethatpositivelychangedothers.

WesoonlearnedthattheBureauofRe-Funificationideacommandedsupportamongaremarkablydiverse

rangeofgroups–fromleftistprogressiveactiviststocivicmediawonksandregularpeople,oursocialmediafeedrapidlyfilledupwithideasaboutmakingcitiesmorefun.Weheardaboutplaygroundsforolderpeople;musicaltrashcans;busstopswherepeoplecanwaitonswings;fountainswhereyou’renotonlyallowedbutencouragedtopaddleandsplash;elevatorswithtwomovinghandrails,theloweroneatchildheight;publictree-houses;communitygardens;pedestrianskywalks;andcountlessothers.Irecalledthe‘artcafes’ofmyownstudentdays:spontaneousactsofcreativityandkindness,suchaspeelingandjuicingorangesonthesidewalk,andgivingawaythejuicetopassers-bywhilemakingdesignsoutofthepeel.

Wehavenowaccumulatedmanysuchinnovativeideaswhichcouldbechampionedbychildren,photographedandpostedonlinetoinspireothers;inmanycasestheywouldelicitmediacoverage,whichbeginsavirtuouscircle.WearecurrentlylookingforbackerstodeveloptheBureauofRe-FunificationintoaglobalurbanFunvolutionmovement,anonlinenetworkcuratedbykids,withlocalcellsswappingexperiencesandideasforactionsintheirowncities.Havingfunisanideaallkidscangetbehind;itcangivethemopportunitiestoshowcivicleadershipandimprovetheurbanexperienceforeveryone.

ReferencesCollins, S. (2008–10). The Hunger Games Trilogy. New York, NY: Scholastic.Rowling, J.K. (2003). Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. London, Bloomsbury.Silverstein, S. (1981). The Lit tle Boy and the Old Man. In: A Light in the Attic. New York,

NY: HarperCollins.

Note1 ‘From cultural jamming to cultural acupuncture: fan activism and the civic

imagination’ was a talk given by media theorist Henry Jenkins at Stanford University Humanities Center on 27 May 2014 (available online at https://thecontemporary.stanford.edu/henry-jenkins-fan-activism-and-civic-imagination).


Gary Evans is an environmental and developmental psychologist interested in how the physical environment affects human health and well-being among children. Here he talks to Early Childhood Matters about the current state of evidence on risk factors such as noise and crowding, and how multiple risk factors add up to dramatically worse outcomes.

Why should we be interested in children’s physical environments? There’salotofevidencethatpoverty–orlowsocio-economicstatus(SES)–isbadforchildren’shealthanddevelopment.ButwhatexactlyisitaboutlowSESthat’sbadforkids?Therearemanyfactors,amongthemthekindsofphysicalenvironmentthatareoftenassociatedwithpoverty.

What are some of the ways in which poverty translates, through the

physical environment, into worse outcomes for children’s health and development?Forabroadoverview,youcanthinkaboutthisinfivecategories.1First,therearetheeffectsofhazardousmaterialsintheenvironment–heavymetals,inorganicsolvents,pesticides–which,byandlarge,betteroffkidsareobviouslylesslikelytocomeintocontactwith.Exposuretotoomuchleadinearlychildhood,forexample,isassociatedwithoutcomessuchaslowerIQ,andincreasedimpulsivityandaggression.

Second,noise.I’mnottalkinghereaboutnoiselevelshighenoughtocausehearingdamage,butchronicnoiseexposure–sayifyou’relivingnexttoabusyhighway,railwayorunderaflightpath.There’ssomeevidenceoflowercognitivefunctioninginbabieswhogrowupinhouseholdswhereit’simpossibletoget

‘Cumulat ive r isks need comprehensive responses’An inte r v iew wi th Gar y Evans, E l izabeth Lee V incent Professor, Co l lege of Human Eco logy, Corne l l Un ivers i t y, New York , USA

What we need to get better at is not just how we address issues related to children’s physical environments, but how we address them together with related risk factors. Photo • © iStock.com/Danijela Pavlovic Markovic


awayfromthenoise.Thereisevidencethatparentsinnoisyhouseholdsarelessresponsivetotheirkids,andteachersinnoisyschoolsarelesspatient.Andmanystudieshaveshownthatnoisecausesdeficitsinreadingacquisition.

Thethirdissueiscrowding.I’mtalkingaboutcrowdingwithinthehome,notthecity–theissueisnotwhetheryou’relivinginabusycity,buthowmanypeopletherearetoaroominsideyourhome.Crowdingisassociatedwithchildrenbecomingwithdrawnoraggressiveandcanreliablyelevatephysiologicalstresssuchasbloodpressure.

Fourth,thequalityofhousingandneighbourhoods.Amongthethingstheevidencetellsushereisthatdifferentkindsofhousingaresuitablefordifferenttypesofpeople.Ifyou’reayoung,child-freeprofessional,forexample,thenlivinginahigh-riseapartmentmightsuityoujustfine–butthere’sevidencethatit’ssociallyisolatingifyou’rebringingupachild,especiallyifyou’reasingleparent.Andthere’sevidencethatchildrenlivinginpoorer-qualitybuildingsgetsickmoreoften.

Finally,schoolanddaycarequality.Theevidencepointstosmallerandbetter-maintainedschools,withadequateheatingandventilationandsoon,beingassociatedwithbetteroutcomesforkids.

How robust is this evidence across cultures? are we talking about research predominantly in wealthy Western countries, or also in the developing world?Certainlyontheeffectsofnoiseandcrowding,wehaveenoughevidencetogeneralise–there’sresearchfrommanycountriesandit’srobustacrossculturesandnationalities.Interestingly,thereareculturaldifferencesinwhatisperceivedtobe‘crowded’–living,say,fivetoaroommaybeseenasnormalinsomeculturesandunacceptableinothers–butwhenyoulookattherelationshipswithchildren’smentalhealthandcognitivedevelopment,thereisnodifference.

ButsomeothervariablesareindeedprimarilystudiedinaWesterncontext,whichisironicasweknowleast

aboutplaceswherethesituationisworst.Almostallresearchonhousingquality,forexample,isfromplacesliketheuSA,theunitedKingdom,ScandinaviaorAustralia–andeventheworst-qualityhousingintheseplaceswouldbeseenasprettygoodinsomeothercountries.Sowe’remissingknowledgeaboutactuallymostofthespectrumhere.

in your work you look at cumulative risk. Broadly, this is the idea that being exposed to one or two of these risk factors might be survivable, but the more risks you’re exposed to, the worse it gets. That’sright,andit’softenthecasethatlow-SESkidsareexposedtomanyoftheseriskfactorsatonce.Asthesayinggoes,whenitrains,itpours.

