Postures et trajectoires urbaines : La place des enfants et adolescents dans la fabrique de la ville

Abstract

Research Framework : Many authors prefer to focus on the acrimonious relationship that exists betweenchildren and the city. This narrative is given as a story of eviction, particularly in the latter half of the 20thcentury, and the ubiquitous arrival of motorized traffic ; a phenomenon that has only accelerated over time. It isa radical separation between a before, which represents a golden age for children where the city revolvedaround them, and an after were children are represented as being shut in at home, forbidden from playing inthe street and connected to the world via their smartphones and tablets. Despite this alarmist discourse, it isimportant to remember that children and adolescents continue to explore and socialize within their citiesregardless of whether they are not (or are no longer) in the majority. Objectives : This introductory article to "Exploring the City : Children and Adolescents' Relationship with PublicSpaces"is designed to present the state of research as well as paths of reflection and innovative actions onhow children and adolescents experience the city, the way they act and how they are influenced bycontemporary spaces. Methodology : The introductory article is based on a review of work done in the fields of anthropology, history,geography, architecture and urban studies, all of which discuss the relationship between urban spaces andchildren and adolescents. This analysis is juxtaposed by ongoing projects that ask the opinions of youths toestablish a consensus-building approach to urbanism and urban redevelopment in cities, metropolises andmegacities. Results : By including all age groups (children and adolescents) as well as the types of spaces that are generallykept separate, the articles presented herein ask us to consider several important aspects including : thepresence of youths in urban spaces, the standardization, regulation and gamification of certain public spaces ;the appeal of closed spaces (interiors, shopping centres) and their appropriation ; the practise of physicalactivities ; autonomous mobility ; the interest in digital media and familial injunctions to assess the influence ofparents and siblings on the relationships that young people have with the city. Conclusions : This article focuses on the necessity of taking an intersectional approach that considers a broadrange of variables including gender, age and socio-geographical origin, race in particular, to analyze therelationships between children and adolescents and public spaces. Here we reveal the importance of thepassage between interior spaces (homes, schools, youth homes, recreational centres, etc.) and exterior spaces,whether the exploration of streets, parks, gardens and shopping malls remains possible as well studying therelations and tension that exist between families and children, between youths and the managers of thesespaces, between youths with and without adult supervision and between youths and adult users of publicspaces as both actors and witnesses. Contribution: This article takes a look at the societal and anthropological issues that affect the relationshipbetween public spaces and children and teens in over a dozen cities located in Europe, North America,Northern Africa and the Middle East. It identifies paths of exploration and paths of implementation on thistopic. Tous droits réservés