Русский
English
This article explores how preschool children perceive the urban environment and how urban space influences the development of their autonomy. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from urban planning, environmental psychology, and child development, the study analyzes the ways young children interact with and interpret their everyday urban surroundings. A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, including semi-structured interviews, children’s drawings, and content and cluster analyses. The empirical study was conducted with a sample of 130 preschool children aged 4-6 years living in the central districts of Baku. The findings demonstrate that children’s urban experiences are largely shaped by interactions with parents and close relatives, while environmental awareness is strongly influenced by intergenerational factors, particularly the role of grandparents. Limited opportunities for independent interaction with urban objects and spaces lead many children to compensate through imaginative constructions of an idealized, fairy-tale city. Children’s perceptions reveal early sensitivities to environmental problems, social behavior in public spaces, and the availability of safe and accessible areas for play and communication. The results highlight that children’s views of the city serve as an important indicator of how urban environments support or constrain cognitive, emotional, and social development. The study emphasizes the necessity of incorporating children’s perspectives into urban planning and social policy, offering practical implications for the design of inclusive, child-friendly, and sustainable urban environments.
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34. Nilsen R.D., Prout A. Children, autonomy and urban space. Children’s Geographies. 2020. 18 (4). P. 355 – 370. DOI: 10.1080/14733285.2019.1657010
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38. Sharmin S., Kamruzzaman M. Association between built environment and children’s independent mobility. Journal of Transport Geography. 2017. 61. P. 104 – 117. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2017.04.004
39. Witten K., Carroll P., Calder-Dawe O. Children’s voices in urban design. Cities & Health. 2020. 4 (2). P. 291 – 304. DOI: 10.1080/23748834.2019.1586323
40. Skar M., Gundersen V., O’Brien L. Children’s connectedness to urban nature. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2022. 69. 127498. DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127498
41. Smith L., Foley L., Panter J. Neighbourhood perceptions and children’s outdoor play. BMC Public Health. 2021. 21. 1234. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11229-w
42. Gopinath B., Hardy L., Baur L. Urban form, screen time and outdoor play. Preventive Medicine. 2020. P. 131. 105932. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105932
43. Stanley R., Smith M., Kearns R. Children evaluating urban green spaces. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2020. P. 54, 126779. DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126779
44. Tranter P., Sharpe S. Child-friendly mobility. Journal of Transport Geography. 2020. P. 85. 102730. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo. 2020.102730
45. Tranter P., Whitelegg J. Sustainability and child mobility. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2020. P. 52. 101849. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2019.101849
46. Wang S., Lee J. Exploring preschool children’s environmental perceptions. Children’s Geographies. 2021. 19 (6). P. 747 – 763. DOI: 10.1080/14733285.2020.1752332
2. Cooper A.R., Sharples L., Hillman M. Built environment attributes and children’s mobility. Transport Policy. 2022. 119. P. 1 – 10. DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2022.01.016
3. Ergler C., Freeman C., Murray L., Devereux M. Children's relational experiences in urban public spaces. Urban Studies. 2020. 57 (12). 2564 – 2582. DOI: 10.1177/0042098019883929
4. Bhosale J., Duncan S. Neighbourhood experiences and participatory mapping. Health & Place. 2020. 64. 102362. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102362
5. Feng J., Astell-Burt T. Green space exposure and children’s mental well-being. Health & Place. 2023. 79. 102969. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.102969
6. Chaudhury M., Banerjee A. Urban design and children’s place experience. Journal of Urban Design. 2021. 26 (6). P. 729 – 749. DOI: 10.1080/13574809.2021.1874986
7. Ergler C.R., Freeman C., Murray L., Banwell K. Children’s everyday experiences in urban public spaces. Urban Studies. 2021. 58 (8). P. 1573 – 1591. DOI: 10.1177/0042098020914545
8. Fagerholm N., Broberg A., Kyttä M. Children’s place-based perceptions. Applied Geography. 2019. P. 112. 102089. DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2019.102089
9. Fane J., MacDougall C., Jovanovic J., Redmond G., Gibbs L. Preschool children’s accounts of their own wellbeing: Are current indicators applicable? Child Indicators Research. 2020. 13 (6). P. 1893 – 1920. DOI: 10.1007/s12187-020-09735-7
10. Feng X., Astell-Burt T. Urban green space and children's psychological wellbeing. Health & Place. 2020. 63. 102351. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102351
11. Freeman C., Tranter P. Children and their urban environment. Urban Studies Review. 2020. 44(3). P. 220 – 245. DOI: 10.1177/0042098020921233
12. Savahl S., Adams S., Florence M., Casas F., Mpilo M., Isobell D., Manuel D. Children’s participation in daily activities and subjective well-being. Child Indicators Research. 2020. 13 (4). 1283 – 1312. DOI: 10.1007/s12187-019-09699-3
13. Fyhri A., Hjorthol R. Children’s independent mobility—Changes across generations. Transport Policy. 2019. 76. P. 70 – 78. DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2019.01.003
14. Hart R., Liddiard K. Children’s play ecologies in dense cities. Environment and Behavior. 2021. 53 (7). P. 747 – 774. DOI: 10.1177/0013916520942641
15. Veitch J., Salmon J., Ball K. Children’s outdoor play barriers in urban settings. Public Health. 2020. 186. P. 87 – 94. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2020.05.016
16. Hofferth S., Sandberg J. Time outdoors and children’s psychosocial functioning. Child Indicators Research, 2022. 15. P. 221 – 240. DOI: 10.1007/s12187-021-09817-0
17. Karsten L. From “streets for children” to “child-friendly cities.” Cities. 2021. P. 108. 102969. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2020.102969
18. Woolley H., Lowe A. Exploring the relationship between design approach and play value of outdoor play spaces. Landscape Research. 2013. 38 (1). P. 53 – 74.