How do you measure cumulative risk?Itischallenging.Ideallywhatyou’dwanttodoiscomparehowonespectrumaffectsoutcomesonanotherspectrum.Sayyouwanttolookatthequalityofhousingandthequalityofneighbourhoods,tounderstandtheeffectsonkidsofgrowingupinapoor-qualityhousebutinagoodneighbourhoodorinagood-qualityhousebutinabadneighbourhood.Youwoulddrawtheslopeofhowqualityofhousingaffectschildren’soutcomes,anddoastatisticalinteractiontoseehowthatischangedbytheslopeforneighbourhoodquality.

nowsayyouwanttostudyfamilyturmoil,too–goodhouse,badneighbourhood,stablefamily;badhouse,goodneighbourhood,dysfunctionalfamily,andsoon.Allthesethingsareonaspectrum,anditstartstogetprettycomplextofigureouthowtheyworktogether.nowaddafourth,fifth,sixth,seventhvariable.Thecomplexitygetsoutofhandreallyfast.Evenifyou’vegotabigenoughsampletodothestatisticalwork,itbecomesveryhardtoconceptualiseandarticulatethefindings.

Soinsteadweusewhat’scalledanadditivemodel.Ratherthanlookingataspectrum,youchooseacut-offpointabovewhichyousaythatthelevelofexposureishighenoughtoqualifyasariskfactor.Andyougivethosecasesascoreof1forthatriskfactor,andtheothersascoreof0.Thenforeachchildyouadduphowmanyriskfactorstheyhave.


Clearlytherearesomedownsidestothis,asyou’resimplifyingshadesofgreyintoblack-and-white.Butactuallyitworksprettywell,anditunambiguouslyshowsthatasyouaddmoreriskfactors,theoutcomesforkidsgetdrasticallyworse.

What’s at the cutting edge of research in this field? How are these models getting refined?Ifyouthinkabouthowachildinanurbanenvironmentmovesthroughtheday,youcanseehowtheremightbeoverlapamongthedifferentriskfactors–wakingupinahousetonoisefromtraffic,walkingalongair-pollutedstreetstoaschoolwithcrumblingwallsandinadequateventilation,playinginrubbish-strewnstreets,tryingtodohomeworkinacrowdedroom,andsoon.ThiskindofscenarioisunderstoodtosomeextentinacademictermsthroughmodelssuchasBronfenbrenner’s(Bronfenbrenner,1979),butwe’rebehindthecurveongettingtogripswithwhatitmeansinpractice.

TherearenowlotsoftechnologicaltoolslikeGPSthatwecanusetobettercapturethisecologicalconceptofchildren’sexperiencebytrackingthemovertime.Itcouldbearichareaofresearchtousethemonitoringpossibilitiesofnewtechnologiestoinformourtheoriesoncumulativerisk.

and how much do we know about the psychological mechanisms through which these risk factors translate into worse outcomes for kids?What’sreallyinterestingisthattheadverseoutcomesmay,infact,tosomedegreecomefromthecopingmechanismskidsuseinresponsetotheriskfactors,ratherthantheriskfactorsthemselves.Thatsoundscounterintuitivebecauseyou’dthinkthatcopingisagoodthing,butwhat’sadaptiveinonecontextcanbecomemaladaptivewhenit’sgeneralised.

Sothinkabouthowyoumightrespondtofindingyourselfconstantlysurroundedbyotherpeople,asforinstanceifyou’relivinginacrowdedhome.Onecopingmechanismmightbetowithdraw,andatapracticallevelthatmakessensegiventhestressofyourimmediatesurroundings.Butwhatifthatwithdrawal

thenbecomesyourhabitualwayofdealingwithotherpeople?

Totakeanotherexample,studiesofadultsinSouthernCaliforniashowthatpeoplewho’velivedforalongtimewiththesmogofLosAngelesactuallystopnoticingit–theirperceptionchanges,makingthemlessabletodiscernpollutioninaphotograph.Again,itmaygenerallybeadaptivetostopnoticingaspectsofyourenvironmentthatarealwayspresent,butthenlogicallyifyoustopnoticingsomethingyou’regoingtobelessinclinedtotrytodosomethingaboutit.

So it’s possible that a generation of kids growing up in smog-affected cities in, say, China might grow up inured to air pollution? It’safrighteningnotion.Onasimilarnote,Iwonderthesamethingabouthowwecommunicatewithchildrenaboutclimatechange.Wemightunwittinglycreateasenseofhelplessness,inwhichtheygrowupbelievingthereisnothingtheycandoabouttheirfuture.

Thereisalotofevidence,fromstudiesthatstartedwithMartinSeligman(see,forexample,Seligman,1967,1975),thatlearnedhelplessnesscanbeareactiontoenvironmentalproblemslikeuncontrollablenoise.Onceyouconcludethere’snothingyoucandoaboutanadversestimulus,youstopeventrying–soyoudon’tnoticeifthesituationchangesinsuchaswaythatitdoesbecomepossibletodosomething.

Butitisalsopossibletounlearnhelplessness.Inanimalstudies,forexample,physicallytakinganimalsandshowingthemhowtheycanrespondhadtheeffectofshakingthemoutoftheirlearnedhelplessness.Thiswouldbeaninterestingareatostudyinfurtherdepthinrelationtohowchildrenrespondtofactorsintheirenvironmentsuchasuncontrollableexposurestocrowdingandnoise.

We’ve talked about cumulative risk factors in the physical environment. What about cumulative protective factors? as the environmental risk factors are often correlated, are there resources that could potentially ameliorate multiple risks?Thisisanotherareawhereweneedtounderstandmore.


Wealreadyhavegoodevidencethataccesstonatural,outdoorspacehasmanybenefits.Anothercandidateishavingamorewalkableenvironment,withlesstrafficcongestion.Thatcouldhaveinfluenceovermanyoutcomes–obesity,healthproblemsfromairpollution,encouragingoutdoorplay.

Do you see evidence that politicians and city planners are taking an interest in these areas of work?Ithinkmorearerealisingthatit’ssimplyinefficientnottobeinterestedinthepublicexpendituresthatmountupoverachild’slifetimebecauseofinequalityinchildhood.

unfortunately,publicbodiestendnottobesetuptolookatproblemsinaholisticway.We’relearningthatriskfactorsinteractandadduptodramaticallyworseoutcomes,buteachofthoseriskfactorstendstobeaddressedinasiloedway–onepublicbodyaddressesdrugabuse,onelooksatchildcare,oneconcernsitselfwithurbanplanning,andsoon.Sowhatweneedtogetbetteratisnotjusthowweaddressissuesrelatedtochildren’sphysicalenvironments,buthowweaddressthemtogetherwithrelatedriskfactors.Cumulativerisksneedcomprehensiveresponses.

ReferencesBronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by nature

and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Evans, G.W. (2006). Child development and the physical environment. Annual Review

of Psychology 57: 423–51.Seligman, M.E.P. (1975). Helplessness: On Depression, Development, and Death. San

Francisco, CA: W.H. Freeman. Seligman, M.E.P. and Maier, S.F. (1967). Failure to escape traumatic shock. Journal of

Experimental Psychology 74: 1–9.

Note1 For further information on these points, see Evans (2006).


The process of finding ideas for improving urban design so that it caters for the needs of children has to start with understanding what children and families want from their cities. Drawing on her experiences with IDEo.org and the Nike Foundation, Marika Shioiri-Clark shares ideas from India to Nigeria and the United States, and discusses how design teams might solicit ideas from people who are not English-speaking or internet-connected.

Atthetimeofwriting,IamenroutetoTanzaniaandIndiatotrialaninnovativeapproachtogatheringpeople’sthoughtsonthelatestOpenIDEOAmplifychallenge1:howmightparentsinlow-incomecommunitiesensurethatchildrenthriveintheirfirstfiveyears?ThisisChallengeTwoinaseriesoftenthatAmplifywillbepresentinginthecomingmonths,

inaprogrammefundedbytheuKDepartmentforInternationalDevelopmentwhichinvitesideasonthemosturgentchallengesfacingthebillionpeoplelivinginextremepovertyaroundtheworld.Thebestideaswillreceiveseedfundinganddesignsupport.

ChallengeOnewasabouthowwemightmakelow-incomeurbanareassaferandmoreempoweringforwomenandgirls.Thefiveideasthatqualifiedforfundinganddesignsupporthaverecentlybeenannounced:trainingforwomensettingupsmall-scalelocalchildcarebusinesses;trainingwomenleadersas‘communityconcierges’tospreadinformationandbuildsupportnetworks;peer-to-peereducationamongmenandboysongender-basedviolence;holidaycampsforschoolgirlstoprovidetrainingonlifeskills;andaschoolforgirlsinared-lightarea2.

Human-centred design and the need for new ideasMar ika Sh io i r i -C lark , G loba l Fe l low, IDEO.org

It is always an eye-opener to talk to people about their daily experiences, with a view to coming up with ideas for design. Photo • Courtesy Marika Shioiri-Clark


ThesefiveFundedIdeaswereamongover500submittedtothechallenge.OnaresearchtriptoIndiaandnepal,forexample,Iheardaboutproposalsfor‘walkingbuses’,inwhichwomencouldcoordinatethetimingoftheirroutinejourneysonfootbetweendifferentpointsinthecity,sothattheycouldtravelinnumbersandminimisethechanceofabuse.Anothersuggestion,inIslamicareaswherewomenworryaboutroadtrafficinbadly-litareasatnight,wasforreflectivestripesonburkas.Itisalwaysaneye-openertotalktopeopleabouttheirdailyexperiences,withaviewtocomingupwithideasfordesign.Iheardaboutmothers,forexample,ensuringtheirgirlsalwayscarrysafetypinswhentravellingonpublictransport.Thereason?Tojabamanwiththemifhetriestotakeadvantageofthecrowdedspaceforinappropriatetouching.

However,thesekindsofinsightscanbedifficulttoteaseoutwhenyouareappealingforideastobesubmittedonline,andmakingthatappealintheEnglishlanguage.Whileinternetaccessisspreadingquicklyinthedevelopingworld,itstillmisseslargeswathesofthepopulationwearetryingtoreach.HencetheprojectinTanzaniaandIndia,whichwehopewillbepartofalargerprojecttoincludeawiderrangeofthepopulationindesigningsolutionsforthissecondchallenge.

Local-language hotlines

Theideawearetrialling,whichisbasedonamodelwesawusedinDelhitocampaignagainstviolenceonbuses,involvesanautomatedphoneresponsesystem:manyofthosewholackinternetaccesstosubmittheirideasinwritingstillhaveaccesstomobilephones.Ahotlinenumberwillbepublicisedinthelocallanguagethroughcommunityradioandtelevision.Contactwillbefreeofcharge,asthesystemwillimmediatelyreturncalls.

Callerswillthenhearatwo-minutedramaillustratingthespecifictopiconwhichweareseekingresponses–forexample,‘Whatareyourhopesanddreamsforyourchildren?’,‘Wheredoyougoforadvice?’–followingwhichtheywillbeinvitedtorecordtheirmessage.A

teamofvolunteerswillthentranscribethemessage,translateitintoEnglishandpostitonthewebsite.Ifthemessagereceivescomments,volunteerswillrecordanaudioversionofthecommentsinthelocallanguageandsendthecalleranSMSinvitingthemtohearthem.Atthehalfwaystageintheproject,wehavealreadyreceivedover1800responsesfromcallersinTanzaniaandIndia.

Onlybygettingasmuchinputaspossiblefrompeoplewhoactuallyliveinthelocalitycanyouhopetocomeupwithideasthatworkthere.InaseparateprojectforthenikeFoundationinnorthernnigeria,forexample,Iresearchedideasforcreatingsafespacesforgirls.Fromspendingalotoftimetalkingtogirlsandunderstandingwhattheirdailylifewaslike,itbecameclearthatanyideawouldstandachanceofworkingonlyifithadthesupportofparentsandcommunitymembersandchimedwiththestrictIslamicculture.

Parentsdidn’tliketheideaofaclubforgirls,forexample–somethingthatwouldserveavaluablepurposeingivingthemanoutletotherthanschoolandhouseholdchores,andenablingthemtolearnlifeskills.ButwhenIproposedframingmuchthesameideaasa‘marriagepreparationclass’,itwasenthusiasticallyaccepted.

