Investigating the situation of child-friendly city and its relationship with quality, safety and security indicators of needed children's uses in Jahrom city

Abstract

Objective: Existence of indicators of child-friendly city in urban space is one of the key indicators of sustainable urban development, its level and status indicate the degree of attention of policy makers, and urban affairs trustee to needs and wants of different segments of society, especially children as the future human capital of cities. Aim of this study is to investigate the situation of child-friendly cities, identify challenges and ways to improve it, as well as to investigate and analyze its relationship with quality, safety and security of required child-friendly uses in Jahrom. Methods: Present applied research has done using a combination of descriptive-analytical, correlational and causal methods. Statistical population of this study consists children aged 6 to 12 years living in Jahrom and sample of 372 persons has estimated using sample size estimation. Main research tool for collecting the required data is a researcher-made questionnaire and validity and reliability has confirmed by observing principles of field research methods. Results: Findings of study revealed that the situation of child-friendly cities with an average of 2.1 is significantly lower than the average level. Results of correlation between two variables of quality and safety and security of the uses required by children in the child-friendly city showed that calculated correlation with the values of 0.665 and 0.535 is significant and positive. Results of multivariate regression revealed that in the fitted model, 59.9% of the child-friendly city variance has explained by independent variables. Standardized regression coefficient of safety and security indicators and quality of required uses by children with values of 0.571 and 0.421 respectively were statistically significant. Conclusion: Results of this study revealed that the lack and weakness of quantity and quality of educational, sportive, recreational, health and security spaces required by children as well as lack of attention to opinions and demands of children in designing different spaces needed by them, hinders the realization of a child-friendly city in the study area. Therefore, it is necessary to solve these issues and problems by taking the necessary thoughts, because children are the main future assets of cities and it is necessary to meet their needs and wants as considerable.

Keywords

• urban sustainability development
• children
• child-friendly city
• jahrom