ABSTRACT
During the early weeks of the pandemic in Europe, childcare facilities and public playgrounds were closed, along with a range of other public institutions. Access to outdoor space, however, is vital, for both the physical and mental development of children. Lockdown, therefore, presented severe challenges to families. It significantly changed their routines and everyday geographies in addition to the overall dynamics of public space. In our paper, we present the general benefits of exposure to outdoor spaces amongst children and explore the impact of pandemic-related restrictions on the everyday life of children and families and the resulting adaptation and compensation strategies. Using the method of narrative maps, we analyse the everyday geographies of primary school children during lockdown. We propose the hypothesis that the use and appropriation of residential outdoor space increased during lockdown to compensate for the inaccessibility of other outdoor spaces. During this period, access to (good quality) outdoor space, especially within densely populated urban areas, became a privilege. Given the strong likelihood that pandemics will reoccur in future, we will draw conclusions as to the requirements and desirable qualities of outdoor space, during and beyond lockdown.
