In this chapter Hart argues that the emphasis on children’s decision making with adults and consultation with adults in formal settings is a much too narrow view of children’s social participation for citizenship. Instead, a new vision of children’s social participation in the settings of their daily lives, from peer and family interactions and decision-making […]
Category: Publications
This paper explores the three-way relationship between poverty, the physical surroundings and children’s exposure to maltreatment, focusing primarily on the low income countries of the global South and discussing the implications for practice. The links between poverty and maltreatment have been widely acknowledged within the academic literature and in the child protection frameworks of agencies and organizations. Yet even so, this relationship is often something that is alluded […]
It is generally acknowledged that low-income countries and poor communities worldwide are most seriously at risk from the probable impacts of climate change. This is not because climate change will necessarily be more extreme in these places (although this will often be the case 1), but because people, their enterprises and the places they occupy […]
As the obesity epidemic in children increases, it is important to consider the role of neighborhoods in supporting children’s physical activity and healthy development, especially in low-income communities where obesity levels among children are higher than for their middle-income counterparts. I present a participatory and qualitative GIS approach to mapping children’s own perceptions and use […]
It is no coincidence that all prosperous nations are predominantly urban. Urbanization goes hand in hand with economic development Nations with the highest economic growth over the last few decades are also the nations that have urbanized most. No country has managed to move into middle income status without urbanizing and industrializing. The recent World […]
Referencing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as the basis to make cities more supportive of children’s needs, this paper discusses the emergence and characteristics of child friendly cities. It then reviews the development of an initiative in Denver, Colorado, to become the number one child friendly city in the USA, and […]
Children have agency. Recognising this, those promoting children’s rights advocate for their participation in the governance of their communities. How children and youth are engaged in governance activities takes different forms – with various degrees of success. Programmes and projects that promote children’s and youth’s engagement in governance (or CYEG) often come from a commitment to […]
This essay reaches into the complex issues of urban growth to ask how we can insert a better understanding of children’s needs and perspectives into the governance, planning and management of cities. The issue of how cities develop has distinct and serious implications for children. Children are more vulnerable to many of the hazards of […]
In the context of post-disaster reconstruction, there is growing awareness of the need for more integrated inclusive processes that allow people to retake control of their lives, and that ensure practical responses to local conditions. Yet, a range of pressures and challenges conspire to make these approaches appear unworkable. “Participation” in this context, if it […]
This handbook aims at contributing to disaster response reconstruction programmes that not only rebuild the physical living environment but that strengthen the capacity of communities to regain control of their own lives, with a focus on their children’s present and future well-being. It considers the Why, What, and How of planning for post-disaster reconstruction with […]
