Children and the City

Styl života ve městě a město samotné se za několik posledních dekád výrazně změnilo. Tato změna je obzvláště viditelná na životech dětí a mládeže. Ještě před pětadvaceti lety bylo zcela běžné potkávat děti hrající si bez doprovodu jejich rodičů na ulici před domem, na náměstí nebo v parku. Dnes je situace jiná.Children growing up in today´s cities have to cope with the challenges of the urban context that limits their independent mobility and play in the city. Car dominance, along with social and environmental threats, makes urban public space unattractive or even dangerous for children. Children's play in the city is segregated, diverted behind the fences of the formal play areas- playgrounds. These places lack appropriate affordances helping children to fulfil their potentials. As a result, children spend less time outdoors, they lack opportunities for free play and gathering with their friends, their movement around the city is dependent on the adult supervision. They are not allowed to spontaneously discover their surroundings and thus establish a relationship with their childhood city. The current lifestyle of children in the city leads to an increase in the negative impact on their health, causes alienation to nature, social isolation. The views of children are not taken into account when public space is designed, they are not involved in the decision-making processes regarding the environment in which they live