Child and Youth Friendly City Forum

Transcription

20th-27th March 2012
Child and Youth
Friendly City Forum
5000+ an integrated design strategy
for inner Adelaide is supported by the
Department of Regional Australia, Regional
Development & Local Government and is
a joint initiative of the South Australian
Government and the Adelaide City Council,
in association with the seven councils
adjoining Adelaide.
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5000+ CHILD AND YOUTH FRIENDLY CITY FORUM
Introduction to a
Child and Youth
Friendly City Forum
Since 1996 there has been a growing international
movement promoted by the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) in the form of the Child Friendly Cities
(CFC) initiative. The term ‘child friendly cities’ was first
defined within the Children’s Rights and Habitat (1996)
UNICEF paper which stated that:
‘The needs of children and youth,
particularly with regards to their living
environment have to be taken fully into
account. Special attention needs to be
paid to their participatory processes
dealing with shaping cities, towns and
neighbourhoods; this is in order to
secure living conditions of children and
youth and to make use of their insight,
creativity and thoughts on the
environment’ UNCHS 1996
In response to the South Australian Premier’s agenda
that South Australia become accredited as the first Child
& Youth Friendly region in Australia, the project for the
Child and Youth Friendly Cities Forum is a partnership
established between several organisations - Department
for Education and Child Development (DECD), Council
for the Care of Children (CCC), Urban Renewal Authority
(URA, formerly LMC), City of Charles Sturt, the Integrated
Design Commission SA (IDCSA) and 5000+.
Central to the child friendly cities concept is: ‘to
ensure that city governments make decisions in the
best interests of children, and that cities are places
where children’s rights to a healthy, caring, protective,
educative, stimulating, non-discriminating, inclusive,
culturally rich environment are addressed’(UNICEF
(2004) Building Child Friendly Cities: A Framework for
Action: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence).
The development of the child friendly cities concept
into a realisable plan has no standard model, given the
diversity of cities and towns, rather it can be viewed as
a facilitator to support communities to design a plan
that is pertinent to their own environment. In 2000, the
International Secretariat of the Child Friendly Cities
Initiative (CFCI) was established at the UNICEF Innocenti
Research Centre in Florence, Italy. The CFCI Secretariat
promotes and supports research initiatives and
provides analysis of strategies and systems that execute
children’s rights at the local level.
A child friendly city is one that; ‘is a city or a local system
of governance that is committed to fulfilling children’s rights.’
(CFCI, Florence)
‘Children are a kind of indicator species.
If we can build a successful city for
children, we will have a successful city
for all people’
Enrique Penelosa, Mayor of Bogata
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The 2012 SA Child and Youth Friendly City (CYFC)
forum was held over three parts:
Session One, 20th March
The forum was opened by the Hon. Grace Portolesi,
Minister for Education and and Child Development, who
stated;
‘we … need to be serious about how we
engage and take into account the needs
of children as we develop and shape our
urban environment ... so that our shops
and schools, our houses, parks and
walkways and community centres are
places that attract and engage young
people and make Adelaide and South
Australia an even better place to live
and work.
It does require a partnership approach,
the kind of engagement that you
are demonstrating by being a part
of this forum. Local government,
educators, urban planners, architects,
designers, developers, child care, the
arts, government agencies across the
spectrum. But first and foremost your
engagement in this forum of children
and young people.’
Adelaide Thinker in Residence, Carla Rinaldi gave a
key note address followed by a panel discussion by Dr.
Lucas Walsh, Timothy Horton, Professor Carla Rinaldi,
Wayne Gibbings, Gabrielle Kelly and Lovisa Muyderman.
Participants engaged in workshop discussions over
afternoon tea, followed by Keith Bartley in conversation
with an Expert Panel of Young People, made up of
students from Giles Street and Sturt Street Primary
School.
Session Two, 22nd March
Two workshops- one for adults, one for Childrendemonstrating the Spaceshaper tool on March 22nd
at Gibson Street Reserve in Bowden (for details follow
pages 18-23)
Session Three, 27th March
The forum was opened by Associate Professor Geoff
Woolwock, Australian member on the executive
committee for the Asia-Pacific Child Friendly Cities
Network. Professor Karen Malone, Chair and Founder
of Asia-Pacific Child Friendly Cities Network gave
the keynote address. A number of exemplary projects
engaged with Children and Young People were presented
by Tracy Johnstone from the City of Campbelltown and
Timothy Horton, Commissioner for Integrated Design.
The forum closed with a panel discussion involving
Professor Karen Malone, Geoff Woolcock, Timothy
Horton, Wayne Gibbings, Angelique Edmonds and
Miriam Daley.
The forum sought to advocate for the importance
of engaging with children and young people in
consultation around planning for changes in the
built environment. The forum also presented a range
of exemplars of good engagement, which could be
replicated for other projects.
The two half day forums invited participants to join
a broad and diverse conversation. The participants
included representatives from the following disciplines:
State Government 61
Local Government 18
Industry 17
NGO 15
Education 24
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Childhood Cherished Places
Participants were asked to think of a
place that they cherished as a young
person and why it was so important to
them.
Then they had to describe three qualities about the
place which made it significant to them onto a post-it
note and placed together near the maps.
On arrival participants pinned their Childhood
Cherished place on the most appropriate of three maps
on the wall at the forum venue - Adelaide, Australia or
The World.
The qualities are documented on the facing page.
Collectively, the wall of post-it notes told us what
qualities begin to describe the places we experienced as
child and youth friendly when we were young.
Pin your cherished place on one
of the maps....
Add the three most memorable qualities of your
Cherished Place to the post-it note wall...
No rules, freedom, independence
Could stay away for most of the day
Beautiful
Space and quiet
Zoo – Animals, activities, people
working there.
Green and lots of trees
Happiness
Playin in the creek
Space: primary school playground.
Experience climbing trees. Feel safe
within the space.
Population Diversity – Ethnic and
indigenous mix, different sports, culture,
Sunny
Freedom
Family fun: Holidays, outgoings,
Sunday drives.
Family time, fun, space, open changing.
Beach
Sarlat – France – Appearance
Art in the SA Gallery
Outdoor rambling: cliffs, birds, the
island
Relationship, place and friends
Freedom
Like a big shared back yard
Alone to do what we like
Wild, unsupervised. Wood fields.
No back fence
Choose my own friends
Outdoors
Safety, opportunity, creativity
Fun, happy, free
Well defined
Fresh Air
Swimming in Rymill Park – Picnic
Open space, up the river.
Freedom and adventure, but with the
security of adults nearby (aged 6-9)
The outer appearance: Black Diamond
Grandparents (hometown). Rocket Park.
Copenhagen, the inner bridges, the
Milkshake bar.
underground exhibitions
Freedom, exploring, secret
Play in nature
Freedom to explore – Independence
Naturally wild
Family, safe, happy
Make believe
Ireland is fun and exciting
Privacy and away from the eyes of adults
Awesome water slides and activities
Wild trees in suburbia – adventure and
mystery, while feeling safe
Parents knew – we were safe
In the open – save nature, some industrial
Fun
Fun and explore – nature (fish, trees),
colour (flowers), smell (chickens)
Open + Multipurpose space
Backyard, outdoors, fresh air, adventure
Sand hills, and beach
Fantasy land of epic proportions
Changing but familiar
Swimming, beach
Close to home
Macro to Micro
No boundaries
Exciting kid games, and fun activities
Allowed creativity
Connections to nature. Intimate and
expansive. Fill of possibilities.
