Whose neighbourhood? Whose quality of life? Developing a new agenda for children's health in urban settings

Abstract

Children and young people have been conceptualised in urban planning as problems and the result has been their marginalisation and increasing exclusion from a hostile urban environment. We need to learn more about their needs and aspirations, if health promoters and urban policy-makers are to transform children's environments and improve their quality of life. This study reports on findings from a semi-structured questionnaire completed by 9-11-year-olds and 13-14-year-olds in a major UK city. It explores how children spend their leisure time, how they use their local areas, what activities they value, how they travel and how they view health and quality of life. It suggests that declining participation in organised sport may be a less serious issue for health promoters than the more widespread evidence of children's inactivity, lack of access and sense of insecurity and fear. Such factors are endangering their health, both social and physical, and justify a new urban agenda through which children and young people can be empowered.