Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The aims of the project were: to examine how children and adolescents (9 to 16 years) 'see the world around them' and how they make use of place. Attention has focussed on the 'fourth environment', those public places beyond the home, school and playground; to consider whether age, sex, ethnicity, family structure, social class and location (inner-urban, urban (suburban), rural) have a bearing upon children's and adolescents' environmental use, access, needs (social, recreational, sporting), aspirations, safety and behaviour and to evaluate the role of parental attitudes/fears towards shaping environmental opportunity in order to uncover the negotiated geography of place; to contribute significantly to the development of appropriate (and novel) methods of studying children's and adolescents' local environmental values, preferences and needs (for example, extensive and intensive surveys, group interviews, in-depth discussion groups, environmental exchanges, environmental videos, environmental diaries, environmental forums); to consider how children and adolescents could become part of the (local) environmental planning process, particularly through long-term structures which both empower young people and encourage an attitude of critical reflection. This part of the project involved 'local' inter-agency co-operation and action with regard both to the identification of 'local' environmental issues relevant to children and adolescents and to the enhancement of 'local' environmental strategies targeted at young people. In addition, the project looked critically and comparatively upon the experiences of countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Philippines and Brazil (known to the project team through direct experience and consultancies) all of which have put in place lasting organisations that facilitate young people's participation; to contribute to the theoretical and conceptual debates on...