People’s perceptions of places – a series of vignettes #1
Children and planning
In the City of the Blue Mountains, primary school children were encouraged to participate in urban planning. They had to imagine that they were adults in 2025 and write a story about their home and their place. The most important issues that the children wrote about were traffic, the spread of urban development, places to play, protection of the natural environment and the ability to keep pets. The latter was particularly important because the City of the Blue Mountains abuts on to a national park (Cunningham, Jones & Dillon, 2003).
In the City of the Blue Mountains, primary school children were encouraged to participate in urban planning. They had to imagine that they were adults in 2025 and write a story about their home and their place. The most important issues that the children wrote about were traffic, the spread of urban development, places to play, protection of the natural environment and the ability to keep pets. The latter was particularly important because the City of the Blue Mountains abuts on to a national park (Cunningham, Jones & Dillon, 2003).
Living in flats
In Sydney, some 88,500 children lived in flats across the city in 2006, or 11% of all children in Sydney at this time (Woolcock, Gleeson & Randolph, 2010,184). How would these young people have different perceptions of their urban environment compared to those young people living in the City of the Blue Mountains?
In Sydney, some 88,500 children lived in flats across the city in 2006, or 11% of all children in Sydney at this time (Woolcock, Gleeson & Randolph, 2010,184). How would these young people have different perceptions of their urban environment compared to those young people living in the City of the Blue Mountains?
Far from nature
Young people growing up in cities are often deprived of contact with the biophysical environment. A study from Singapore contrasted the experience of an older inhabitant, who grew up in a village where she swam in the river and caught spiders to the life of young people in contemporary Singapore. A geographer explained that the only way that young people were likely to have close contact with nature would be if they had spent some years overseas (Kong, 2000, 266-7)
Young people growing up in cities are often deprived of contact with the biophysical environment. A study from Singapore contrasted the experience of an older inhabitant, who grew up in a village where she swam in the river and caught spiders to the life of young people in contemporary Singapore. A geographer explained that the only way that young people were likely to have close contact with nature would be if they had spent some years overseas (Kong, 2000, 266-7)