Child-Friendly Urban Landscapes

The Meaning of Child-Friendly Urban Open Spaces and the Opportunities for Implementing Initiatives in Hungary

Abstract

There is an increasing emphasis on children’s perspectives in the urban open space design around the world. Despite the fact that children's development is greatly influenced by the environment in which they grow up, children hardly have an opportunity to determine or contribute to the shaping of their environment. The next generation’s personal attachment to the landscape is fundamental to build a responsible and sustainable future. In this paper, a brief overview is provided to show the evolution of how children were playing in the city in different historical periods around the world. Focusing on the outdoor play activity, it can be said that we can distinguish free play and structured play in the urban open spaces. It is also clear that with the phenomena of motorization and urbanization in the 20th century, the urban landscape for children has dramatically changed. Children’s opportunities to play outdoors in cities are diminishing and constrained in most cases. The idea of child-friendly cities is becoming more and more prominent nowadays and designers are looking for alternatives to compensate the negative phenomena. There are many researches and initiatives around the world addressing the topic of child-friendliness. Our study presents and interprets the two main directives currently in force. One of them aims at increasing the quantity and improving the quality of urban open spaces dedicated to children, with standardization and regulation in the focus. This approach aims to create new rules and professional guidelines that can be followed. On the other hand, the other directive focuses more on the coordination of processes and seeks ways to improve playability of the overall urban open space in the city. This approach emphasizes the importance of social engagement and the involvement of young people and children in the processes. After the theories, the research introduces the Hungarian context, and through the example of Budapest evaluates and interprets various practical strategies for a child-friendly city. Examining the principles that shape child-friendly cities it correlates the general theories with the Hungarian context. Based on the survey of the density and distribution of existing child-friendly elements, the research identifies the most important development opportunities for Budapest. The paper reviews the relevant regulations and legal instruments that determine urban development in Hungary, and points out the most important opportunities where child-friendliness could be supported. In doing so, the research draws attention to the importance of the duality of the systems approach and participation, as these methods can be used to achieve both qualitative and quantitative improvement. Urban landscapes that put children’s perspectives first are safer, more exciting and active. The presence of children in urban open spaces also facilitates the socialization of parents, increases community interactions, and therefore it can be seen as a social catalyst in the urban environment. What is good for children is also good for adults. When it comes to design, child-friendly urban open spaces need creativity and for the designers to think out of the box.