Changing Cultures, Changing Spaces: Developing Neighbourhood Spaces for Children Using Community Social Learning

The emphasis in neighbourhood development initiatives on provision of services and environmental improvement does not appear to be getting to the underlying reasons why neighbourhood public space is not enjoyed as shared space by young people. We therefore need to rethink approaches to developing neighbourhood spaces for young people in ways that challenge assumptions and acknowledge the underlying complexity influencing children’s shared use of space. This paper uses Moss and Petrie’s theory of children’s spaces to widen the focus in neighbourhood development initiatives beyond the physical to include also social, cultural and discursive elements. It draws on findings from the Growing Up In Cities (GUIC) project to illustrate the importance of social dimensions to young people’s place experiences. It then draws on SOLAR’s work more widely to illustrate the value of a collaborative social learning and whole system action inquiry approach to developing neighbourhood space as shared space