Anywhere with my friends
Open spaces with diversity
Watching nature
Middleton Beach: I love it
Cheap and free activities for everyone Water
Safe, intriguing, cool
Adventure
Family and friends gathering
together
3 Qualities: Opportunity to explore, safe,
accessible.
Untamed, exploring, own open space
Outdoors
Sense of adventure, Freedom,
discovery.
Open sky
Food, treats
Always other kids there
Friends to play with
Freedom
Discovery, close to nature, family
Freedom
Nearby safe outdoors
Happiness
Safe
Wild Spaces
Very little structure – could work of
it, what we wanted
Loose parts to make our own play and
props
Ethiopia: Addis Ababa, busy city
Variety of textures
Freedom
Accessible by bike
Natural and built environment – enormous
diners, opportutnies to learn via
experimentation
Freedom
Adventure
Adventure
Peaceful, nature, reflection
Fun
Safe and familiar
Aldinga Sandhill – alone, private, warm,
nature, free
Freedom, fresh air, safe
Trees, sea, relaxing
Family
Adrenalin needed activities
Close to nature
Unsupervised
River Sands, Dappled sunlight,
peaceful
The Garden of Unearthly Delights – Open
space, performers, lively.
Solitary
Had to use imagination and create own
adventures
Adventure, mystery, ability to run
and hide
Outdoors
Ownership over space
Away from parents
Farm land – gum trees, horses
Spacious
Accessible, beaches, parks
Adventure, friends, risk
Children’s statues
All the Worlds – eg. Wet and wild worlds,
such as Water World, etc
Outdoors: Where the woods and bugs
provide or games with infinite possibilities
Natural, some risk with others
Garden, imagination, gran dad’s
stories
Unpredictable, adventure
Parks/open spaces
Sun and sea, jumping off the jetty
Private
Beauty
Nature
Peaceful
Freedom
Gran’s Backyard
Well played area
South Africa: fun, different
Safe – you knew everyone and we
all cared for protected each other.
Extended family
Luna Park because there are heaps of fun
rides
Grandparents farm in Ireland is very
peaceful
Tad poling in local creek with friends in
Adelaide Hills
Make believe, ownership, safe and
secure
Lord Howe Island: family, reef, lagoon,
environment.
Port Adelaide – shops, museums, Light
house, history, stories, people
Volunteering at YMCA – friends and
achievement
Open space
Violet’s Garden – safety refuge, smell of
crushed violets, and biscuits baking, cool,
and damp.
Holland because most of my family lives
there
Semaphore – great place to live
Rides in the parks
India: building, deserts, camels
Vanuatu – Beautiful beaches, kind people
No Authority
Meet friends at a pub
Luna Park: Structure, rides, history
Abundance, insect life, nature, shady fun
parks
Kaas Marakt (Cheese Market) in
Holland
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food, language, experiences.
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Respecting Children as citizens can help
to build safe, humane, and responsive
communities......If children are visible,
invited to participate, and when their voices
are heard, they are much more capable of
participating.....The dominant construction
of children as vulnerable, problematic, or
incomplete beings should be replaced by a
view of children as competent and active
participants in communities.
Anne B Smith- Marion Langer award Lecture, 2010
Engagement Process
During the working afternoon
tea session on Day One of the
forum, participants chose one
of 14 topics to address over
conversation at their table.
Responses to the headline
topic were structured through
five sub-questions.
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14
1
2
3
12
4
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5
10
9
8
7
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14 tables, 14 topics, 5 questions
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5 Questions
1. What could this really mean (eg. is it about diversity of
people, programming the parkland, or many things?)
2. What are the barriers (anything is possible)
3. What can we do to make this happen (give us your best idea)
4. What are the connections required? People/projects/policy
5. Capture your audience, give us a good oneliner (a pitch to
media or your 10 seconds in the lift with the Chief Executive to
sell them on the idea)
14 Topics
1.Increase
child
participation
in public decision
making
3.Kids in Charge
4. Initiatives
listening to
children’s
opinions
8. City as an
all-age play space
2. Better
engaging
tomorrow’s
leaders
5. Better
participation in
design process
9. Grow more
free-range kids
6. Involving
children in
design of public
schools &
hospitals
10. Qualities of
great streets for
children & young
people
7. Feeling safer
to play
11. An island
of Inventions:
Creative hub in
the City
13.
Independent
access and
connectivity to
services
12. Developing
independance
14. Childrens
needs in
increased housing
density
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Carla Rinaldi
“We discover that the space has its own language,
the space talks, and the children are very
sensitive, the space talks through the volumes,
materials, the colours, the light, the floor, through
everything. Its not useful to look at the child as
a needy person but to look at him or her as a
competent human being.”
Assocociate Professor Geoff Woolcock
Jane Chapman, on balancing the needs
of the aged with those of children and
young people:
“Consider the power of the lobby group of the
aged by comparison to the relative powerlessness
of children & young people to have their voices
heard.”
“All I hear is frustration from my own kids and
other kids as well, asking why aren’t we doing
more around supporting the environment?”
Niklas, Giles Street School Student
“We need to make another tram track and expand
it to the airport so that people who get out at the
airport can go into the city having more choice
than just the bus.”
Keith Bartley, Chief Exec EDC
Lovisa Muyderman
“No doubt in my mind that we have a future
generation of Urban planners sitting out in front
of you today- important to bring our children to
the forefront in designing our environment.”
“Viewing young people as citizens, invites them
to take responsibility, if they’ve had input into it,
they’re more likely to use it and enjoy using it.”
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Session One Synthesis
The Values
Children are born citizens, they don’t become citizens,
they are essential part of community- contributing
enormous value and insight
Acknowledge children & young people as citizens who
have a right to participate in decisions making which
affects their lives
We need to engage with children & young people
earlier. We need to engage creatively and appropriately
to the age group and embrace all ages spaces, not
quarantine kids areas as separate
Governance and adult behaviour needs to change,
listen and observe and optimise the contribution
children & young people can offer their society
1. Children’s Representative bodies - what
projects in SA could benefit from input of a
Children’s council in 2012-2015
The Riverbank redevelopment masterplan could have
involved a children’s representative body – is it still
possible?
We could build Children’s representative bodies into
TACSI’s emerging program on citizen group democratic
participation
2. How can we better engage tomorrow’s
leaders in today’s decision making?
We need provision of appropriate tools so we need to
include young people in design of tools, engage with
them earlier
Look at existing successful practices and work in
partnership with their expertise. We should be mindful
of sustaining the agenda– how do we maintain this
commitment to consulting with children beyond current
political moment?
Exercise caution around privatisation of public space
as it reduces opportunities to interact and foster broad
public discussion of issues
3. What opportunities could we create in SA for
ensuring that policies are reviewed through a
child friendly lens?
