CHILDREN`S RIGHT TO THE CITY

BARNS RÄTT TILL STADEN - Om arkitekturpedagogik som demokratisk metod i Göteborg
CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO THE CITY
Architecture pedagogics as a democratic method in Gothenburg
Architecture is all around us and affects us. Knowledge of architecture and the planning process gives us
tools to participate in discussions about the city's design and also in decisions affecting our local
environment.
The year 2002, the City of Gothenburg employed Sweden’s first architecture advisor for children and youth.
Her task is to inspire teachers to work with architecture as a subject in school and decision makers to involve
young people in the planning of the city. She works together with a number of architects with special
interest and knowledge of communicating architecture with children and young people. They call the
method architecture pedagogics.
In this book we have gathered different examples of architectural projects involving children and young
people, realized in Gothenburg during the years 2002-2009. The architects who participated in these
projects tell us about their experiences and describe their working methods.
With this book we hope to inspire others to work with architecture pedagogics as a method involving
children and young people in the building of our common spaces in the city.
Written media
Sweden / Göteborg
Authors: Mania Teimouri and
Mie Svennberg
Göteborgs Stad, Kultur - The City of
Gothenburg, Arts and cultural affairs.
MOVIUM - Centre for the Urban
Public Space at the Swedish University
of Agricultural Sciences.
Additional authors: Rebecka Graf,
Titti Olsson, Stefan Petersson,
Pia Schmidtbauer, Lisa Åhlström and
Marie Örjefelt.
5-18 years, different age groups in the
various projects.
Knowledge of architecture helps children
and young people to understand the built
environment and to express their own
thoughts about how it should be developed.
Since 2002, the interest has increased to
work with architecture as a subject in school
and to involve young people in the planning
of the city . This book has been a great help
to spread knowledge in Gothenburg, Sweden
and the Nordic Countries of how to work
with architecture pedagogics to enhance
children’s rights in a democratic society.
A total of 3000 children in all projects
between the years 2002 - 2009.
1h lessons or 15h in several gatherings,
different in the various projects.
A few pages from the book showing examples from different projects:
1 I en annan del av Vasaparken
When the city wanted to restore the parc,
a group of young people where engaged
in the process (pages 116 -127).
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2 Bygg hus som Mulle Meck
Young children in the preschool are
making plans for a real house and then
build it (pages 58-61).
3 and 4 Södra Älvtranden i Ungas Ögon
Around 300 children and young people
from different schools made suggestions
to the development of the old harbour
area in Gothenburg (pages 98-113).
5 Arkitektursommarskola i fyra väderstreck
During one week at the summer holidays, children from
different parts of the city are building huts together with
architects and artists (pages 77-81).
6 Barnen vet mest om vad som är bäst på förskolans gård
The children were involved in the mapping and the
planning of their preschool yard (pages 42-45).
7 Playce & Taking Playce
Over hundred high school students participated in
workshops together with 30 foreign architects. The task
was to define a tolerant, flourishing and accessible city. The
results were presented to planners and decision makers in
the city (pages 130-135).
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