Understanding Kid-Friendly Urban Space for a More Inclusive Smart City: The Case Study of Cagliari (Italy)

Abstract

The focus of this paper is to determine whether, and to what extent, a relation exists between a kid-friendly urban space, social inclusiveness, and smart city paradigm. In fact, the practicability for vulnerable city users, such as children, acquires an intrinsic meaning of inclusion and equality, as a necessary condition to be considered and planned in a smart city. Over the years the city is based on the logic of separation and specialization of spaces and functions, so as to further differentiate the different social categories (adults, children, elderly and disabled people). In particular, children play and learn through urban space, developing and consolidating skills and competences. Children use urban space, expressing intents, idiorhythms and, therefore, specific needs. This paper proposes a phenomenological study, developed in the form of a laboratory of Cagliari’s explorations, aimed at identifying the spatial, morphological and functional characters and elements of urban materials that determine children’s perception and experience of places. The results of this research are a starting point for further studies aimed at integrating, with the parameters identified, the variables already considered in the existing tool for the measurement of the walkability of urban spaces.

This paper is the result of the joint work of the authors. ‘Results and Discussion’ were written jointly by the authors. Alfonso Annunziata wrote the ‘Literature Review on Autonomy of Children in Urban Spaces’, ‘Methodology and objectives of a kid-friendly research’ and ‘The case study of Cagliari (Italy)’. Chiara Garau wrote the ‘Introduction’, ‘Strategies for Kid-friendly Safe Urban Spaces’ and ‘Conclusions’.