We want children to be respected and have a voice
and recognise that this must be entrenched and will
require a change in culture, we need to have the ‘big’
conversation about the community’s perception re
childhood
In the new world every policy developed should begin
with the focus ‘what are the child’s rights in this policy:’
before dollars are discussed
We need Legislation which ensures policies consider
child friendly lens
Need to remember the importance of thinking
‘intergenerationally’ - both children and oldies teach
each other
4. What good examples does SA have for
initiatives where neighborhoods, clubs or
organizations are listening to children’s
opinions? Can we learn lessons from other
demographics?
Give kids opportunities to practice taking up leadership
roles and exercise their responsibilities eg role
playing/practising being an advocate so they can then
participate in Youth Parliament, Student representative
councils
Build relationships to get meaning and purpose in
conversations
Open up consultation methods so that literacy is not a
barrier – talk/listen
Give children, young people and adults education re
rights of the child
5. How do we embed better consultation and
participation with Children and Young People
in the planning and built environment design
process?
Recognise we’re working against a culture that “children
know nothing, aren’t taken seriously” current system
teaches them that
Need to reassess basis of engagement, starts with
respect rather than power. Engage children and young
people as active citizens, deconstruct the process
discuss and arrive at a shared definition of principles, ie
need to mainstream it and redefine consultation. Child
has as much respect as the Architect
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Ensure we consult differently across all types of young
people, not just verbal, depending on the age group,
and recognising that being part of the process can be
intimidating to children
Be clear on the terms of engagement – what is
negotiable and non-negotiable
If you were the planner of the city, what would you do?
Not ‘what do you want?’ Asking in a different way
Acknowledge that kids are part of the bigger picture
– requires leadership. It’s not about designating areas
specifically for children’s play, rather they need to be
integrated, eclectic, not prescribed experiences for
specific ages
The best places in the best cities are for everyone, need a
diversity of options, some parents want to interact with
children during their play – by contrast other parents
want a fenced area to leave the kids there.
6. Are there specific strategies for ensuring the
involvement of children in the design of public
facilities Eg schools and hospitals?
Constraints can often result in more creativity, bring
back opportunities for risk taking – opportunities for
children to explore and create. Use imagination to
construct things
Devolving power, recognise that high quality
performance outcome require giving designer the
opportunity to connect with end users & seek their input
9. How do we grow more free-range kids
Understanding the level of experience of the children
in specific spaces/facilities and overcoming the adult
centric frame of reference about where/what children’s
spaces are
Need to encourage development of independence and
risk taking and testing of boundaries, provide more
information about how it is actually very safe these days
– break down the perception of unsafe
Asking children questions about their experience and
paying attention to where children gravitate naturally
Giving children time to be free range (Parental pressure
– parents feel pressured to provide everything for their
kids but not enough time to play
Embed consultation with children in every design
process for Government
7. Safety: how could the design of our public
realm achieve improved, safe connection with
supervision from adults in South Australia?
Parents don’t understand the value of play for children
and young people – see as a frivolous waste of time.
We need to value parenting as a great investment.
Playgrounds where parents can grab a coffee while
children and young people play.
Design elements which encourage diverse usage – next
to public transport eg. design public seating which is
robust enough to handle skateboards instead of putting
in bollards
Give children and young people ownership of their
environment and also responsibility and ownership by
the community
Adults need to change their thinking around risk
8. Places For Play: How do we create the City as
an all ages play space?
Catalyse the opportunities/support in Adelaide with
laneway closures, eg Fringe, freeway for cycling, city to
bay. Perhaps we need to do this for encouraging play in
the city also
Community taking a more holistic approach to the
responsibility of kids – community looking out for
children, developing strongly connected communitiessharing childcare responsibility
Take a ‘community garden’ approach – bring people
together, give people a reason to come together
10. What qualities constitute a great street for a
child? For a teenager? Young adult?
We need activities that are beyond those of ‘consumers’we need to offer gathering spaces, or a focal point of
interest to pause whilst on a journey
Need Living/changeable nature – sense of unknown
within a safe environment- reintroduces spontaneity in
the city
Promote legislation backed up by social change and vice
versa
Social connectors: hierarchy of zones/routes – new maps
with new hierarchies, spaces of connection/camaraderie,
custodianship
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12. How do we ensure that our urban
environmental systems encourage young
people to develop Independence? eg Bikes on
Buses
Demand bikes on ALL public transport and open schools
after hours so that they become a resource for the whole
community
Have children as part of the solution –Being part of
process will influence change and ensure consideration
of them in sustained governance process
Social infrastructure planning is largely undeveloped in
SA – we need to investigate the scope to incorporate this
in the development process
Create children’s routes through/across urban places
– signpost them, design them for children with fun
activities and public art along the way – we need
champions to make the built environment fun –
integrate public art
13. How can we ensure teenagers & young
adults can enjoy independent access and
connectivity to the services designed for them?
Involve youth in service design processes – by teens, for
teens
Overcome barriers to true adaptability/flexibility of
spaces – programming of different usage day and night
Connect through social media – to create discussions
and engage, enhances independent participation and
choice of how/when to engage
Connect young people and designers, architects,
planners
14. How do we ensure consideration of
children’s needs in developments of increased
housing density?
We need to better understand the relationship of
mental health to high density living and how it impacts
differently upon different age groups
Need to reconsider the values questions; Who is
responsible for child and youth friendly developments?
Market led approach vs long term community approach
to wellbeing
If longer term approach, empower community for public
space vision
We need Child advocates and youth advisory council
to have influence/be heard in the built environment
guidelines/principles/approvals process
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Day One Panel Conversation
Carla Rinaldi, Lucas Walsh, Wayne Gibbings, Tim Horton,
Lovisa Muyderman and Gabrielle Kelly
On Playgrounds and common spaces:
We don’t build a school and then pop the children in
as consumers (don’t think of children as consumers of
architecture that is produced for them).
“the failure of an urban environment can be measured
in direct proportion to the number of playgrounds”
by having a playground, you are seeing the child as a
consumer for which a particular product is required.
If you remove playgrounds from a city what requirement
would it put on us to design cities as places for play and
activity? for after hours at all levels and in all areas? so
the idea of relational spaces then is to how you activate
those spaces between buildings as places for play of all
ages.
Its not about re-designing the playground but
reconceptualising the common space.
Observe the children how they are, observe the family,
make a bigger documentation – what does it mean when
we are now all connected by the virtual realm- what is
it that motivates us to still value a common physical
space? Redefine what that common space could be – is
the school a common place? What does a common
space mean- when we are now able to connect with
everybody by mobile anyway?
On rights of children:
Redefine the concept of children’s rights in terms of
understanding the move from ‘ a child full of needs’ to
looking at them from the moment of birth as the bearer
and possessor of rights.
Relational rights, rights to relationships between people,
and the way the built environment connects people.
Revisit what ‘rights of children’ means, a child care
system system designed around the needs of family
organization and hours- ie. fathers and mothers
working? Or one designed on the basis of the rights of
children? Rather than one or the other, try to find how to
combine the answering of both these needs.
Observe the greater fluidity of how young people
engage across virtual and real space, by comparison
with adults. “Anonymity is the new authenticity”, a
researcher’s suggestion that anonymity online promotes
upfrontness, ingenuity - because you’re not inhibited
due to the anonymity.