Safespacesforchildrenincitiesdon’thavetobephysicalspaces.Anotherideawastheformingofaunionforthemanygirlswhoworkashawkers,sellingitemsonthestreets.Hawkinghasitspositiveaspects:thegirlsareearningmoneyandlearninghowtobeentrepreneurs.Butitisstigmatisedandunfairlyassociatedwithprostitution,meaningthattheseyounghawkersoftenfeelashamedandisolated.Atypeofunionmembershipcouldhelptolegitimisetheactivitybygivingthegirlsanidentifiablenumberedvesttoshowthattheyarepartofanetwork,andprovidingaccesstoaphonenumberthattheycouldcallforhelpifamantriedtotakeadvantageofthem.unfortunately,thisideamaybeseenastooradicaltohaveachanceofimplementation,atleastinthetraditionalnorthernnigeriancontext.


Parenting where parents are

Theimportanceofunderstandingthedailylivesofthepeopleforwhomyouaredesigningspacesorinterventionsappliesjustasstronglyindevelopedcountriesasinthecontextofdevelopingcountries.WithIDEO.organdtheBezosFoundation,Iworkedonlookingforwaystohelplow-incomeparentsintheuSAtoengagemorewiththeirpreschool-agechildren.

Fromtalkingtotheselow-incomeparents,itbecameclearthatparentingadvicethatdoesn’ttakeaccountoftheircircumstancescanbepositivelyalienating.Weheardofparentswhohadbeentoldbyhealthcareprofessionalsthattheyneededtospendanhouradayreadingtotheirchildren.Lackingeitherthetimeoroftentheliteracyskillstodothis,theseparentsconcludedthatthehealthcareprofessionalsunderstoodonlymiddle-classparentingparadigmsandbecauseofthattheiradvicecouldn’tbetrustedinotherways.

Toavoidthisunfortunatesituation,weneedinsteadtoemphasisethespiritoftheadvice–engagingwithyourchildren,somethingyoucandowithabookbutalsoinotherways–andtofindwaysinwhichengagementcanbeincorporatedintoactivitiestheseparentsaredoinganyway.Shoppingisoneexample:therecouldbesignsinWalmartsuggestingagametoplayorasongtosing,relatedtoproductsinthataisle.Anotherpossibilityisthelaundromat,aplacewhereparentsandchildrenoftenspendalotoftimewaiting–thechildrengetbored,andthatmakestheparentsirritable.Couldwefindwaystosetupplaycentresinurbanlaundromats,withsuggestionsforparent–childactivities,therebyturningthewaitingtimeintoanopportunityforparentingwithacapitalP?

Whatalltheseideasaboutkidsandcitieshaveincommonistheconceptofhuman-centreddesign–youcomeupwithideasbymeetingwithrealpeopleandunderstandingabroadpictureoftheirlives,whatbarrierstheyface,andwherethereareopportunitiestomakethingsbetter.Citiescanbelargeandoverwhelmingiftakenasawhole,andhuman-centred

designisapowerfultooltoremindusoftheirrealpurpose:toservetheparents,childrenandfamilieslivingwithinthem.

Notes1 Amplify challenges are described on the IDEO.org website, at http://www.ideo.

org/amplify2 Read more about these Funded Ideas at http://www.ideo.org/field_notes/

announcing-our-funded-ideas

Only by getting as much input as possible from people who actually live in the locality can you hope to come up with ideas that work there. Photo • Courtesy Marika Shioiri-Clark


Bluepr ints for hope: engaging chi ldren as cr i t ical ac tors in urban place makingDeborah McKoy, Execut i ve D i rec tor; Sh i r l Buss, Y-PLAN Creat i ve D i rec tor; and Jess ie Stewar t, Research Specia l i s t andNat iona l Y-PLAN D i rec tor, Center for C i t ies + Schools, Un ivers i t y of Ca l i fo rn ia, Berke ley, CA, USA

Third- and fourth-grade elementary school students have been contributing their ideas to the redevelopment of their community in San Francisco, using a methodology known as y-PLAN (youth-Plan-Learn-Act, Now!). This article explains the process and describes the ideas the children have come up with – and how key areas and insights are being incorporated into the new community design.

‘Icancomeuphereinmytreehouseatnightandlaydownandlookatthestarsandbepeaceful.’ThisiswhatDonteJones,afourth-gradestudentatMalcolmxAcademy(MxA)inSanFrancisco,dreamilyimaginedafewyearsagowhenhepresentedhisscalemodelofatreehousetostudents,teachers,communitymembers,civicleadersandlocaldevelopersaspartofhisoverallvisionforcreatingpublicspaceswithintheHOPESFhousingcommunity,abouttobebuiltadjacenttohisschool.Thevisionwascultivatedduringaschoolyearwhichadultssaidwasa‘goodyear,becauseweonlyhadafewlock-downs’(duetoshootingintheneighbourhood).

Dontewasaparticipantin‘Y-PLAnElementary:AnArchitectureThinkTank’,whereover175third-andfourth-gradestudentshavebeeninvestigatingquestionsandissuesrelatedtotheredevelopmentofhousingsurroundingtheirschoolforover6years.Thisworkispartofalarger,city-wideredevelopmentstrategycalledHOPESF,whichaimstotransformtheBayviewandotherpainfullyneglectedpartsofSanFranciscointovibrant,healthycommunities.Drivenbypublicfundsfromfederal,stateandlocallevels,HOPESFisthenation’sfirstlarge-scalepublichousingrevitalisationprojecttoinvestinhigh-quality,sustainablehousingandcommunitydevelopmentwhilealsoenablingcurrentresidentstostayintheirhomes,replacingthem‘oneforone’ratherthandemolishingthemwholesaleanddisplacinganentirecommunity.

Youngpeopleoftenconstitutemorethanhalfofapublichousingneighbourhood’spopulation,andwhiletheyarewillingandabletocontributemeaningfulinsightsabouttheplaceswheretheylive,theyarerarelyinvolvedincommunityredevelopmentvisioninganddesign

processes.SanFranciscounifiedSchoolDistrict(SFuSD)decidedtopartnerwiththeuCBerkeleyCenterforCities+Schools(CC+S)tobringtheY-PLAncivicengagementandeducationalstrategytotheBayview.ThroughtheY-PLAnmethodology,CC+SengagedyoungpeopleofallagesinmappingouttheassetsandchallengesofthisBayviewneighbourhoodandbegantoworkwiththelocalelementaryschooltoseehowtheschoolscouldbedirectlyinvolvedinre-visioninganew,opportunity-richcommunity.