19. Collins R., Kearns R. Walking school buses and spatial autonomy. Social Science & Medicine. 2020. P. 265, 113448. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113448
20. Ikeda E., Hinckson E., Witten K. Quality of urban environments and children’s spatial experiences. Health & Place. 2019. P. 58. 102152. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102152
21. Ikeda E., Stewart T., Hinckson E. Spatial factors affecting children’s outdoor activity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020. 17 (16). 5800. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17165800
22. Jans M. Children as active citizens in cities. Childhood. 2020. 27 (1) P. 102 – 119. DOI: 10.1177/0907568219884144
23. Kristian N., Ikeda E., Stewart T. Perceptions of safety in urban outdoor spaces. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020. 17 (21). 8201. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17218201
24. Kyttä M., Oliver M., Ikeda E., Ahmadi E., Omiya I., Laatikainen T. Children’s active travel and safety. Journal of Transport & Health. 2018. 10. P. 17 – 25. DOI: 10.1016/j.jth.2018.05.004
25. Lambert A., Vlaar J., Herrington S., Brunelle S. Children’s perspectives on urban green spaces. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2023. P. 86. 101967. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.101967
26. Liao B., Hsu H., Chiang Y. Urban play spaces and children's development. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2022. P. 225. 104457. DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104457
27. Mandic S., Hopkins D., Garcia Bengoechea E., et al. Independent mobility and wellbeing. Cities. 2021. P. 111. 103090. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2021.103090
28. Marzi I., Reimers A. Independent mobility trends. Children’s Geographies. 2020. 18 (5). P. 539–556. DOI: 10.1080/14733285.2019.1695750
29. Marzi I., Rezaei M. Children’s independent mobility: A systematic review. Cities. 2023. P. 137. 104237. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2023.104237
30. Villanueva K., Badland H., Hooper P., Giles-Corti B. Child-friendly cities review. Urban Policy and Research. 2019. 37 (1). P. 1 – 20. DOI: 10.1080/08111146.2018.1532002
31. McCrorie P., Fenton C., Ellaway A. Urban experiences via participatory mapping. Health & Place. 2020. P. 66. 102461. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102461
32. Haughton C., Hadfield-Hill S. Children’s feelings of safety in cities. Children’s Geographies. 2021. 19(3). P. 308 – 324. DOI: 10.1080/14733285.2020.1756822
33. Moreira A.L., Yunes M.A.M., Nascimento C.R. , Bedin L.M. Children’s subjective well-being, peer relationships and resilience. Child Indicators Research. 2021. 14 (5). P. 1723 – 1742. DOI: 10.1007/s12187-021-09843-y
34. Nilsen R.D., Prout A. Children, autonomy and urban space. Children’s Geographies. 2020. 18 (4). P. 355 – 370. DOI: 10.1080/14733285.2019.1657010
35. Ray S., Saha S., Banerjee D. Urban environmental stress in children. Environment and Behavior. 2021. 53 (4). P. 437 – 460. DOI: 10.1177/0013916520937453
36. Rees G., Savahl S., Casas F. Children’s subjective well-being in urban settings. Child Indicators Research. 2023. 16.P. 1559 – 1578. DOI: 10.1007/s12187-022-09953-4
37. Richardson E. A., Pearce J., Mitchell R., et al. Outdoor play spaces and children’s wellbeing. Environment International. 2020. P. 140. 105715. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105715
38. Sharmin S., Kamruzzaman M. Association between built environment and children’s independent mobility. Journal of Transport Geography. 2017. 61. P. 104 – 117. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2017.04.004
39. Witten K., Carroll P., Calder-Dawe O. Children’s voices in urban design. Cities & Health. 2020. 4 (2). P. 291 – 304. DOI: 10.1080/23748834.2019.1586323
40. Skar M., Gundersen V., O’Brien L. Children’s connectedness to urban nature. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2022. 69. 127498. DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127498
41. Smith L., Foley L., Panter J. Neighbourhood perceptions and children’s outdoor play. BMC Public Health. 2021. 21. 1234. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11229-w
42. Gopinath B., Hardy L., Baur L. Urban form, screen time and outdoor play. Preventive Medicine. 2020. P. 131. 105932. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105932
43. Stanley R., Smith M., Kearns R. Children evaluating urban green spaces. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2020. P. 54, 126779. DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126779
44. Tranter P., Sharpe S. Child-friendly mobility. Journal of Transport Geography. 2020. P. 85. 102730. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo. 2020.102730
45. Tranter P., Whitelegg J. Sustainability and child mobility. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2020. P. 52. 101849. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2019.101849
46. Wang S., Lee J. Exploring preschool children’s environmental perceptions. Children’s Geographies. 2021. 19 (6). P. 747 – 763. DOI: 10.1080/14733285.2020.1752332
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