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Exploring the Fourth Environment: Young People's Use of Place and Views on Their Environments
Researchers: Dr Melanie Limb, Professor Hugh Matthews, Mr Mark Taylor
Centre for Children and Youth, Nene College of Higher Education
Contact: Professor Hugh Matthews
Centre for Children and Youth, Nene College of Higher Education, Park Campus, Northampton NN2 7AL
Tel: 01604 735500 ext 2514, Fax: 01604 720636, Email: Hugh.Matthews@nene.ac.uk
Duration of Research: October 1996 - September 1999
Background Information
Despite a body of research on child development, which highlights the singular needs of children and adolescents, most large-scale environments are designed to reflect only adult values and usages. Young people are seemingly invisible on the landscape, provided only with 'token spaces', often inappropriate to their needs and aspirations. This project sets out to investigate the environment as children and adolescents (9-16 year olds) 'see it' and how they make use of place. Attention will focus on the 'fourth environment', those public places beyond the home, school and playground. We contend that only through consultation of this kind will young people become full and integrated users of and participants in their local environments. Also, unless generational groups of this nature are involved in the planning process they will remain as 'outsiders' within society.
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Study Design
The project involves both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. A survey of 1200 young people aged between 9 and 16 is to be undertaken. The population will be drawn from three contrasting localities within Northamptonshire: inner suburban, suburban (edge of town council estates) and rural. This information will be supplemented by three site surveys focusing on young people on the streets, in shopping malls and in leisure centres, and by observational studies. From each locality a panel of young people will be recruited in order to take part in discussion groups which will provide an in-depth and qualitative perspective on many of the issues raised by the questionnaire and the other surveys. In addition, young people from each locality will be encouraged to record their place behaviour in environmental diaries, to make an environmental video, and to take part in an environmental exchange. A panel of parents/guardians from each locality will be invited to discuss their care-taking conventions and the ways in which they define environmental boundaries for children. Consultations with local planners and service providers, in order to determine how they take into account children's points of view, are integral to the study.
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Policy And Academic Implications
This research builds upon multi-disciplinary research on young people and their environment; contributes to the collection of a new body of data to assist knowledge and understanding; encourages the development of new research methods which are sensitive to young people's own perspectives; enables links to be established with a number of projects within the locality which target young people as place users; and will complement other research initiatives within an international context, looking critically at experiments in other countries involving children's participation in planning. In addition, the project will seek to inform policy makers about young people's relationship with their physical and built environments and suggest mechanisms that will empower young people in their attempts to articulate their place needs. Underpinning the work is the belief that children and adolescents are capable of participatory citizenship from a young age, especially within their localities. A goal of the project is to establish an enduring country-wide network of environmental youth forums.