Sustainable Neighborhood in the Context of Primary School Students’ Energy Literacy in an Urban Area: Field Study

Abstract

Complex contemporary social, economic, and environmental problems create challenges in terms of urban environmental quality, infrastructure, transport and energy. Concurrently, considerable pressures are exerted, resulting in serious environmental consequences. "Sustainable cities" are the cities we must create and leave a legacy for the future generations. The design of public spaces, roads, sidewalks, squares, cycle lanes, waste collection and waste management are fundamental issues in the context of sustainable urban development, for which, if local governments implement policies for sustainable urban planning and design and if there is funding, accessible technology, and education, it will enhance citizens' quality of life, provide comfort, increase accessibility, and significantly minimize the amount of energy consumed while reducing the human impact on the environment. However, most cities are already facing many problems such as urban environmental degradation, traffic congestion, inadequate urban infrastructure, and lack of public services, like waste management. Hence, Urban Environmental Management is the key target of sustainability in terms of ensuring quality management. Respectively, informing citizens, educating them, and strengthening their environmental literacy, notably the energy one, is the main pillar for the reduction or elimination of the issues affecting the urban quality of life. The children's active participation in an exploratory study, through education in relevant issues, provides the opportunity for them to be informed, learn, and develop their critical thinking. Hence, a two-month work plan was implemented in October and November 2020, which involved students in active and experiential ways of learning, both theoretically and in the field of study. After concluding the teaching approaches, the fourth graders of primary school were divided in 18 groups and carried out a week-long research. They observed and reported issues related to the quality of their neighborhood structure in combination with the processes and services of the town municipality. The study results initially outline the children's developing cognitive ability to critically approach the urban issues, to adopt models of sustainable development related to energy. The research highlights the lack of parking infrastructure, the adequate width of sidewalks, the absence of adequate road signs and pedestrian crossings in neighborhoods, the existence of not only an adequate number of waste containers but also the need to replace them systematically, as well as the citizens' rational attitude concerning waste disposal. Furthermore, it seems that it is necessary for the municipal public services to implement additional training programs for the cleaning service staff. Additionally, questions concerning the limited number of recreational parks for children and the need for better management and maintenance of the existing ones were noted. Moreover, the need arises for the implementation of a general campaign regarding safety p...