Consider the erosion in the distinction between public/
private space, in terms of how young people understand
privacy. Reference to a UK study in which the presence
of CCTV in public places made young people feel more
secure.
Viewing young people as citizens, invites them to take
responsibility for the outcomes in a place and in their
use it- they feel ownership and enjoy using it.
Importance of being able to takes bikes on buses; giving
people a sense that the city is more accessible to them,
increase the catchment areas, give people the sense they
can go where they want to rather than having to rely on
their parents to take them there.
If we’re talking about value: 5000+ forums ask what role
might values have in influencing decision making?
Looking at rights from a child’s perspective- is a
demonstration of the intergenerational social contract
we have with our own future.
Should we, as a democratic, participatory community,
decide that we can regulate behavior through shared
values, rather than needing government regulation as
the mediator?
On successful forms of engagement with
Children & Young People:
Foundation for Young Australians regularly engages
Young people to design the work, incorporating
authentic young people’s views.
Be prepared to engage young people fully in
conversation from start to finish, not just at a particular
point in the ‘consultation’ process.
Important to develop a common language, which can
elevate the discussion, what one might see as dumbing
down or simplifying actually brings you back to a purity
of discourse, back to meaning – be prepared to take risks
when you do that.
Be prepared not to have known the right answer first.
Successful engagement with preschoolers 2-4 year olds
(in City of Charles Sturt, City of Port Enfield), they were
asked them what makes them happy? what they like in
their environment? (while having their face painted).
Power relations, how do we get to stage where the
rights of children are formulated so that we accept what
children are actually saying?
How do we get to the stage where the system is
formulated so that the actions are empowering to
communities, - so that what we get at the end is what
the children wanted and what they said was important?
Are the adults prepared to devolve some of your
responsibility to ‘others’ , the ‘others’ being community
and therefore the children in community?
Actually it’s about core values proposition- Are we
collaborative?, participatory? and do we really integrate
those values into how we work?
Ultimate expression of rights and citizenship is the
vision of society and it tells us what our attitude is to
the value of young people are expressed and articulated
in those rights, we’ve forgotten that in a pragmatic
society like Australia.
Big issue yet to be properly acknowledged is that we
haven’t yet come to terms with the concept of children
as citizens in Australia.
Appropriate forms of consultation and engagement will
flow from that.
‘Consulting with children as our next generation of
citizen’, is inappropriate if we accept they are citizens
now and have a right to be included in decision making
now. We need to be our own thought police, and
remember they are currently citizens.
This has tangible consequences in the built
environment.
Caution that the language of devolution still implies a
top down thinking.
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Often when we talk about children’s representative
bodies we replicate some of the old models of
democratic participation, so we have youth parliaments
and things that like, I think the 5000+ forum is a very
very interesting way of getting a different slice of the
community and Id be interested to know how we
could do not only children’s rep bodies but also other
innovative bodies.
How do we put together the knowledge of children
showing respect to children’s voices- with the
professional knowledges and how do we actually make
that work, it’s not either or, it’s not architects suddenly
giving up everything they’ve known, but there’s a need
for balance.
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Day Two Panel Conversation
Karen Malone, Geoff Woolcock, Miriam Daley, Wayne Gibbings, Tim Horton and Angelique Edmonds
On the value of Design to CYFC:
Design is always a voice for people of all ages, a way
of translate that voice into whats important to us it
translates need and desire into form and place and SA is
beginning to lead the pack nationally in how we do that.
87% of people think that design impacts upon quality of
life (CABE UK).
For those who go to school in better designed class
rooms, they have better learning outcomes……good
design can be measured and does have a measureable
outcome.
Important that we are building skills and understanding
about design through an understanding of performance
- shaping space around needs and desires. If we invest
in the spatial intelligence of school children, we will
see greater design literacy, these needs to occur within
schools if we want to influence built environment.
Every decision that you make about the design of the
built environment is actually a values decision and so
instead of thinking we can just do that for experience,
consider what message are you giving to children about
their place in society? and children as citizens, which I
think is really powerful (Miriam Daley).
Have the flexibility built in so that children have choices
about how they engage.
Theres another thing about participation that I think
is worth throwing into the mix, we often think of the
notion of participation only in the way that we adults
frame a participatory project which we invite children
into - and the minute you’ve framed it in that way
you’ve created an adult structure. We need to move away
from constructing these projects on behalf of children
and bringing them into it- to start to look at the way
children engage and are participating the world now and
actually start learning from them in a more organic way.
All kids in Pistoria (Italy) have the opportunity to get
involved in a project, and they choose adults in their
community who they think will be the resource for their
project. Through being project managers themselves
around their research project, they learn the process of
engaging people organically to be part of an investigative
process to uncover and address issues- they build skills
and connections in the community through this process
which are exceptionally valuable.
We always position ourselves as the knowers and they’re
the resource when they are actually the knowledge
generators themselves.
How many children actually know that they have a right
to have a say such that they’d be ready to self organize?
Perhaps there’s a tension between allowing the self
organization but also underpinning that with enough
education so that they know the adults will listen if you
self organize.
90% of kids in Tokyo walk to school, so when you’re
engaged in this way, when you’re in an environment,
that’s how we learn about our spaces, so kids in Tokyo
are incredibly environmentally literate from a very
young age.
By comparison in Australia, the lack of mobility and
access children have in an everyday experience of
their neighbourhood - means they don’t have the
environmental competence or knowledge around the
spaces.
We cant expect kids to come up with great ideas about
design if they have experienced a diversity of places and
don’t have the literacy about how design works
The Grattan Institute Social Cities Report (http://www.
grattan.edu.au/publications/137_report_social_cities.
pdf): observations children have made on their own
community environment around them during their
trip to school, based on whether they walk or cycle.
The diagrams that those who walk to school provide
are contiguous almost tapestry, endless ribbons of
connecting places, paths and roads and those who come
by car have these vignette snapshots as grabs out the
window.
On balancing the needs of the aged with those
of children and young people:
Consider the power of the lobby group of the aged by
comparison to the relative powerlessness of children &
young people to have their voices heard.
On building social Trust:
To foster children and young people’s independent
mobility: the number one attribute most important to
independent mobility for young people is social trust.
To build social trust, we need to foster social connections
with the people with whom we share our streets; lets
have occupy the street, neighbor day turn into the
“Festival of the front yard”- where we encourage things
to happen between neighbours.
Yen Trinn from Brisbane, parked a coffee cart in
driveway, put the garage door up: talk to your neighbours
and connect.
Geoff Woolcock reported from research that- driving
kids to school is the most significant dedicated quality
time, parents spend with their kids, and the car
environment is controlled by the driver, the parent- this
has consequences.
Karen Malone: Significant life experience Louise
Chowder (researcher) Boulder Colorado.
15
16
17
What they said
Participants were asked: “What is the
most significant thing you will take
away from the Child and Youth Friendly
City Forum.”
Their responses were:
“Youth still not as focal as kids.”
“Its beautiful to be having this discussion across
government and non government sectors at a state
level.”
“Observation and fundamental organic process.”
“The exercise we began with reimagining a childhood
place.”