The Y-PLAN methodology

Groundedinoveradecadeofeducationalresearch,theY-PLAnmethodology’swell-definedyetflexibleprocessofcriticalinquirybuildsthecapacityofyoungpeopletocontributetheirowndataandinsightstotheplanningandpolicymakingprocess.1Italsobuildsthecapacityofcivicleaderstovalueandusetheinsightofyoungpeopletocreatebetterplans,policiesandplaces(McKoyet al.,2010).TheHuntersviewprojectisthefirstlarge-scaleeffortapplyingY-PLAntoelementaryschoolsrecognisingthecriticalroleyoungpeopleofallagesplayinredesigningandre-imaginingtheircommunities(Buss,2010).Y-PLAnhasfivecorecomponents,allofwhichhavebeenadaptedforelementary-agestudentsfortheMalcolmxproject.

1 authentic civic clientFortheongoingprojectatMalcolmxthestudentshavebeenengagedas‘co-researchers’,workingdirectlywithcivicleadersfromtheMayor’soffice,schooldistrict,HOPESFandthedeveloper,JohnStewartCompany.Theyhaveworkedwithprofessionalarchitects,landscapearchitectsandplannerswhohavehadthepowertolistentoandactontheirideas.Together,thestudentsandadultpartnersarecontinuingtoaddressthisquestion:‘HowcanyoungpeoplehelptheHuntersviewHOPESFhousingdevelopersforgestrongerconnectionsbetweentheschool,theneighbourhood,andthelargercommunity?’

2 Focus on place making and the built environmentY-PLAnengagesstudentsinacriticalanalysisoftheplaceswheretheylive.Studentsareexaminingandfindingsolutionstocriticalcommunityissuesthroughthelensof


elementsofthebuiltenvironment:housing,transport,publicspace,andschools,servicesandamenities.Thisplace-makinginitiativehasrequiredreciprocallearningbetweenadultsandyoungpeopleandhasdrivenanotherkeyquestion:‘WhataresomeoftheingredientsthatwillmaketheHuntersviewneighbourhoodahealthy,sustainableandjoyfulcommunity?’

3 Y-Plan 5-step methodology of critical inquiryAsstudentsmovedthroughcyclesofthefive-stepY-PLAnRoadmaptheyhavelearnedcivicsbydoingcivics.Thestudentshaveengagedinresearchabouttheirschoolandcommunitythroughmapping,interviews,observationandanalysis.TheY-PLAnmethodologyismodelledontheparticipatoryplanningprocessandscientificmethod,includingproblemdefinition,communityresearch,generatingvisionsforchange,andpresentingevidence-basedsolutionsforaclientandpanelofauthenticstakeholderswiththepowertoactonyoungpeople’sideas.

4 academic fitY-PLAnprojectsarealignedtoacademicgoalsanddesignedtoequipstudentswithexperienceandtoolsforcareer,college,andcommunityreadiness.AtMalcolmxeachyeartheteachersandfacilitatorshavecraftedtheY-PLAncurriculumtoaugmentacademiclearningobjectivesfocusedonappliedmathematics,sustainability,andculturalinfluencesindesign.Theprogrammehascreatedacontextwithinwhichtohonourstudents’voicesbycreatingopportunitiesfororalandvisualpresentationandrespectfullyshowcasingtheirdrawings,models,andartefactsinapublicarena.

5 Social justice and equity focusY-PLAnprojectschangethestatusquobyopeningtraditionalavenuesofpoweranddecisionmakingtoyoungpeopleandcommunitymemberswhotendtobeleftoutofthecityplanninganddecision-makingprocess.Racialandeconomicinequalitiesaredeeply

Some of the community resources students identified as being most important to integrate in their neighbourhood were: library and tech resource centre; performance space/theatre; places for creative expression and inspirational public art; art galleries and community gathering places. Photo • Courtesy UC Berkeley Center for Cities + Schools


rootedintheBayview.ThroughY-PLAn,youngpeoplearerecognisedascriticalactorsintransformingcurrentconditionsandinterruptingdeepandhistoricpatternsofinequality.

What students wanted

Overtheyears,thestudentshavegeneratedeightmainideastomakepublicspacesinthenewcommunitychild-friendly,safe,accessible,healthy,sustainableandjoyful.

1 artistic and safe gateways and pathwaysEachyear,asatoppriority,thestudentshavelobbiedforthecreationofsafe,artistic,anddelightfulroutestoconnecttheirhomeenvironmentstolocalresources,businessesandtheschool.Thesepubliccorridorswouldbealternativestothestreetandwouldincludebothfootpathsandbikepathstobeusedduringandafterschoolhours.InspiredbyMichelleObama’s‘Let’sMove’campaign,thestudentshavebeenexcitedaboutpromotinghealthy,activeliving.Withthisgoalinmind,theirproposalsforpathwaysincludeexercisetrails,featuringplacestomove,workout,stretch,walk,run,orlift.Theyalsocouldincorporatefunandadventurouselementssuchasaswing,mazes,rockhopping,orinnovativeplaygroundelementsmadefromrecycledmaterials.

Studentproposalsalsoincludedgatewaystomarkandframespecialplacessuchasentrypointsintotheschool,viewsoftheSanFranciscoBay,oraccessroutesintoHuntersview.Theirproposalsforgatewaysincludedcreativeandartisticfeatures.Forexample,gatewaysintotheschoolcouldsymbolisetheentryintotherealmoflearningandknowledge.GatewaysintoHuntersviewcouldrepresentpathwaysandconnectionswiththelargercommunity.

2 Vegetable gardens, fruit orchards, flowers, treesusingthe‘edibleschoolyard’atMartinLutherKingMiddleSchoolinBerkeleyasamodel,thestudentsareinterestedinincorporatingfruitandvegetablegardens,fruitorchards,anddecorativeflowergardensintooutdooropenspaces.Thegoalistocreateasource

oflocallysourcedhealthyfoodandtoaddrestfulplacesofbeautytotheeverydayenvironment.Thesegardenscouldcontainfruitandvegetablebedsaswellasflowerbeds,andorchards.Thestudentsincludedsignage,fencesorwallsaroundthegardenareaswith‘supergraphics’promotinghealthmessagesandfeaturingimagesoffruitandvegetables.

3 Heroes Wall, walkway or sculptureOvertheyearsduringoursessionsmanyofthestudentshavebeeninspiredbyimagesweshowedthemoftheHeroes’WallatJeffersonHighSchoolinLosAngeles.Thiswallfeaturesimagesoffamouspeoplefromthecommunitywhoattendedthatschool.Inbetweentheirphotosaremirrorssothatthestudentscanenvisionthemselvesasheroesaswell(eithernoworinthefuture).MalcolmxstudentproposalshaveincludedaHeroesWall,walkway,orsculpturefeaturingimagesoflocalleaders,nationalicons,andhistoricfiguressuchasMalcolmx,RubyBridges,SojournerTruth,MichelleandBarackObamaandSoniaSotomayor.TheirproposalsfortheHeroesWallalsoincludespacesforimagesoftheirteachers,fellowstudents,andalumnioftheMalcolmxAcademy.

