| Synopsis: |
Over the past generation or so urban living has dramatically transformed, leading to significant changes in the lives of children and young people growing up today. Rapid urbanisation, formidable physical re-composition of cities, and the huge proliferation of urban populations are refashioning children's relationships to the towns and cities in which they live, and the modes of living as a young person within them. Drawing upon original data from a large-scale study of four sustainable urban environments in the UK, and upon cutting-edge research from other geographical contexts, this book will make an original contribution to the understanding of the everyday lives of children and young people living in new sustainable urban environments. New Urbanism, New Citizens presents a critical analysis of the challenges, tensions and opportunities of living in contemporary sustainable urban environments. It foregrounds the experiences of children and young people - from their crucial role as `community-builders' in new urban places, to their role as consumers using and understanding sustainable design features of their home and community. The book focuses upon the global shift in urban planning towards `sustainable' urbanism: from master-planned `sustainable communities' in the UK, Denmark, Germany, India and Australia, to the green retrofitting of existing urban environments, and to the incorporation of elements and discourses of sustainability into mainstream planning, construction and architectural practices. Whilst adopting diverse notions of sustainability, these urban environments are tied together by sustainable design principles that are becoming increasingly prevalent around the world, and which are often allied to ideals of community cohesion, citizenship and conviviality.This book is truly interdisciplinary, and will bring together contemporary theoretical approaches to childhood studies, environmental education, social and cultural geography, sociology, and urban studies. It will be of interest to an international readership of students and academics in the fields of geography, urban studies, anthropology, sociology, transport studies, urban design and education, and it will also offer substantial material and new practical insights for policy-makers, planners and other professionals working on sustainable urban design, architecture and urban planning. |