Sketch, Photo, Sound: Lived and Represented Space of the Child Experience in the Green Built Environments. Studying the Eco-districts in France

Abstract

In contemporary forms of habitats and more precisely in the eco-districts, the nature presence becomes obviously dominant. The capacity of green infrastructure seems to welcome children in different urban typologies. The study crosses the effect of certain natural urban elements with the children sensory experiences that is reflected on specific behavioral attitudes taking place during the children’s free play. It draws the behavioral map of middle-aged children, about 5–12 years of age, in two selected eco-districts, in Paris suburbs and Grenoble, France, through multi-tasked qualitative methodologies. These collecting data methods include the following triad: children’s drawings, photographs, and sound recordings, where 16 sample were chosen for each.Reintroducing children in public spaces, seems crucial to investigate the form and type of young children’s presence in the Eco-Districts. Considered as special space users, the study aims to unveil the way they conceive, interact with, and experience their surrounding environment.

Keywords

• Eco-districts
• Natural features
• Children’s presence
• Children’s experiences
• Space representations