Methods for evaluating responses of children with outdoor environments

Articles on children's environment during the past 26 years provide valuable insights into methods of evaluating outdoor environments. The paper presents a review of twenty studies on methods applied to elicit data of children's interaction in the environments. Generally, the methods can be categorized into two major types: visual and structured. The former comprises of behavioural mapping, photographing and observation which can be considered as qualitative. The structured method includes questionnaire, structured interviews and instruments which can be viewed as quantitative. Combining the visual and structured methods allow a researcher to construct the validity and reliability of the research design

Out of Place? The Effects of Demolition on Youths’ Social Contacts and Leisure Activities—A Case Study in Utrecht, the Netherlands

Most Dutch cities have adopted urban restructuring policies aimed at creating a socially mixed population in deprived neighbourhoods. This entails the demolition of low-cost, social rented housing units, which leads to the displacement of their residents. While researchers have investigated the social effects of displacement on adults, this study is the first to provide insight into the effects on youths. The findings indicate that, although the first months after displacement youths lose some social contacts and stop participating in certain leisure activities, they show high levels of flexibility and soon make new friends and take up leisure activities in their new neighbourhood. No differences were found in friendships and leisure activities between displaced youths and those in a control group of non-displaced youths as reported at the time of the study. This confirms that in the long term the effects of displacement are limited

Relationship between the neighbourhood built environment and early child development

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd The relationship between features of the neighbourhood built environment and early child development was investigated using area-level data from the Australian Early Development Census. Overall 9.0% of children were developmentally vulnerable on the Physical Health and Well-being domain, 8.1% on the Social Competence domain and 8.1% on the Emotional Maturity domain. After adjustment for socio-demographic factors, Local Communities with the highest quintile of home yard space had significantly lower odds of developmental vulnerability on the Emotional Maturity domain. Residing in a Local Community with fewer main roads was associated with a decrease in the proportion of children developmentally vulnerable on the Social Competence domain. Overall, sociodemographic factors were more important than aspects of the neighbourhood physical environment for explaining variation between Local Communities in the developmental vulnerability of children

Families in flats, revisited

10.1080/00420980601131860Urban Studies443569-58