Parallel Session 2.4
Monday 20 November – 14.00 – 15.30
Unfolding children’s creativity to build more inclusive cities and public spaces
Piera Medina – Founder and executive director of Fundación Escala Común in Chile
Carole Gurdon – Director of research and studies in Fundación Escala Común in Chile
Escala Común is a Chilean based non-profit organisation and a collaborative platform advocating for child friendly cities and children’s participation in urban planning. Through innovative methodologies, the foundation seeks to highlight
children’s creativity and voices, defending their concerns on urban spaces, and expanding their role as urban experts. Reflecting on the latest playful methodologies of co-creation that were developed by Escala Común in the last years, they will be discussing the importance of unfolding children’s creativity to contribute to a wide range of child friendly cities and public spaces, reinforcing their role as inhabitants and
citizens.
MAPEA 2023
Natalya Critchley – Visual and social artist
MAPEA is an artists-activists-facilitator led method of art-mapping workshops held with urban communities, exploring and raising awareness of our surroundings through creative practice. This approach develops our ability to appreciate and evaluate our environment, emphasising ecological issues. Through a multi-disciplinary method using theatre exercises, community walkabouts and painting of large-scale collective maps we work together as a group in a half-day workshop.
We aim to begin a conversation that gives youth in underserved communities tools for participating in decision-making processes for recuperation and use of public space.
The disruptive effects of migration on children’s identities
Wadha Almutawa – PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania
This presentation addresses the disruptive effects of migration on children’s identities, particularly the challenges of instability and discrimination. By examining European models of city reconstruction, with a focus on English landscape architect Lady Allen of Hurtwood’s work, I highlight the transformative role of adventure playgrounds in fostering imaginative and creative play as catalysts for urban redevelopment. Through the analysis of historiographic archival materials, I demonstrate how these inclusive and participatory spaces empower children, enabling them to shape their environment and contribute to their communities. The research argues that contemporary bottom-up planning can address social, cultural, pedagogical, and urban challenges, benefiting displaced children and mitigating migration’s negative consequences.