“The sum of the parts is greater than the whole.”
“PhD ideas, numerous!”
“Techniques/new approaches on how to engage
children.”
“Well of Knowledge, so exciting to have it all in one
place.”
“Passion of others for children and young people.”
“Every decision, is a values based decision.”
“The way we engage with young people that is defined
and constructed by them.”
“Creating ‘places of Memory’”
“Listen and act more on children’ views.”
“Child Friendly Cities is driven by government and
local government. Seems to be a big gap with the
involvement of NGO’s who are significant players in
building communities.”
18
Spaceshaper in
Schools (9-14 yrs)
Sturt St & Gilles St schools (9-14 year olds)
In the context of engaging with
Children and Young people in the
lead up to the Child and Youth
Friendly Cities Forum, 5000+ and
the forum project partners engaged
with the 4/5 class at Sturt St school,
and the 6/7 class at Gilles St school
using a tool called ‘Spaceshaper’
a community engagement tool
developed by CABE in the UK.
Using the framework of the
Spaceshaper tool (detailed further
below), the Sturt st class analysed
first their school environment, then
the Adelaide Festival Centre and
then Werrinendee in the Western
Parklands. The 6/7 class at Gilles
St School analysed their school
grounds and new library, the State
Library and the park in the NW
corner of Hindmarsh Square, which
the class called ‘emo’ park.
A video of the ‘Spaceshaper in
Schools’ work which was carried
out with Sturt St & Gilles St has
been posted on the 5000+ website.
The film was also presented as an
exemplar of engagement with young
people during the 5000+ Child and
Youth Friendly Cities Forum held on
March 20th & March 27th 2012.
The purpose of this work was to
engage the children and develop
their capacity to:
1.
2.
Think about the components
that make up a place
Think about the different
people who use the place and
their needs
3.
Learn about the process &
people who are involved in
decision making about the place
4.
Think about how young people
can have a say about the place
In the process of the ‘Spaceshaper
in schools’ workshops we began to
build the capacity of these young
students to speak about the design
of their environment– so that they
are confident when consulted with
by adults who seek their views on
whether proposals are child and
youth friendly. Six students from
Sturt St & six from Gilles St were
invited to the CYFC forum as an
expert panel of young people, and
participated in an ‘in conversation’
session led by DECD Chief Executive
Keith Bartley.
The Spaceshaper Tool:
The IDC have been in discussion
about the use of the Spaceshaper
tool in SA because, in addition to
its importance as a community
engagement tool, it is also of
interest because it has a Specshaper
9-14 version of the tool, which
runs parallel to the adult tool.
The Spaceshaper 9-14 specifically
engages with 9-14 years olds (who
are often overlooked in community
engagement) in improving their
local parks, streets, playgrounds and
other spaces. The Spaceshaper tool
covers eight themes:
1.
access: finding your way and
getting about
2.
use: what activities and
opportunities the space has to
offer
3.
ther people: how the space
caters for different needs
4.
maintenance: how clean and
cared for the space is
5.
environment: how safe and
comfortable the space is
6.
design and appearance: what
the space looks like and what
materials it uses
7.
community: how important the
space is to local people
8.
you: how the space makes you
feel.
19
20
Shaping Space by
Engagement
Profiling Spaceshaper at Gibson St
Reserve Bowden:
Also as part of the Child and
Youth Friendly cities Forum, two
Spaceshaper workshops focusing
on Gibson St reserve Bowden
were held on March 22nd. These
workshops were a demonstration
of ‘Spaceshaper’ in application
to Gibson St Reserve in Bowden
which the City of Charles Sturt have
committed to upgrade. The Gibson
St reserve is also on the perimeter
of the new medium density (Urban
Renewal Authority) Bowden
development and will thus be a
critical public space to integrate the
edge of the new development within
its existing neighbourhood context.
On the morning of March 22nd a
4 hour workshop with Brompton
Primary school 6/7 class sought
feedback from 9-14 years olds
regarding the Gibson St Reserve
and how they rated its performance
for their needs. In the evening of
the same day, a 4 hour workshop
was held with a group of local
residents, design professionals,
and observers interested to see the
demonstration of the tool. The value
of doing both workshops in parallel
was to ensure broad participation
and to enable comparison of the
issues highlighted by the 9-14 tool,
which might otherwise have been
overlooked if the children has not
been consulted.
The Gibson St Reserve workshops
were filmed and a video of that
work has been posted on the 5000+
website. The film was also presented
as an exemplar of engagement with
young people during the 5000+ Child
and Youth Friendly Cities Forum
held on March 20th & March 27th
2012.
21
Project Tag
Engaging with 16-24 year olds
Following a 3rd year Architectural
design course, in which the students
designed for the needs of youth
at risk of homelessness, the “2011
Reality Checkpoint” competition
tasked the Architecture graduates
with designing a public intervention
which would raise the profile of
the issues faced by Youth at risk
of homelessness. The competition
design brief required their entries to
fit within a specified volume and to
be located within the Adelaide CBD.
The project presents an important
demonstration of the capacity of
design to contribute meaningfully
to the social, economic and
environmental life of the city. Project
Tag, particularly the winning entry,
profiles the important contribution
of young designers as they apply
themselves to work alongside other
young people in addressing social
issues in the city.
On National Youth Homelessness
Matters Day in April 2011 John
Pagnozzi & Ellen Buttrose were
announced as the winners of
the Reality Checkpoint Design
Competition, with their entry
‘Project Tag’. Due to generous
support of $50,000 seed funding
from Jamie McLurg of Commercial
and General Property Development,
John & Ellen were given a year to
realize the project, engaging youth
at risk and capacity building in the
process.
The project will be installed on
North Terrace in readiness for the
April 18th launch of National Youth
Homelessness Matters Day for 2012.
The engagement with youth at risk
was extended to University of South
Australia Art Public students, who
assisted in the fabrication of the
large artwork.
The process of the engagement,
concept design and fabrication of
the artwork was documented in
a film which has been posted on
the 5000+ website. The film was
also presented as an exemplar of
engagement with young people
during the 5000+ Child and Youth
Friendly Cities Forum held on March
20th & March 27th 2012.
22
23
24
1.
Increased
child
participation in
public decision
making
Children’s Representative bodies operate
What could this really mean?
in many local government areas that have
Start with a friendly city heart:
committed to child-friendly cities/communities
approaches including Bendigo, the Blue
Mountains and Wollongong.
- Culture
- Transport
- Riverside
- Health
- Sports
If we seek to increase their use in South
Australia, experience elsewhere has shown
that to be effective, they are best established in
relation to a particular project – what projects
in SA could benefit from input of a Children’s
council in 2012-2015?
How do we increase children’s participation
What can we do to make this happen?
Children’s body being involved in the conversation
surrounding the riverside precinct
Lets give children the opportunity to have conversation
such as 5000+ and the IDC – this is horizontal (equal)
and across the board
5000+ for kids focusing on the Riverside development
in public decision making (eg participatory
budgeting initiative with the Children’s Trust
What can we do?
in Oxfordshire UK): Legislation is one way.
Speak to Tim Horton about the possibility of Children’s
5000+ on Riverside
What other ways are there to bring about such
change?
Think about building into TACSI’s emerging program on
citizen group democratic participation
Use Spaceshaper model to discuss our new building
25
2. Better
engaging
tomorrow’s
leaders
How can we better engage tomorrow’s
leaders in today’s decision making?
Question should be rephrased – ‘todays’ not
‘tomorrows’
Why wouldn’t engage principle user of a place?
Two parts to the question; how to consult better; how to
empower leadership
We need to better value as well as better engage
What are the barriers?
Need provision of tools – include young people in design
of tools
We need to measure success to ensure we are doing it
properly (evaluation)
Recognising power differential between adults and
children
Make sure its not one off – long term and ongoing
conversations
Changing culture – value children’s voice, don’t be
tokenistic
Challenges to sustainability – ongoing commitment to
consulting with children – how do we maintain this
beyond current political commitment?
What can we do to make it happen?
Measure success with rigour
Look at existing successful practices and work in
partnership with their expertise
Involve children in evaluation
Engage earlier – before, during and after
Focus on continuous improvement
We can do it so why don’t we?
We are risk averse; paranoid about adults talking to
children – perception of fear
Privatisation of public space – this reduces opportunities
to interact
What are the connections required?
Look at work with existing expertise
Observe behaviour and interpret it
Observe child’s environment
Engage creatively
Involve children in review of three year plan in two years
South Australia’s Strategic Plan: Target 1; public space
– need to measure quality of space, not only quantity of
use
26
3. Kids in charge
How could we achieve the programming
of days when children and young people
are in charge of decision making (with
reference to advocacy through Youth
Parliament)? What opportunities could
we create in SA for ensuring that
policies are reviewed through a child
friendly lens?
Must be entrenched – change in culture
Consultation is about noticing and using the experts
Adults not willing to give up control
Clinging to old paradigms
Legislation about policies being child friendly
Reconceptualise OH&S
Reconceptualise Standards and their purpose
Children not in ‘charge’ but having an active voice and
being collaborators
Children need time to be children
We want children to be respected and have a voice
Policy focus needs to shift from ‘doing to’ to ‘doing with’
Any models e.g. Youth Council need to be genuine and
not paternalistic
In the new world every policy developed should begin
with the focus ‘what are the child’s rights in this policy:’
before dollars are discussed
Have the ‘big’ conversation about the community’s
perception re childhood
Promote ‘risk aversion’
Support parents in their role and encourage the to
support ‘risky’ activities
Remove the boredom
‘Teach’ the community to ‘slow down’ and enjoy the
outdoors: cook together
Build caring communities
Think ‘intergenerational’ oldies like spaces too – both
children and oldies teach each other
Capture your audience?
Leaving a joyful, happy memory for children and
families
Children the current and future decision makers
27
4. Initiatives
listening to
children’s
opinions
What good examples does SA have
for initiatives where neighbourhoods,
clubs or organisations are listening
to children’s opinions? Where
are particular instances ripe for
improvement? Can we learn lessons
from where other demographics have
been effectively heard (eg age-friendly
communities)?
Issue is getting attention of Ministers
What can we do to make it happen?
Difference between listening and acting
Student representative councils
Give kids a leadership role – they take up their
responsibilities
Have a focus ‘lure’ for each audience
Build relationships to get meaning and purpose in
conversations
Baptist Church – FUSE mentoring program
Open up consultations so that literacy is not important
– talk/listen
Politicians should ask young people
Time, project deadlines, providing a safe environment
Competing interests
Youth Parliament
Give children, young people and adults education re
rights of the child
Banning of food rewards for participating
Preschool, school and community together re rights
Youth Council
Role playing/practising being an advocate
National Youth Week to be reopened in country
Let people practice – drama/flashmobs
Youth meeting with politicians – face to face
Consider student rep on Governing Council
Committments for the week ahead?
Discussion with board
Project to hear children’s voices and incorporate them
Working on information session
Working with kids in Wilmington
Brompton Primary School and adult forums on Thursday
28
5. Better
participation
in the design
process
Working against a culture that children know nothing,
aren’t taken seriously, we teach them – negotiated
process
Children are in the process of becoming something
Developed conceptual level of development too high
Children and consultation – are we structuring the
conversation without focusing on the outcome
Must be entrenched – change in culture
How do we embed better consultation
and participation with children and
young people in planning and built
environment design process? List tools
which could be used and the contexts of
their application; eg Spaceshaper, Hear
by Right (UK www.nya.org.uk/quality/
hear-by-right). Any others?
Consultation is about noticing and using the experts
Think outside the square in processes, values
Belief in why you would involve them
What are you going to gain? – nothing changes
Need to think differently in how we do business
Time – use of consultation ‘expert’ vs ‘non expert’
Considered but not as a fundamental part
Mainstream – redefine consultation
Evolution of power has to include children
Deconstruct the process – shared definition of principles
Power resides with adults, changing mindsets
IAP – partnerships with young people included
Respect rather than power – active citizen
Provide a certain level – not a checklist
Child has as much respect as the Architect
Terms of engagement – negotiables and non-negotiables
Embed in a cultural process or are we embedding into
practice formally?
If you were the planner of the city, what would you do?
Not ‘what do you want?’ Asking in a different way.
Consultation – where is the value?
Not just verbal, depending on the age group
Principles; citizenship
Engaging not just the children but across disciplines,
learning from each other’s knowledge
Being part of the process can be intimidating to children
Consult differently across all types of young people
Campbelltown – activities fun, allowing exploration
through role play, taking photographs
Greater participation in other areas
What are the connections?
Bring it to a shared language between adults and
children
People/projects/policy
9-13 year olds miss out
Better relate the needs of schools and communities
Children need time – they are expert in their own future
Collaboration across and between
Rethink how we do business – sharing the experience
between all
Whole of government approach
Creative capacity of children at its highest, empowering
resource for design professionals
Engagement around principles not always the solution
Urban Planning could be the model
Unlocking education facilities for community access
Evaluation
One liner
Designing the best places starts with children and young
people involved as partners.
29
6.Involving
children in
design of public
schools &
hospitals
Ensuring the involvement of children
in the design of public facilities (eg.
hospital spaces, libraries, schools,
museums). Are there specific strategies
for such facilities that ought to be
prioritised in enhancing children’s direct
engagement eg child-friendly schools,
child-friendly children’s hospitals?
Devolving power
Engaging parents
Understanding the level of experience of the children in
specific spaces/facilities
Adults frame of reference about where/what children’s
spaces are
Limited timeframes – often an afterthought instead of a
planned sequence
Need to influence decision makers
Identification of what works and sharing this
information
Art, Local Government
Connections with schools/preschools ie using existing
mechanisms/professionals
Paying attention to where children gravitate naturally
Asking children questions about their experience
Umbrella strategy
Embed consultation with children in every design
process for Government
30
7. Feeling safer
to play
To feel safer children don’t ask for more
Police, they ask for more adults to watch
them play. How could the design of
our public realm achieve improved, safe
connection with supervision from adults
in South Australia?
