Paper short abstract:

Using thematic and qualitative GIS-based analyses of map-based focus groups, this study examines the link between neighbourhood built environment and school children’s everyday experiences in a Turkish urban context to provide evidence and new insights towards child-friendly neighbourhoods.

Paper long abstract:

Previous research has shown that children's present and future healthy behaviours, such as physical activity and opportunities for social cohesion, are heavily influenced by the neighbourhoods in which they live, learn, and play. Although several urban design and planning indices, such as community spaces, green infrastructures and traffic measures that prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, have been identified as the design principles of pedestrian-friendly cities and neighbourhoods, the links between urban forms and the promotion of children's active behaviours remain unclear. This is due, in part, to a lack of understanding regarding children's experiences and perceptions of their environments, as the majority of the existing literature is adult-centric.

This study focuses on the daily experiences of children (aged 9-12) living in physically and socially diverse neighbourhoods of low-to-average income in Ankara, Turkey. Drawing on the findings from thematic and qualitative GIS-based analyses of 40 participatory map-based focus groups, this study aims to better understand the role of neighbourhood design in children’s everyday experiences. By visualising the spatiality of children's perceptions and thematically discussing specific neighbourhood and street-design features that may facilitate positive and negative aspects of children's everyday experiences in a Turkish context, this child-centred study adds to the limited body of research on children's perspectives on specific urban form features supportive of active behaviours. Our findings provide evidence on the benefits and limitations of specific neighbourhood- and street-level interventions towards child-friendly cities, which could inform practitioners and policymakers on how to apply more effective behaviour change interventions.