This article challenges two representations: one of rural communities as inclusive, closer to nature and therefore ideal places for young people to grow up in and the concomitant representation of urban areas as the antithesis of community, as alienating, distanced from nature and therefore not ideal for young people to grow up in. The results are presented from both rural and urban case studies, giving particular attention to young people's experiences of public space. Specifically, the article examines how young people describe the sites where they `hang out', and their experiences of inclusion and exclusion at these sites.
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