Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: The game is an initiator of social relations.It is the intermediary through which the relationship with the other is established, it plays the role of initiation to socialization for the child.The qualities of play experienced during childhood have consequences for future adults.The public space is considered for the child as a creative environment of innovative behaviors, inspiring new values.However, the Algerian city does not always allow the practice of games and spaces dedicated to children, often keep them away from urban life, the latter conveying a violent and aggressive image (kidnapping, rape, etc.), distancing the child from public spaces: «The child is increasingly confined to the house and in spaces specific to his activities; he acquires a fragmented image of his environment» (Dolto, 1998).The public space gradually becomes a space where the child is a spectator, not an actor.His possibilities of intervention in the space are currently reduced.Yet, the child could very well be «an active subject interacting with his environment», and not as «passively adapting to it.The relationship between public space and children has attracted our attention, because we have noticed how the unsuitability of public space for children is marked on several aspects (safety, atmosphere, morphology, form and structure...etc).This observation is centered on the quality of children's practices in these places.What is the place of the child in the design of public spaces in urban areas?Is the non-attendance of public spaces by children not caused by the non-integration of the child?This questioning is justified by the role played by this social group in the public space.This is essential to understanding the issues related to the design of adequate living environments for all.How can we improve the situation to make these public spaces more accessible and appropriate for children?What are the participation tools to consider?How can we ensure that children's voices are heard?What is the relevance of participatory approaches in the urban management of public spaces?In this paper, we will try to shed light on the questions raised above, based on the «best practice cases» approach.We will detail the approach of child participation as the main actor to be considered in improving public space.We hope to find appropriate mechanisms that can integrate the child into the design process of public space.
Authors: Dr. BOUKHELKHAL Islam, BENSID Imene
Institution: University of Constantine 3
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4318541392