The Right to the City for Children: Urban Spaces Through the Eyes of the Young
El derecho a la ciudad para la infancia: espacios urbanos desde la mirada de los niños
Keywords:
Right to the city, Child participation, Urban play spaces, Intergenerational equity, Participatory urban designAbstract
This study explores children’s participation in urban planning and their right to safe and inclusive public spaces, focusing on unique case studies from cities known for child-centered urban initiatives, such as Bogotá (Colombia), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Curitiba (Brazil). Employing participatory action research with children—including workshops, mapping exercises, and interviews—the research highlights how urban spaces can either foster or hinder children’s play, mobility, and social interaction. By centering children’s lived experiences and perspectives, the study challenges traditional adult-centric urban planning paradigms. The novelty lies in its comparative approach that connects diverse urban policies and grassroots practices aimed at promoting safe play environments and equitable access to the city. This research contributes to advancing the discourse on the right to the city, emphasizing intergenerational justice and participatory urban design that values children as active urban citizens.
Este estudio investiga la participación infantil en la planificación urbana y su derecho a espacios públicos seguros e inclusivos, con casos destacados en ciudades reconocidas por iniciativas urbanas centradas en la infancia, como Bogotá (Colombia), Copenhague (Dinamarca) y Curitiba (Brasil). A través de métodos participativos, que incluyen talleres, mapeo y entrevistas con niños, la investigación evidencia cómo los espacios urbanos pueden favorecer o limitar el juego, la movilidad y la interacción social infantil. Al poner en el centro las experiencias y perspectivas de los niños, el estudio desafía paradigmas urbanos tradicionales centrados en adultos. La originalidad radica en su enfoque comparativo, que conecta políticas urbanas y prácticas comunitarias diversas orientadas a promover entornos seguros para el juego y el acceso equitativo a la ciudad. Esta investigación aporta al debate sobre el derecho a la ciudad, destacando la justicia intergeneracional y el diseño urbano participativo que reconoce a los niños como ciudadanos activos.
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