Rethinking the City through the Eyes of Young Children

A research seminar co-organized by the Environment, Health, & Society Research Theme (School of Geography) and the Global Childhoods Research Group (School of Education), University of Nottingham

Invited Speaker: Dr Christina R. Ergler, The University of Otago, New Zealand

As more children grow up in cities, designing urban environments that meet their needs has become increasingly crucial. However, young children's experiences and visions for liveable, resilient, and inclusive cities are often overlooked in urban planning. This paper presents a participatory research project with 76 children (aged 3–4 years) from Dunedin and Wellington, New Zealand, challenging traditional top-down urban planning approaches and advocating for a more radical, participatory model that prioritizes young children’s voices. Through a tile-based mapping exercise and a photo-elicitation activity, children shared how they experience and envision their cities—ranging from imaginative constructions to realistic urban representations. The photographs they took offer a unique lens through which we can view their urban environments, providing rich insights into their everyday experiences, spatial interactions, and the ways in which social and built environments shape their lives. By centering children’s perspectives, this research highlights the importance of inclusive urban design that fosters well-being, play, and connection. It calls for cities that support the flourishing and resilience of both human communities and the more-than-human world, paving the way for more just, equitable, and child-friendly urban futures.

*Lunch will be provided for free from 12-1 pm with networking opportunities.

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