Factors that adversely affect visits to public squares include delinquency, xenophobia, limited space and poor design.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This work - part of a wider project aimed at engaging first year primary school pupils in public open-space design - explores the perceptions of junior primary school children as to the urban square.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Data collection tools comprised semi-structured interviews, sketches and storytelling via puppet-animation.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:Factors that adversely affect visits to public squares include delinquency, xenophobia, limited space and poor design.
This work - part of a wider project aimed at engaging first year primary school pupils in public open-space design - explores the perceptions of junior primary school children as to the urban square. Data collection tools comprised semi-structured interviews, sketches and storytelling via puppet-animation. Our findings have shown that - according to the perceptions of the children - the square displays the advantages and disadvantages of public open spaces both structurally and in terms of its layout, while its functions are linked to children’s play, leisure, events and socialization. Factors that adversely affect visits to public squares include delinquency, xenophobia, limited space and poor design.
PAPAGEORGIOU, N., GALANI, A., MAVRIKAKI, E. (2016). Junior Primary Greek School Pupils’ Perceptions of the City’s Public Open Spaces and Especially of the Urban Square: A Case Study. Review of International Geographical Education Online, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 1, 49–66. https://ajindex.com/articles/1004649
Al-Arasi, H. A. (2013). A Study on Children’s perception of their local living environment. Graduate Dissertation, Faculty of Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation of the University of Twente, Netherlands, Retrieved from http://www.itc.nl/library/papers_ 2013/msc/upm/alarasi.pdf. Allen, W. (2003). Plant blindness. BioScience, 53(10), 926. Altman, I. and Zube, E.H. (1989).
Atmatzakis, K. (2007). Pedi, pachnidi ke anaptyksi [Child, play and growth], BA thesis, Physiotherapy Department, TEI of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki. Berelson, B. (1952). Content analysis in communication research. New York: The Free Press.
City of Vancouver, Land Use and Development Policies and Guidelines. (1992). Plaza design guidelines. Retrieved from http://vancouver.ca/docs/planning/plaza-design-guidelines- 1992-november-17.pdf. Cohen, L., L. Manion, and Morrison, K. (2000). Research Methods in Education [5th edt] London: Routledge Falmer. Danish Architecture Centre. (2009). Architectural Exhibition: “New Urban Spaces” – “Future works and urban spaces”. Retrieved from http://www.dac.dk/.
Delladetsimas, P.M. (2009). E Asfales Poles [Safe Cities] Sextant Eds. Athens. Ehrlén, K. (2009). "Drawings as representations of children's conceptions." International Journal of Science Education, 31 (1), 41-57. doi:10.1080/09500690701630455 Exarchopoulou, E., Vamvakidou, I. Kyridis, A. Mavrikaki, E. and Bessas, D. (2003). E symboli tu kuklotheatru stin Agogi Hygeas kata ten Proscholeki helikea. To Paradegma tes diatrofes [The contribution of puppet theatre in Pre-schoolers’ Health Education. The case study of diet] Sychroni Ekpaideusi, 132-133: 39-46.
Farnsley, A. E., & Demerath, N. J., Diamond, E., Mapes, M.L., & Wedam, E. (2004).
Sacred Circles, Public Squares: The Multicentering of American Religion. Indiana, In.: The Polis Center, Indiana University Press.
Forbus, K., J. Usher, A. Lovett, K. Lockwood, & Wetzel, J. (2011). "Cogsketch: Sketch understanding for cognitive science research and for education." Topics in Cognitive Science 3 (4): 648-666. doi:10.1111/j.1756-8765.2011.01149. Galani, A. (2014). Ta pedia geo-graphun: Mia meleti gia tin plateah Deksamenis sto choro keh sto chrono [Children’s geographies: A study about Deksameni square in space and time] in Honorary edited volume for Professor Emeritus A. Katsikis University of Ioannina. Gillian, Th., and Thompson, G. (2004). “A Child's Place: