Trees as affordances for connectedness to place– a framework to facilitate children’s relationship with nature

Abstract

This study, informed by phenomenology and ethnography, explores urban children's relationship with trees in a garden camp context: what are trees for urban children? Studying Finnish 7-to 12-year-old children, the research employed triangulation: participant and non-participant observation methods with mixed data collection over the course of three years. Engaging in grounded theory analysis after an intermission, the study unites the theoretical constructs of affordance and connectedness to place. Based on empirical observations, this study provides a theoretical framework to clarify the phased process of how urban children's connectedness to place is evolving. Exploitation of tree affordances during place-based play reflected connectedness to place; utilization of trees became more versatile over time. The results showed trees to be intriguing and multifaceted, satisfying many of the children's private and social needs. Trees provided the materials, space and often purpose and contents for the actual play that could not have thrived without them. In addition, children learned to manage possible tree-related risks mainly from experience and through scaffolding with peers. Recommendations for supporting beneficial nature contact emphasize allowing childdirected, place-based play time and planning biodiverse, low-maintenance spaces with a wide variety of trees that will invite children to use green spaces according to their needs.

A Methodological Framework for Assessing Practicability of the Urban Space: The Survey on Conditions of Practicable Environments (SCOPE) Procedure Applied in the Case Study of Cagliari (Italy)

“…Concerns about walkability relate to a recognition of walking as a fundamental factor for promoting more sustainable, active, and inclusive communities [18,19]. The concept of practicability diverges from the notion of walkability because it emphasizes the importance of exploration and appropriation of public spaces through play as a condition for the development of children's cognitive, imaginative, and creative potential, and for the construction of their social and individual identities [8][9][10][11].The concepts of walkability and practicability thus emphasize the concepts of autonomy [6,9], capability [20][21][22], and affordance [23] as structural categories for the development of the urban public space [6][7][8][9][10][19][20][21][22][23][24]. Moreover, as a condition for their wellbeing, active citizenship, and integral development, the promotion of children's autonomy constitutes a relevant challenge for implementing the smart city paradigm [24].…”

“…">Literature ReviewLudic activities, such as informal hobbies of small groups, such as hide-and-seek or exploring spaces, or football or cricket, promote the needs of childhood related to movement, autonomy, and socialization, while reinforcing the cognitive, imaginative, and creative potential, enhancing choice abilities, interpersonal and emotional skills and allowing children to acquire diverse communicative codes [8][9][10][11]. In particular, children's fruition of urban space through forms of play that encourage the exploration of spaces, manipulation and transformation of objects, and the occupation of space through movement, is essential for their development and for the development of their body scheme and the construction of their individual and social identities [8][9][10][11]23,25]. Studies developed at the Policy Studies Institute during different periods (1971, 1990, 2013) reveal that, for young people, experiencing independent activities within urban spaces is the most relevant opportunity for developing autonomy [6][7][8][9].…”

“…Thus, constructing practicable public urban spaces that are organized to accommodate youngsters' independent leisure activities represents a relevant action to promote children's rights, their development as creative, autonomous, enterprising individuals, and to increase their quality of life.The concept of practicability is here introduced as the potential of the public urban space to promote children's independence by accommodating their spontaneous social activities [6][7][8][9][10][11]. In fact, the notion of practicability integrates and modifies the notion of walkability [17,[20][21][22] by limiting the composition of the groups of users considered, and by enlarging its scope, in terms of uses and activities focusing on: (a) the needs and practices of children; (b) the potential of spaces to accommodate and enable children's independent mobility and informal and structured, individual, and collective ludic and leisure activities [6,[8][9][10]23]. Further, practicability is proposed as a fundamental objective for planning the public urban space.…”

“…Autonomy [6,8] is defined as the capacity to govern oneself without external guidance by creating specific rules of behavior and then fulfilling them. Affordance [23] can be defined as elements that promote and structure patterns of action within a space. Affordances can be potential, perceived, shaped, or utilized.…”

“…The concepts of walkability and practicability thus emphasize the concepts of autonomy [6,9], capability [20][21][22], and affordance [23] as structural categories for the development of the urban public space [6][7][8][9][10][19][20][21][22][23][24]. Moreover, as a condition for their wellbeing, active citizenship, and integral development, the promotion of children's autonomy constitutes a relevant challenge for implementing the smart city paradigm [24].…”