About having enough adults to enable children and
young people to feel safe
Playgrounds, schools; think about these places
differently community spaces which could be better
engaged with and respected
Green field environments – fences don’t necessarily
mean safety – bring down some of the fences
Skate parks in remote areas – encourages areas to
become ‘seedy’
Too risk averse – fear in society that if we don’t take
certain steps our children and young people won’t be
safe
Fear of adults – want to be away from young people
Public wants skate park – but not in ‘our’ backyard – all
consultation done with adults
What sort of skate park do we want? Look at it from a
Council point of view – limited by budget and OH&S
Parents don’t understand the value of play for children
and young people – see as a frivolous waste of time
Law – inherently conservative – risk is too great as far as
local government concerned
Media play a role – prey on emotions
Create an environment to reduce crime
Give children and young people ownership of their
environment and also responsibility and ownership by
the community
Open schools with no fences – centre of the community
– families have picnic lunches, children and young
people play after hours
Leave room for modifications. Number of different
things in a community space ie skate park, shops,
library, school
Design public seating which is robust enough to handle
skateboards instead of putting in bollards
Community education – remove the stigma around
skateboarding/other activities children and young
people enjoy
Adults need to change their thinking around risk
Do we need to change the legislation to address
litigation reaction?
What are the connections?
Streets and environments – leadership from developers
and development agencies
Children and young people given the opportunity from
the ground up to say what environments they want
What is the role of art in providing a sense of place? –
get adults out in public spaces
Children and young people want to do activities near
their house. Park has to be comfortable and inviting for
all and has to use the natural environment.
Make the service elements fun and playful with clever
design
Comfortable when more people around and diversity
of cultures – if environment inviting don’t necessarily
need mix of cultures. Do we need to look outside our
‘dominant’ culture and consult?
Children and young people involved in community
development – artwork to promote ownership
Concept of shared space is really important – shared
precinct allows children and young people to participate
in activities and adults to watch and talk
Signage to encourage people in what they can do
Design elements which encourage diverse usage – next
to public transport
Value parenting as a great investment. Indoor
playgrounds where parents can grab a coffee while
children and young people play.
Social innovation – homelessness
Safety around pubs – how can we alter children’s and
young people’s perspective by altering the environment?
Differentiation between consultation/engagement and
changing language
Changing pre-conceived ideas and really taking on ideas
from consultation
Have a ‘conversation’ – two way process
One liner
Quote from Bruce Perry: ‘Why are there so many social
problems with youth? There aren’t enough mature adults
to look after them.’
31
32
33
8. City as an
all-age play
space
How do we create the City as an all ages
play space? How could the design of our
public realm achieve improved flexibility
and diversity of play spaces in the
urban realm? How could we achieve the
programming of days when the streets
are closed for traffic in order to allow
children to play on them?
Most successful - Pigs in Mall; always groups of kids
there; art that kids can play on, Hindmarsh Square –
‘Emo Park’; hot, aggressive looking; popular for a certain
age group; playground without a fence integrated
Town – kids don’t like feeling contained – chance to
meet someone they know. Kids becoming more social –
adults, not just parents or other
CBD minimal linkage between public and private – being
addressed through Rundle Mall Masterplan
Many public spaces barren
Opportunities in Adelaide – laneway closures
Shutting off streets – do it for adults eg Fringe, freeway
for cycling, city to bay
As children we played on the streets
Planning device – less regulated division of spaces
Kids want to experience multiple things, also vertical
experience
Destinations eg library
Children in the city – safe connectivity, not reliant on
transport – public or parent’s car
Physical and cultural context
Acknowledge that kids are part of the bigger picture –
requires leadership
Get rid of some playgrounds
Councils used to have play supervisors at playgrounds
Loss of risk taking – opportunities for children to explore
and create. Use imagination to construct things. Highly
structured environment in Kindy. Organisations risk
averse to providing such an environment
Skate park – multi use places. Civic Park
Web powerhouse – construction site – miniature cranes,
scaffold, foam bricks etc. Create teams; construct and
then demolished. Provides for creativity.
Places for kids versus kid friendly eg libraries shift from
children’s area to cross pollination.
Some parents want to interact with children during their
play – not fenced areas – opposed to parents who want a
fenced area to leave the kids there. Need a smorgasboard
– a street that contains more mixed users.
Deviation/surprises for kids - eclectic
Integrated, eclectic, not prescribed experiences for
specific ages
City – not just a shopping precinct – expensive – parking
problems
Reinvent spaces – including heritage – juxtaposition
with abstract shapes and colour
Small spaces
Adaptability/evolving/able to change
Green spaces in the city, light spaces, nature
Children – ensure they are not parroting. What are they
saying and why are they saying things?
Constraints can often result in more creativity
One liner
Land economies in CBD
The best places in the best cities are for everyone needs meaning and cultural contexts of some kind.
Roof top spaces eg. Rose Hill; green space, escapes; for
adults and children
34
9. Grow
free-range kids
How do we grow more free-range kids?
Community taking a more wholistic approach to the
responsibility of kids – community looking out for
children
Independence and risk taking
Testing boundaries
Giving children ‘time’ to be free range
Too much control
Everyone has a different opinion or view on what
childhood means
Too much advice on ‘how to raise kids’
Issues with safety
Do we need more free range kids? Who says they’re not?
More information about how it is actually very safe
these days – break down the perception of unsafe
Evidence and research
Developing community connections
More community activities
Connecting organisations together
Strongly connected communities
Stronger evidence base
Take a ‘community garden’ approach – bring people
together, give people a reason to come together
Sharing childcare responsibility
Conflicting advice
Paid parental leave
Very risk averse – look at risk management before
looking at activities
Perceptions – misinformed
Community organisations – schools, councils
Geographical location
Research
Parental pressure – parents feel pressured to provide
‘everything’ for their kids but not enough ‘time’ to play
35
10.
Qualities of
great streets
for children &
young people
What qualities constitute a great street
for a child? For a teenager? For a young
adult?
Non stop
Safety net
Legislation; cars, building, social behaviour, ownership,
events organised – hierarchy of ownership and design
Places in tension – interest
Positive/stimulating
Public/owned space
Activity that is outside ‘consumer’
Points of interest on a journey
Gathering spaces
Exploration
Learning spaces
Living/changeable nature – sense of unknown within a
safe environment
Spontaneity (safe)
Way finding
Self navigation
Very directional
Threatening to activity
Anonymous
Visual clutter
Prioritising cars
Speed within suburbs
No furniture within the city truly free – the third space
Passive surveillance
Rules – road rules
Legislation backed up by social change and vice versa
Social connectors
Camaraderie of spaces – skate parks
Transport routes for school kids
Hierarchy of zones/routes – new maps with new
hierarchies
Connecting green spaces – corridors
Create free spaces for different ages with special
activities – skate parks, community looking out for each
other, safe
Committments for the week ahead
Notice children/adults interacting in ‘city spaces’ or not.
What is it that appeals about... or ‘what if?’
Talk to family – discuss this forum
36
11. An
island of
Inventions:
Creative hub in
the City
An Island of Inventions: conceived
as a space for creativity, with games,
costumes, and workshops for making
toys, clothes, and recycled paper, as
well as visual arts and journalism
workshops. At all of these, the children
can play and the adults can join in.
What steps would be necessary to create
a space like this within Adelaide’s CBD,
and possibly other town centres?