4 natural and wild places for play and enjoyment Thestudentshavebeenexcitedaboutthepossibilityofcreating‘wildspaces’ornaturalelementsintotheparksettingsoropenspaceswithinHuntersview.Thesecouldbeplacesofadventureandplay,butalsoplacesforreflectionandrefuge.naturalisticsettingstoexploreandfindsanctuarymightinclude:waterfeatures;largerocksforlandscapingandfreeplay;woodedareas;anoutdooramphitheatreusingthenaturaltopographyofthesite;orevenanadventureplayground.OnegroupofstudentsproposedanobservationtowertoofferstudentsspecialviewsoftheSanFranciscoBay.

5 Gathering spaces and reflective circlesWhilethestudents’proposalshaveoftenfocusedonactivityandplayoptions,theyhavealsoincludedthedesireforplacesofrefuge,restandrejuvenation.Someoftheirdesignideashaveincludedquietoutdoorgatheringplaces,restingplaces,nooksandsweetspotsoffthe


beatenpath,includingtreehouses,andclubhouses.Theyhaveenvisionedtheseasareasforquietreflection,observation,‘lookingatthestars’andreading.Additionally,inspiredbyDanielleDiuguidofSFuSD’sEducationOutsideprogramme,the2014groupproposedincludinga‘reflectivecircle’asaplaceforstudentstocometogetherasagrouptoresolveconflicts,discussissues,andparticipateincommunitymeetings.

6 ‘Education outside’ learning labs Overtheyearsthestudentshaveproposedtreehouses,clubhouses,andotheroutdoorlearninglabsasspecialplacesforpeopleofallagestorelax,playandlearn.Thesewouldbeplacestocongregateandenjoy,butalsocouldberetrofittedtodemonstrateprinciplesofsustainability.Theproposed‘buildings’wouldillustrateandteachhowtocapturetheenergyofthewindandsun,harvestandconserverainwater,anduseearthandplantsasbothfoodandbuildinginsulation.Theywouldshowcasegreenbuildingfeaturessuchaswindmills,waterconservationstrategies,solarpanels,livingroofsandwalls,andrecycledmaterials.Theseoutdoorlearninglabswouldalsobeaccessible,inclusive,maintainable,andwouldencourageactivelivingandeatingnutritionalfoods.The2014groupcollaboratedwithDiuguidtogenerateproposalsforamoreformaloutsidelearninglab,whereEducationOutsideworkshopscouldbeconducted.

7 intergenerational places for games and sportsWhileitwasn’tthehighestpriorityfortheHuntersviewcommunitydevelopment,manystudentsintheY-PLAnThinkTankhaveemphasisedtheimportanceofhavingclean,green,safeandaccessibleplacesforplayinggroupgameswithinthecommunity.Theyhaveexpressedthesentimentthatthereshouldbesomededicatedandflexiblespaceswherepeopleofallagescanplayinformalgames,andsomeorganisedsports.

8 linking housing, school and community resourcesFinally,thestudents–especiallythoseinthefirst2yearsoftheprogramme–expressedtheneedtointegratecommunityresourcenodesintotheirresidentialneighbourhoods,andinturntolinkthosenodestothe

school.Someofthecommunityresourcestheyidentifiedasbeingmostimportantincluded:libraryandtechresourcecentre;performancespace/theatre;placesforcreativeexpressionandinspirationalpublicart;artgalleriesandcommunitygatheringplaces.AstheplansforHuntersviewhaveevolved,thestudentshaveseensomeofthishappenalready.AsHuntersviewcontinuestotakeshape,morerecentlytheyhavefocusedonhowtolinkthoseresourcestotheschoolaswell.

Progress and next steps

Inevitably,ithasnotbeenpossibletoincorporateallofthestudents’ideas.WhilethedeveloperslovedDonteJones’streehouseidea,forexample,theyhadtoexplainthatbecauseof‘riskmanagement’constraintsithadtoberejected.nonetheless,manyoftheideasaboutopenspace,wildspace,placesforpicnicsandbarbecues,andpublicspacehavebeenpartiallyincorporated–althoughscaleddowntofitthebudget.Thefruittreesandsustainableplantsthattheyrecommendedhavebeenplantedaspartoftheoriginallandscapingbudget.Wearecurrentlyworkingwiththedevelopersonincorporatingstudents’ideasaboutgateways,pathways,andaHeroesWall.

Y-PLAnhasbeenatotallynewexperienceforthedevelopersandtheirteamofplannersandarchitects,andtheyareeagertoexpandit.Itoffersapowerfulcasestudyaboutreciprocallearningbetweenadultsandyoungpeople,andauthenticcommunityengagement.Aboveall,asstudentscriticallyanalysetheplacesinwhichtheylive,theylearntheprocessbywhichplacesgettransformedandtheimportantroletheythemselvesplayinthattransformationprocess.

ReferencesBuss, S. (2010). Igniting young hearts and minds. iDO: Industrial Design Outreach

Quarterly Journal, January.McKoy, D., Vincent, J. and Bierbaum, A. 2010. Trajectories of opportunity for young

men and boys of color: built environment and placemaking strategies for creating equitable, healthy, and sustainable communities. In: Edley, C. and Ruiz de Velasco, J.(eds) Changing Places: How communities will improve the health of boys of color. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Note1 For more information on the Y-PLAN methodology see: http://y-plan.berkeley.

edu


Comparing her experiences of living with children in Rome and Chicago, architect Monica Chadha concludes that culture and social norms may be more important than explicit rules in making a city child-friendly. Making a link with the Reggio Emilia approach to the design of early childhood centres, in this article she asks what are the implications for thinking about urban design.

Intheory,itisalwayswelcomewhenthoseinchargeofaspectsofurbanlifeexplicitlyconsidertheneedsofchildren.Paradoxically,however,incompletethinkingaboutwhatchildrenneedcanbeworsethannotthinkingaboutitatall,asitcanleadtounexpectedrestrictionsincircumstanceswhichhavenotbeenproperlyconsidered.FourexamplesfrommyhomecityofChicago–twopositiveandtwonegative–helptoillustratethepoint.

