February 2012 Street Talks Tim Gill, Rethinking Childhood: There's a salmon in my street - The outdoor child as an indicator species for the quality of urban environments Brought to you by Movement for Liveable London - movementforliveablelondon.com

1. There‟s a salmon in my street!
The outdoor child as an indicator species for
the quality of urban environments

3. Part 1: Why do children‟s
everyday freedoms matter?
1

4. Part 1: Why do children‟s
everyday freedoms matter?
Part 2: What has gone wrong,
and why?
1 2

5. Part 1: Why do children‟s
everyday freedoms matter?
Part 2: What has gone wrong,
and why?
Part 3: What do we need to do?
1 2 3

6. Why do children‟s
everyday freedoms
matter?
1

7. Opportunities for
spontaneous play
may be the only
requirement that
young children need
to increase their
physical activity.
William H Dietz
Former director, Division of Nutrition and Physical
Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

8. International Association for the Study of Obesity (2008)

11. Lord of the Flies, or Cabin Fever?
• UK: rise in adolescent mental health problems
• Not just family breakdown, social class
• “Has something changed about
peer group interactions and
non-family socialization?”

12. In real life, only from the
ordinary adults of the city
sidewalks do children
learn – if they learn it at all
- the first fundamental of
successful city life: People
must take a modicum of
public responsibility for
each other even if they
have no ties to each other.

13. This is a lesson nobody
learns by being told. It is
learned from the
experience of having
other people without ties
of kinship or close
friendship or formal
responsibility to you take
a modicum of
responsibility for you.

14. It appears that
encouraging or
supporting children to
walk to or from school
provides them with a
more connected and
detailed understanding
of their neighbourhood.

16. Part 1: Why do children‟s
everyday freedoms matter?
Part 2: What has gone wrong,
and why?
1 2

17. Anxious parents?

18. Screen-addicted children?
What do
you do
most often
Play on
in your
consoles
free time?
Gill (2011) Dairylea Simple Fun Report

19. What would
you like to
do more
often? Play on
our bikes
& scooters
Gill (2011) Dairylea Simple Fun Report

20. UK Dept for Transport (2010)
National Road Traffic Survey

21. Hillman et al (1991) One False Move

22. England and Germany 1990 and 2010
Percentage of children allowed to travel home from school independently
England and Germany in 1990 and 2010
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
England 1990
50% Germany 1990
England 2010
40%
Germany 2010
30%
20%
10%
0%
7 8 9 10 11P 10S 11S 12 13 14 15

23. Malone (2007) The Bubble-wrap generation

24. Risk in childhood: „convergence‟

25. Kytta (2004) The extent of children‟s independent mobility and the number of
actualized affordances as criteria for child-friendly environments

26. Kytta (2004) The extent of children‟s independent mobility and the number of
actualized affordances as criteria for child-friendly environments

27. Part 1: Why do children‟s
everyday freedoms matter?
Part 2: What has gone
wrong, and why?
Part 3: What do we need to do?
1 2 3

28. A vision
Liveable neighbourhoods fostering resilient children

32. It has succeeded beyond
expectations in attracting
families with children…
(approximately 16% of the
current population).

33. London EC1: retrofitting liveability

37. Making the case
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_NV_Hkxvq8

38. www.playingout.net

40. Three policy tools
1: the popsicle test

41. 2: The outdoor child as an indicator species

42. 3: A more balanced approach to risk
Risk assessment
Risk-benefit assessment

43. An opportunity?

44. Why children‟s everyday
freedoms matter
1

45. What has gone wrong and why
1 2

46. What we need to do
1 2 3
www.rethinkingchildhood.com