Title: YOUNG PEOPLE AND CITIES: PUBLIC OPEN SPACE AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
1 The research centre for inclusive access to
outdoor environments
- YOUNG PEOPLE AND CITIES PUBLIC OPEN SPACE AND
SOCIAL INCLUSION
2The Research Question
- Are teenagers a socially excluded group with
regard to public open space in Edinburgh?
- SUBQUESTIONS
- Where do teenagers go?
- When do they go out?
- How far?
- What do they do?
- Whom do they go out with?
- What are the things they like about these places?
- What are the things they dislike about these
places? - Do they feel safe in these places?
- What would their ideal place be like?
2 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
3 METHODOLOGY
- Focus Groups Interviews with high school
students from two age groups (12 - 14 and 15 - 17
year olds) - In situ participant observation of teenage
activities in the places they frequent in the
city centre - Youthscope Survey 2001 by Edinburgh City Council
-
- STATE OF THE PROJECT
- 9 focus groups with 97 students from four high
schools in Edinburgh - 15 informal interviews with teenagers in two
places in the city centre
3 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
4Focus GroupsTeenagers Favourite Places
- GIRLS
- Princes Street
- Starbucks Cafe
- Fountain Park (new
- cinema complex with
- pizzas, bowling etc)
- Cameron Toll
- (shopping mall)
- Princes Street Gardens
- BOYS
- Princes Street.
- McDonalds
- car park behind the
- Sheraton Hotel and streets for skateboarding
- tennis courts (for football)
- golf courses,
- artificial ski slope
4 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
5Focus GroupsTeenagers Activities in Their
Favourite Places
- GIRLS
- socialising and meeting friends
- shopping
- going to cinema
- sitting in Princes Street Gardens with friends
- walking in Pentland Hills (near Balerno)
- BOYS
- socialising and meeting friends
- shopping
- going to McDonalds
- doing sports
- skateboarding
- playing football
- going to clubs for under 16
5 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
6Focus GroupsDescription of Favourite Places
- Pros
- accessibility (good transport)
- variety of different amenities (shops,
restaurants, cafes, cinemas) - modern, fun and comfortable places
- safe places
- Cons
- presence of gangs and drug users
- presence of other teenage groups (i.e.
goths, neds) - crowded streets
- few places to skateboard without getting kicked
off
6 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
7Focus GroupsOutdoor Places
- Pros
- Relax
- socialise
- do sports
- enjoy the greenery and fresh air
- Cons
- boring places(not much to do)
- dangerous places (The Meadows)
- weather restriction (rain and cold)
General Observation A high percentage of
participants - mostly 15-17 year olds - in the
case study showed lack of interest for outdoor
green spaces.
7 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
8- Question Do you go to any parks and other
outdoor green places in Edinburgh?
- Girl If the weather is nice, yes, I would go and
sit in a - park otherwise, I would stay at home or go
shoppingand - the weather usually is not good for that.
- Boy When you get older you want to go out more
often, - socialising and going out to drink, going to pubs
and clubs and - stuff. When I was younger I was just happy
playing football in - the local park but now I want more.
- Boy I used to go to parks a lot when I was at
the primary - school but now I go to Princes Street and
Fountain Park.
8 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
9Question Do you go to any parks and other
outdoor green places in Edinburgh? Girl Why
would I want to knock about there?
Theres nothing there! You just walk through a
park. I find parks boring. Girl If it was my
choice thered be no trees or bushes or nothing
like that cause I just dont like them. Boy
Therere very few parks that you actually think
oh lets go there. Girl Theres not an outside
place that you could say lets meet there,
therere always inside. Boy Theres nothing
appealing about going to a park. Boy Ive never
met anyone in Princes Street Gardens.
9 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
10Focus GroupsDangerous Places
- Old Town (dark alleys and narrow closes)
- Cockburn Street (hang out place for goths)
- Bristo Square (hang out place for
skateboarders) - Wester Hailes (hang out place for rival gangs)
- The Meadows and Fountain Park (after dark)
- Lothian Road (drunk people)
- Leith Walk (gay bars and clubs)
10 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
11Focus Groups
- Dangerous Places
- Boy I skateboard at Bristo Square
- PT Do you find it safe for you to go there?
- Boy No, if you go alone but usually I go with a
big group of friends. I try not to go, just me
and like one other friend, because there are
people, like dealing drugs and things in the
corners and it's not very safe
11 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
12Focus GroupsSafest Place
Princes Street an open place, plenty
of people, lots of adults and shop-keepers if you
feel scared, you go and stand near the shop
security guy. (15 year old girl)
12 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
13Focus GroupsIdeal Place
- Street with grass for sitting, playing football
- More coffee bars, shops (clothes), food
- Skatepark
- More activity and sports, including extreme
sports - Basketball, football, ice-rink, bowling, cinema,
swimming pool near centre of town - Teen sports centre where 12-yr-olds can go, with
outdoor and indoor activities - Easy to get to good, frequent bus routes
13 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
14Focus Groups Edinburgh Ideal Places
- Girl(14 yrs) It would be nice if they build a
skate park and then a Costa café where we could
sit and watch them skating
14 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
15Focus GroupsSuggestions to Planners City
Council
Girl To create more places where teenagers
could go. You see theres really nothing for
teenagers apart from these nights which are so
boring cause most of the people there are too
young. Girl Whats missing from the city are
places specifically made for us not some thing
that is trying to be kiddie and then end up
patronising everybody because all these places
try to be for us but made by adults and thats
make them look stupid.
15 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
16Focus GroupsFinal Observations
- Outdoor places any place beyond and away from
home - Where they live is boring
- Younger teenagers (12/14 years) more concerned
about safety - Older teenagers (15/17 years) more concerned
about lack of facilities - Physical characteristics of outdoor/indoor places
less important than possibility of being with
friends - Use of outdoors varies with weather, night-day
and seasonal changes (i.e. cold-warm) - Older teenagers (particularly from Wester Hailes)
do NOT find green urban areas attractive.
16 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
17 FURTHER RESEARCH
- Interviews with 6 more high schools
- Interviews with youth club members
- Interviews with skateboarders and planners
responsible for design of The Meadows Skatepark - Interviews with young people from ethnic minority
groups and disadvantaged environments - In situ participant observation
- Using visual research methods (video and
photography)
17 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
18 MAP OF AREAS USED IN THE CASE STUDY
18 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
19MAP 1 BRISTO SQUARE SKATERS
MOVEMENT
19 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion
20MAP 7 EAST PRINCES STREET GARDENS - WEEKDAY
20 Young People and Cities Public Open Space
and Social Inclusion