Landscape architect Professor Helen Woolley, has discussed the importance of child friendly cities in a new international podcast programme.
Professor Woolley’s research covers children’s outdoor environments and in one study she reveals how children’s “home range” — the area where they’re free to explore — has dramatically shrunk over generations.
In this latest podcast with American journalist Michael Smerconish, Prof Woolley discusses her research and explains how urbanisation and changing parenting styles are impacting the freedom of children.
The episode Two Miles Then, Two Doors Now: The Collapse of Kids’ ‘Home Range’ on the Smerconish Podcast can be listened to here: https://the-smerconish-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/two-miles-then-two-doors-now-the-collapse-of-kids-home-range
“There is increasing evidence about the importance of green spaces and mental health. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is that children have opportunities for going outdoors.
“It helps with mental mapping and children playing together outdoors helps their social skills, it helps them in so many ways.”
Professor Helen Woolley
Head of School and Professor of Landscape Architecture, Children's Environments and Society
Prof Woolley, has research interests about children’s outdoor environments and how their use can be influenced by policy, design, practice and societal attitudes, conventions and controls. In more recent years this has focused on aspects of challenging contexts such as high density cities and (post)disaster contexts.