Pre‐Schoolers’ Vision for Liveable Cities: Creating ‘Care‐Full’ Urban Environments

Abstract

Although children of all ages have the right to participate in urban planning projects, pre‐literate children’s voices are absent from urban debates. In this paper, we explore pre‐schoolers’ experiences in, and expectations for, their city by drawing on a participatory research project that used neighbourhood walks and a tile‐based mapping exercise. Findings suggest that young children, although largely absent from planning, policy or child‐friendly city discourses, nonetheless, deeply engage with and value their city and its human and non‐human inhabitants. In our study pre‐schoolers from Dunedin, New Zealand created an urban environment which cares for their citizens by being safe, socially and physically connected and has destinations, amenities and services available for all ages and abilities. We argue in this paper that pre‐schoolers created not only cities based on their own experiences, but ‘care‐full’ cities that ensure the liveability, flourishing and wellbeing for humans and non‐humans.

Global Perspectives on the Absent Presence of Marginalised Children and Young People in the Public Realm

“…Van Melik and Althuizen (2022) critique the marginalisation of issues pertaining to disabled children in Dutch municipal play policies, focusing on two municipalities in the east of the Netherlands. Ergler et al (2022) counter the arguments of those who question young children's competencies in planning processes, showing how pre-schoolers in Dunedin (New Zealand/ Aotearoa) can contribute to the quest to realise child-friendly cities. Finally, Aitken et al (2022) share how they applied the ideas of Nira Yuval-Davis (1999) to give presence to 11th grade students from a high school in a marginalised neighbourhood in San Diego (USA).…”

“…Ergler et al . (2022) counter the arguments of those who question young children's competencies in planning processes, showing how pre‐schoolers in Dunedin (New Zealand/Aotearoa) can contribute to the quest to realise child‐friendly cities. Finally, Aitken et al .…”

Absent‐Presence Present‐Absence: Places, Spaces, Rights for Young People

“…As Ergler et al . (2022) clearly establish in their article, children aged three to five can identify aspects of what safe city spaces require. Using a large carpet and a range of tiles the pre‐schoolers built their cities.…”

“…2022; Ergler et al . 2022; van Melik & Althuizen 2022), through the conceptual lenses of Absent‐Presence and Present‐Absence to examine interpretations of aspects central to each piece: inclusive play; pre‐schoolers’ rights and care and ‘positive diversity’.…”

“…In this article, I provide a context to the geographical (both academic and location) starting point of this Dossier. I then directly engage with the three articles, in the order published (Aitken et al 2022;Ergler et al 2022;van Melik & Althuizen 2022), through the conceptual lenses of Absent-Presence and Present-Absence to examine interpretations of aspects central to each piece: inclusive play; pre-schoolers' rights and care and 'positive diversity'.…”