Send message to Authors

Short abstract:

Through interviews and ethnographic work, we focus on revealing how, in Chile, urban designs for children often overlook their diverse needs. Here we argue that by incorporating their perspectives and embracing otherness, we can foster reciprocal care between inhabitants and their urban environment.

Long abstract:

Historically, Latin American cities have lacked comprehensive urban planning, resulting in disjointed urban spaces and flows. In Chile, urban space production has lacked foresight into its consequences. Instead, it's primarily driven by individual efforts, later socialized by powerful groups, typically characterized by a traditional humanistic perspective, leaving little room for otherness. As a result, urban spaces are often perceived by minorities such as children, the disabled, and marginalized groups as alienating and neglectful of their bodies, experiences, and abilities.

In this presentation, we draw on empirical data from an ongoing investigation into childhood, care, and urban spaces in Chile. We focus on how urban spaces designed for children are primarily based on abstractions and normalizations of childhood and otherness, both human and non-human. To explore this, we employ expert interviews and ethnographic work with children regarding their usage, imagination, practices, and emotions in these spaces. We examine how they envision the transformation of these spaces alongside other commonly overlooked actors with whom they share these environments.

Building upon advancements in 'care' and 'attentiveness' from Science and Technology Studies (STS) and posthumanist theory, we contend that a heightened sensitivity to the needs of others can facilitate the creation of more caring cities. By embracing otherness and incorporating diverse perspectives, we can cultivate a culture of caring for the urban environment, thereby fostering reciprocal care between inhabitants and their city.