The Impact of Bandung City's Rapid Development on children's Independent Mobility and Access to Friendly Play Environments

Abstract

This study explored the extent to which the enormous development in Bandung City, Indonesia has some bearing on local children as the youngest inhabitants. In particular, it focused on the issue of children's independent mobility and the availability of friendly play environments in children's neighbourhoods. The result of this study showed that the development of Bandung City has created a disparity in access regarding children's opportunities for mobility as well as participation in friendly play environments. This study identified that many children were allowed to visit two places — local shops and the local mosque — without accompanying elders. This study also recognised children's desires to have appropriately designed play spaces, such as parks that are equipped with play equipment and rich in nature. Thus, this study argues the necessity to preserve the remaining and add a significant number of new, free, outdoor play spaces in the city.

Physical Activity and Outdoor Play of Children in Public Playgrounds—Do Gender and Social Environment Matter?

“…With regard to the physical environment, play facilities such as playgrounds are important requirements for being physically active [ 10 , 11 ]. Therefore, to provide opportunities for children to be physically active, play, and interact with other children outdoors, accessible, usable, and safe physical activity and play spaces are needed [ 12 , 13 ]. Public playgrounds constitute important settings for children to play, experience and interact with their social and physical environment, recognize and test their own abilities, and develop social, physical, and motoric skills.…”

Does children’s independent mobility matter? Insights into escorting practices in a developing country

“…This finding is intuitive as parents were afraid of potential risks to their children, caused by strangers and vehicular traffic. Also, it is empirically proven that for safety reasons younger children are accompanied by their parents either in cars or under surveillance (Drianda, Kinoshita, and Said 2015;Fyhri and Hjorthol 2009;Carroll et al 2015). This safety concern reduces children's independent mobility and excludes them to interact with their surroundings and develop social and environmental relations (Valentine and McKendrck 1997), resulting in disconnection or lack of interactions with their surrounding environment and space Karsten and Van Vliet 2006).…”

“…This highlights the negligence of peer-peer learning in the process of children's upbringing. Consequently, children face multiple threats (health, social, psychological, cultural, and environmental) during their childhood and adulthood (Drianda, Kinoshita, and Said 2015;Malone 2007), making them less resilient to the potential risk associated with their everyday life (Lopes, Cordovil, and Neto 2014;Malone 2007). This is because childhood is not completely biological and adulthood is not merely physical maturity, they are both socially constructed and developed (Valentine and McKendrck 1997;Barker et al 2009).…”

“…As a result, children's lives become socially excluded and isolated, which are frequently compared with life in a glasshouse (Kyttä 2003;Cass, Shove, and Urry 2005). Several studies highlighted that children's independent mobility is decreasing and increasingly, they are chauffeured by their parents or under surveillance to school or other potential activity locations (Waygood et al 2017 Drianda, Kinoshita, and Said 2015;Lopes, Cordovil, and Neto 2014;Witten et al 2013;Malone 2007). The increasing dependence of children on their parents for the mobility purposes has direct or indirect impacts on their health, cognitive knowledge, analytical skills, competence development, psychological growth socialcultural-spatial relation development (Mackett et al 2005;Lopes, Cordovil, and Neto 2014;Carver et al 2014).…”

The Implementation of Child-Friendly City Programs in Special Protection Cluster at Serang-Banten Province

“…Then, it can be evaluated by children through their surroundings It is clear that childfriendly cities are districts/cities that have a child rights-based development system, as stated in the Regulation of the Minister of State for Women's Empowerment and Child Protection of the Republic of Indonesia No. 12 of 2011 concerning Child-friendly Regency/City Indicators through the integration of government, community, and business commitments and resources in comprehensive and long-term policies, programs, and activities to ensure the fulfilment of children's rights and protection (Drianda, 2015)…”