CITIES FOR CHILDREN WG 2: Housing & Outdoor Space 14-15/05/2009 Ghent

About Ghent Overall Surface : ha Population : < inhabitants Growth/increase: since 2007 (+1,1%) Slight female predominance (51,06 %) 12 % immigrants youth 0-25 years (30 % of total population) students

About Ghent Geographical : Historical centre: - Commercial - cultural 19th century belt - 40% of the children on 10% of the surface area - Issue of underprivileged youth - Special attention Sub-urban: - More rural - Middle-class

Housing Policy: Housing Study Some results : People want to live in a child friendly city Provide more one-family houses More accomodations for students

Social Pedagogical meaning of the neighbourhood on children 3 questions: relates to the way in which the construction of the neighbourhood influences the learning opportunities offered to children concerns the way in which children define their neighbourhood and how they influence the construction of this environment relates to the way in which developments in the neighbourhood help to shape the meaning of childhood Recognizing urban public space as a co-educator! More info: Sven De Visscher, Dep. of Social Welfare Studies, University of Ghent, Phone:

Visits Several parks and play areas… in relation to each other

Play Area Policy of Ghent 4 objectives : Play Layer Youth Participation Integration in other policy- sectors/departments improves Mutual communication

Play Area Policy of Ghent Planning Group: intersectoral collaboration Department of Urbanism & Environmental Planning Parks & Public Gardens Department Department for Mobility Department for Education The Department City-Policy The Sports Department The Youth Department The chairmanship is in hands of the play area official (Youth Department).

Play Area Policy of Ghent Larger network:

Play Area Policy of Ghent Participation: general principles Support of other sectors/partners Participation-traject integrated in project-trajet Designing a park Urban Renual Project

Play Area Policy of Ghent Source: children & youngsters Succession Designing a park Urban Renual Project About schoolroutes Designing a playground

Play Area Policy of Ghent Participation: points of attention Participative attitude of the supervisor Correct information & communication Translation of the results to policy Intergenerational Asking mothers Doing things together Visualise

Elastic methode

Play Area Policy of Ghent Manual Playlayer in Ghent

Play Area Policy of Ghent Playlayer: a network of places & connections FORMAL PLAY GROUNDS 1. Various types of play areas INFORMAL PLAY AREA 2. Residential streets 3. Squares 4. Green area 5. Sports facilities 6. Outdoor area at schools 7. Outdoor area of other collective facilities 8. Water CONNECTIONS 9. Slow roads, bicycle or pedestrian routes, easy-paced road connections

Projects Study Adventurous Play & Build Scandinaviëstraat - Gent Westerringspoor - Gent De Timmerfabriek

Projects Playstreets Slow Roades De Timmerfabriek

Projects Playable Art De Timmerfabriek

Projects Social Network De Timmerfabriek

Discussions about:

But also about: The different themes above Benchmarking Mainstreams Legal bases Pilotprojects

And about: Network(ing) Responsabilities Foundations (CF policy, politics), cement (planning, behaviour) and bricks (themes, projects)

Thank you