Tostartwith,theexamplesofoverlyprescriptivepolicies.SomeyearsagoIwantedtoexplorethecitywithmysmalltwingirlsusingpublictransport.TheChicagoTransitAuthorityhasapolicyofwelcomingstrollersonthecity’sbuses,butonlywhentheyarecollapsedbeforeboarding.Whilethisworkswellwheneachchildisaccompaniedbyanadult,itmakeslifedifficultforoneparentwithtwochildren.Myonlyoptionwastocarrythetwinsontothebusintheircarseats,andleavethemtherewhileIgotoffthebusagaintocollapsethestroller.

Thesecondnegativeexamplealsocomesfromthecity’spublictransport.Whenthegirlswereolder,westartedtogetaroundbybike.Thecity’stransitpolicyistowelcomebikesontrains,butwithalimitoftwobikespertraincar.Inotherwords,thetwinsandIcouldtakeourbikesonthetrainonlyifIwerewillingtoleaveoneyoungchild,orbike,inadifferentcar.

Designing spaces that users can def ineMonica Chadha, Pr inc ipa l , C iv ic Pro jec ts LLC; Founding D i rec tor, Impac t Det ro i t; Co-founder, Converge: Exchange;Adjunc t Associa te Professor of Arch i tec ture, I l l ino is Ins t i tu te of Technology, USA

Children playing in the Crown Fountain at Millenium Park, Chicago. Photo • Courtesy Andy Tinucci


Incontrast,themostpositiveaspectsofparentingyoungchildreninacosmopolitancityhaveinvolvedrulesthatdon’texplicitlyconsiderchildrenatall.Overthelastcoupleofyears,Chicagohasintroducedcyclelanesonthecity’sroads,separatedfromtrafficbybollardsandoftenbyarowofparkedcars.Theselaneswerenotexplicitlyinformedbytheneedsofchildren,andmakenospecialprovisionforchildren–buttheyhavetheeffectofmakinglifemucheasierfortheurbanparentthantheaforementionedchild-specificpolicies.

Myfinalexampleconcernsmyandmychildren’sfavouriteplaceinChicago:CrownFountaininMillenniumPark.Openedin2004,designedbyJaumePlensaandexecutedbyKrueckandSextonArchitects,thefountainisablackgranitereflectivepoolboundedbytwoglassbricktowersthatprojectvideo.Intermittently,watercascadesdownthesidesofthetowerorspoutsthroughthe‘mouth’oflocalresidentswhosefacesareprojectedontothetowers.Thisspacehasbecomeaplaceforfamiliestogather.Kidssitaround,orrunaboutsplashing.Theystandunderthefountainandgetsoaked,orwalkaroundtheedgeandobserve.

Ibelievethekeytothefountain’ssuccessisthatwhenitwascommissioned,itwasnotwiththeintentionofitbecomingsuchagatheringplace.Haditbeendesignedasapoolforchildren,itwouldhavebeenboundupwiththekindofrulesandregulationsonusagethattypicallyapplytoplaygrounds,andaredesignedtominimisethepossibilityofparentslitigatingagainstthecityincaseofaccidents.Itispreciselybecausethefountainwasn’tprogrammedexplicitlyforchildrenthatithasbecomeaplacewherechildrenaredrawntoplay.Wearelefttoexploreandinteractwithapieceofart,definingourownexperiences.

Culture and social norms

Theseinsightsareeasiertoexplainthantooperationaliseindesignthinking,becausetheycomedowntoculture.Whenmychildrenwereyoung,Ihadtheopportunitytospend4monthswiththeminRome.HereIencounteredadifferentrelationshipbetweenthecityandchildren,inwhichnothingfeltoverly

prescriptive,buteverythingfeltwelcomingtoexplore.Wedrewwithchalkoncobblestones,ranaroundpiazzas,playedinsmallparksanddiscoveredplaceafterplacethatwasanadventureforachild.

Themostinstructivecontrastwasthepublictransportsystem.Exceptinextremerushhour,whenbusesweremorecrowdedandtempersmorefrayed,Iinvariablyfounddriversandpassengerswerepatient,understandingandgenerousinhelpingmetonavigatepublictransportwiththegirls.Therewerenorulesaboutstrollers–justageneralsensethatchildrenwerecitizens,too,andneededtobecutsomeslackastheypartookofcitylife.

naturally,therearetrade-offsinvolved.Ittakesmoretimeforanadulttogetonabuswhenaccompanyingsmallchildrenandastroller–sohowdoyoubalancetheneedsofindividualtravellersandthewiderpublic?Thereisananalogywithdisabledpeople,whoalsohavespecialneedsonpublictransport.Inmostcasesastrongsocialnormhasevolvedthatable-bodiedpassengerssittingclosetothedoorsareexpectedtooffertheirseatwhenanelderlyorhandicappedpassengerboardsthebus.

nodoubtthereareinstancesinwhichthissocialnormbreaksdown.Butwoulditreallybeagoodideatotrytodefinespecificrules,alongthelinesofthecollapsed-strollerpolicy?Youcouldsetasideaspecificnumberofseatsonthebus,say,forpassengerswhousewalkingaids–butwhataboutpassengerswhodon’tusewalkingaidsbutarestillinmoreneedofaseat,suchasheavilypregnantwomen?Whathappenswhenmoredisabledpassengerswanttoboardthantherearedesignatedseatsavailable?

Theriskisthatmakingrulesexplicitcouldweakenthemorevaguelydefinedbutpowerfulnormofdeferringtothosemoreinneed.Somethingsimilarappliestochildren.Ratherthantryingtobeprescriptiveabouteverycircumstanceinwhichachildmayinteractwithanaspectofurbanlife,weneedtothinkaboutwaysinwhichwecannurtureanurbancultureinwhichsocial


normsarewelcomingofchildren’softenunpredictableneeds.

Implications for architects

Asanarchitect,Itrytoapplyinmyownworktheprincipleofnotbeingoverlyprescriptive,anddesigningspaceswhichuserswillbeabletodefine.Inparticular,I’veworkedwiththeReggioEmiliaapproachinthedesignofearlychildhoodcentres.FoundedbyLorisMalaguzziin1945,thisapproachtoeducationcelebratestheself-guidedpotentialofthechild.Thephilosophyencouragesself-explorationandtheguidingprinciplesfocusonthenaturaldevelopmentofthechildandtherelationshipthechildhaswiththeirenvironment.valuesincludethesenseofbelongingtoacommunity.