What is creativity?
Usable spaces – ownership, safety, regulations
Funding
History and past knowledge
Individual beliefs and attitudes – not flexible in thinking
Policy
Safety – need to choose appropriate spaces; allowing
freedom and privacy but also maintaining safety;
physical safety – traffic etc
Culture of anxiety around public spaces and children
Multi-use creative park space – string of spaces
Need a number of undefined spaces – flexible
Look at spaces from a different perspective
Too much flexibility is a detriment – need some defined
purpose
Put something new in a space each week/month –
element of surprise and anticipation
City of Adelaide – assumption that we have squares, so
open space, but reality is these spaces are inaccessible to
creativity
Place unexpected things in a space ie giant boxes in a
park; targets on the ground encouraging you to look up –
hang something
Link between arts and activity
Music in a public space
Create ownership for a space – welcome people in
Provide the materials to create an object
Spaces outdoors could be better connected and draw
people into the buildings etc
Particular smell – triggers creativity
Inter-generational connections – a place for all
Public art that can be contributed to by children and
adults – create a sense of ownership (for all ages)
Create shared responsibility/community
Find spaces along most popular connectors/routes
String of spaces – encourages discovery, connection
between spaces
Inter-generational – activities that involve youngest to
oldest members of community/family
Create a secure, safe place while allowing creativity
Seats to observe – allows space to participate
Tables – multi-use for art/craft, picnics, workshops,
meetings
Retain a sense of heritage where appropriate but in a
blend of old and new – respect memories of the past for
users/create new for the young
We need to retain the wisdom, history, knowledge and
values that already exist – valuing the contributions of
the people who may use the space
Local government, artists, grandparents, parents, children,
educators, designers, community groups, treasure, police,
property owners, shop owners/businesses, transport, IT
experts, gardeners, environmental experts
Talk to Stephen Yarwood about parks within city square
mile and child/bike friendly West Tce crossing
Reflect further on the effectiveness of educational
provision and the efficiency of resource distribution
Research into creative cities and how to link it to child
and youth friendly. Also look into how to achieve better
communication and sharing of our company’s successes
for effective experiences, research, learning and evolution
into the future.
One liner
Expect the unexpected! A series of connected spaces
leading people on a journey of discovery in the city.
37
38
39
Social observation
12. Developing
independance
Research
Have children as part of the solution – multi-purpose
park
Being part of process will influence change
Changing the minds of decision makers, elected
members, politicians, cabinet
How do we ensure that our urban
environmental systems encourage
young people to develop independence
eg Bikes on Buses, so that young people
develop confidence and resilience, they
aren’t restricted by needing a parent/
carer to drive them where they want
to go, they have access to their local
amenities/facilities? What is needed to
do this; hardware, software?
How are the decisions made? consideration of
governance process, education of elected members,
community awareness of factors to inform decision
makers, currently don’t have ‘child perspective’ on
spending
Cycling becoming popular – capitalise on this popularity;
more paths and connections and accessible networks
Always question – who are we building for?
Bikes on ALL public transport
Activity centres – develop
Shared use facilities – capitalise on
Change of mindset – out of mind, out of sight – better
integrate with community
Human services planning and social impact assessment
Urban environment systems – movement, shopping,
entertainment, learning (in your environment)
The common (public) spaces
Can include private spaces too - backyards
Independence
Something they can do on their own
More than just transport
Approach from children’s citizenship – they make up
significant constituency in some council areas
Social infrastructure planning is largely undeveloped
in SA – scope to incorporate this in the development
process
Create children’s routes through/across urban places
– signpost them, design them for children with fun
activities and public art along the way – Christopher
Alexander’s A Pattern Language
Need champions to make the built environment fun –
integrate public art
Public toilets challenge
Regional more important that urban – no subsidies and
lack of services – children are disadvantaged
Schools planning - barrier within Education Department,
not doing planning now, reactive not proactive, need
collaboration, most transport is to and from school – can
we reduce this need? – forward planning will allow in
new master plan developments
Open schools after hours – resources for the whole
community
Transport planning is focussed on the vehicle not the
person
Ask children at school what they would change about
the built environment – what will help them and form a
committee for change
Re-read Christopher Alexander’s book A Pattern
Language
How will we get child’s voice into committee plan – work
out a way
Open space and public realm – communication strategy
– get engagement of children into the strategy through a
creative project
40
13.
Independent
access and
connectivity to
services
How can we ensure teenagers and
young adults can enjoy independent
access and connectivity to the services
designed for them?
Bringing services out into the public realm
True adaptability/flexibility of spaces – programming of
different usage day and night
Access to and from
Way finding issues – Youth Cultural Tour?
The services – Health, Homelessness, Arts, designing
youth friendly city, get youth involved with Adelaide City
Council in skate park design
Independent access – free of adults
Involving children in processes – by teens, for teens
As a society/designers observe how young people
interact/engage – ethnic and Indigenous groups
A ‘youth’ lens – youth impact statement
congregate – take away negative connotations
Look at a best practice model, child friendly city
engagement and consultation
Exposure of services
Involve youth in setting up services they require
Flexibility of spaces – street activation/surveillance
Using schools
Smart phones – apps
Social media – to create discussions and engage
Connect young people and designers, architects,
planners
Research existing services
41
14. Children’s
needs in increased
housing density
Given the trend toward living
environments of greater densities,
how do we ensure consideration of
children’s needs in developments of
increased housing density? What
evidence about health and wellbeing
outcomes is there for children living
in denser environments? How has the
disappearing backyard of detached
suburban housing impacted on
children’s outdoor activity?
Cultural value of the public space:
Traditionally not shared space
Governmental imposed vision of public space
Dominated by services
Size of apartments – building for investors
Diversity and adaptability
Not a ‘child focussed’ society
Needs:
- Quality open/public/private space
- Quality infrastructure/services
- Child advocates and youth advisory council directed at the built environment
- Translator for kids ideas
Relationship of mental health to high density living
Who’s responsible for child and youth friendly
developments? Market led approach vs long term
community approach to wellbeing
Cross government agreement on what is a ‘child friendly
city’ – engagement; design
Dealing with a wide variety of user groups in
concentrated environments
The notion of density is not sold well currently
Need to build children’s needs into the regulatory
planning system – relationship between children/youth
and policy models
Surveillance and safety
Rights based child/community focussed approach.
Guidelines/framework established for ‘child focussed’
planning/design
Participation activities; engagement, feedback, listening,
consult
One liners
Parental permission
‘Backyard philosophy’ to public space
Look at evidence elsewhere; higher density
environments
Empowerment of community for public space vision
Demonstration/precedent project
Tie overseas experience into what we try in SA to
support a higher density environment that’s friendly for
kids.
The world will be inherited by children, lets afford them
the right to design it and refine it.
Creating a place for adults starts through the eyes of the
child.
Successful high density. The presence of happy children
in increased housing density environments will be the
measure of our success.
Institute Building
Cnr of North Terrace
& Kintore Avenue Adelaide
South Australia 5000
+61(0)8 8463 6390
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.5000plus.net.au
www.integrateddesign.sa.gov.au
42

Child and Youth Friendly City Forum

Transcription

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