ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the tradition of research in Western societies for the discussion of children’s and young people’s need for social inclusion and environmental provision in cities and city planning processes. It highlights the potential potency of urban planning and design in children’s and young people’s environmental and developmental experience. The chapter considers the importance of attending to the prevalence and quality of children’s environments – both indoor and outdoor – as these designed environments provide the context for most children’s lives in urban contexts. The recognition of children’s and young people’s ability to contribute to urban planning and design remains the province of committed individuals and one-off projects rather than being continuously embedded in professional practice. Modern urban life in most Western cultures is pressured, time poor, fast paced, highly structured, and centered on economic performance. As everyday citizens in every community, they have rights to their cities which need better recognition in urban planning and design.
