No Messing Allowed! Adult and child perceptions of play in

city spaces

Dr. Jackie Bourke

My PhD thesis explored children’s experience of walking

through their urban neighbourhoods. I am

the founder of Playtime.ie

Research location: Dublin North West Inner City• High density urban area with green pockets•Home to almost two and a half thousand children•Culturally diverse•Mixed income levels but considerable poverty

Children describe the city

Adult perception? Neglect, poverty, problems

Children’s perception? The horse fields

The little pony I see on my way to school For her, the palisade fencing has no meaning, nor is it an obstacle. She knows where the fence has a gap she can fit

through.

Don’t children play outside anymore?

Will they remember a childhood of play

coming home from school?

Outdoor Opportunity without Adult

Number of Children Percentage

Walk to school 24 46.15

Walk home 25 48.08

Go to shop 36 69.23

Walk to friends 39 75.00Walk to after school activity 34 65.38

Out to play 43 82.69

More than 80% of children said they were allowed out to play regularly without an adult

Messing or Playing?

Restricting children’s play

Sometimes we play here on the way home

Children identify the playground as one of the few places they are allowed play, but say their play is limited here

Me as a cop on patrol Using the camera to show himself playing. This child has a

freedom to enter the liminal space of imaginative play

Parents’ ConcernsThe main problem is the traffic. Only the other day I

was going on a pedestrian crossing with him and a car went through the red and nearly hit us

I can’t overcome my fear of strangers by starting to let her out because there is so much traffic I am afraid

she will be knocked down

There are rules for walking home from school: don’t talk to strangers and if anyone approaches you, go and

bang down the nearest door

Children enhance urban neighbourhoods