AtRossBarneyArchitects,ourdesignoftheLouiseM.BeemEarlyChildhoodCenterattheCollegeofDuPageinGlenEllynfocusedonself-explorationanddiscovery.Weloweredwindowsandturnedthemintonooks.Wegavetheyoungestkidsfloortoceilingwindowsfacingtheplayground.Eachclassroomexiteddirectlytotheoutdoorexplorationareas.Wemademoundsoutofbunnygrasstorollon.Eventheteachingobservationroomshadtwo-waymirrorsthatweredroppedtothefloorsokidscouldcrawlup,touchandseethemselves.

Thepointwastoconsciouslyrefrainfromcreatingspaceswithpredetermineduses,asfaraspossible,andinsteadtoallowforexploration.TheReggioEmiliaphilosophyparallelsthebroaderurbanenvironmentinwhichIbelievechildrencanthrive.Ourpublicspacesshouldbeplaceswherekidscanexplorefreelyandfeelasenseofbelonging–andsometimesthemostlimitingenvironmentsarethoseconsciouslydesignedforchildren.


‘ Intervent ions must be low-cost, low-tech, and paired with a publ ic health message’ An inte r v iew wi th Peter Wi l l iams, Founder and Execut i ve D i rec tor, ARCHIVE G loba l, New York , USA

The evidence that concrete floors reduce diarrhoea (second-biggest cause of death among under-5s in Bangladesh) is very solid. It ’s one of those things the world has known for a long time, but hasn’t yet found the will to act on. Photo • Courtesy archiveglobal.org

ARCHIvE (Architecture for Health in vulnerable Environments) Global is a non-profit organisation working worldwide to improve housing for health. Founder and Executive Director Peter Williams talks to Early Childhood Matters about using design to tackle malaria in Cameroon, diarrhoea in Bangladesh and tuberculosis in London, and the importance of understanding local nuances in finding solutions that can be scaled up.

Why did you choose to focus your organisation on the relationship between urban design and infectious disease?Thereisampleevidencelinkingallkindsofphysicalandmentalhealthissuestolivingconditions,butsomeofthoseissuesgetmoreattentionthanothers.Ifyougotoameetingabouttheurbandesign–childhealthnexusinnewYork,forexample,you’lltendtofindthe

talkisaboutobesity.That’sabigandimportantissue,and‘activedesign’hasaroletoplay:thinkof,say,thewaystaircasesintallbuildingstendtobehiddenouttheback,ratherthanmadeintoanattractivefeatureofthebuildingthatencouragespeopletotakethestairsinsteadoftheelevator.

Butthedangeristhatotherimportantissuesgetoverlooked.Frankly,we’renotsayinganythingnewinpointingoutthelinkwithinfectiousdiseases–it’sbeenknownfordecades.Wherewe’retryingtomakeadifferenceisingettingpeopletotakeitmoreseriouslyandtoadaptsolutionsforlocalspecifics.It’sasadrealitythatmostdiseasesthatkillunder-5sarepreventable,andmanyofthemarestronglyinfluencedbylivingconditions.untilgovernments,internationalorganisationsandbigfoundationsaddresshead-onthe


needtochangeparadigmsinurbandesign,we’renotgoingtoseethekindofprogresswewant.

What are some of the ways in which you’re using design to tackle infectious disease?OneofourprojectsisinYaounde,thecapitalcityofCameroon,acountryinwhichhalfofalldeathsinchildrenunder5areduetomalaria.Theusualresponsetomalariaistodistributebed-nets,butwefoundthatinpracticemostpeopleweren’tusingthem.Sowe’relookingatwaystostopmosquitoesfromgettingintohouses,byscreeningwindows,doorsandeaves.Ofcourse,thishastobepartofasystemicapproachthatlooksalsoatconditionsoutsidethefourwallsofthehome,likeadequatedrainagetopreventstagnantwaterinwhichmosquitoescanbreed.Theprojecthasscreened120housessofar.

Anotherexample:manyhouseshavedirtfloors,whicharebreedinggroundsforbugsthatcausediarrhoea,hepatitisandtyphoid.WehaveaprojectinBangladeshcalled‘Healthfromthegroundup’,whichisworkingtoreplacemudfloorswithconcretefloorsin500housesbynextyear.Diarrhoeaisthesecond-biggestcauseofdeathamongunder-5sinBangladesh,quiteapartfromthecumulativeeffectthatrepeatedboutsofillnesshaveonchildren’sphysicalandmentaldevelopment.Theevidencethatconcretefloorsreducediseaseisverysolid.It’soneofthosethingstheworldhasknownforalongtime,buthasn’tyetfoundthewilltoacton.1

How much does it cost to put down a concrete floor? is it something the average Bangladeshi who lives in a mud house can afford?Aswithmanypilotschemes,itisexpensivetobeginwith,butthehopeisthatastheissuegetsincreasingattention,peoplewillfindwaystobringthecostsdown.Inourproject,it’scurrentlycostingjustunder400eurostoreplaceadirtfloorwithaconcreteone,andwe’reaskingfamiliestocontributearoundatenthofthat.Butwe’realsoworkingwithBRACuniversitytoseehowwecanbringthecostdownbyincludinglocalwasteproductsintheconcretemix.We’reconfidentthatwecanapproximatelyhalvethecostinthenextfewmonths,aswellascontributingtolocalwaste

managementintheprocess.Specificsolutionsthatreducecostswillalwaysdifferfromplacetoplace,whichiswhyit’simportanttoworkwithlocalinstitutions.Moregenerally,asdemandforanyproductgrows,entrepreneurshavetheincentivetolookforwaystomakeitmoreaffordable.Amajorpartofourworkistogetinvolvedwithfamiliesandcommunitiestohelpthemunderstandwhyit’sagoodideatohaveaconcretefloor,say,ortoscreentheirwindows.We’realreadyseeinginCameroonthatthemarketisrespondingtodemandwe’vehelpedtocreate,withsomelocalentrepreneurssettingupinbusinesstomakeandfitscreens.ultimatelythishastobeaffordableandself-sustaining,ratherthanrelyingongrantsforever.

Andit’snotonlyhealthbenefits,bytheway,whichgivehomeownersanincentivetoimprovetheirpropertiesbydoingthingslikelayingaconcretefloor.Ahouseisanasset,andit’softeneasierforpeopletoaccesssmallloansandotherfinancialservicesiftheycanaddvaluetothatasset.That’samotivationthatshouldn’tbeunderestimated.

So you see the way to scale up as being through increased awareness and demand, rather than through governments imposing the kin

Small children, big cities - Early Childhood Matters · 2019. 6. 14. · 3 arl hildhoo atter...

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Transcript of Small children, big cities - Early Childhood Matters · 2019. 6. 14. · 3 arl hildhoo atter...