Urban space for children on the move

Urban landscapes, structures and design features are associated with travel mode choice and have implications for sustainable living environments. The particular role of the built environment for children’s independent active mobility has received increasing attention in research and practice. However, the complexity of the transactions between person and environment needs to be understood with special focus on children’s use and experiences of the outdoor spaces in a neighborhood. This chapter discusses children’s independent active mobility as an ongoing transaction with the surrounding environment, continuously shifting between transport and play. The chapter synthesizes research on children’s outdoor play and active travel from the fields of environmental psychology, urban planning and landscape architecture. Four theoretical concepts compatible with a comprehensive understanding of children’s mobility in urban open spaces are presented: place attachment, affordances, wayfinding and prospect-refuge. The concepts are elaborated from a child perspective to highlight dimensions in the planning, design and management of outdoor spaces that can support children’s independent active mobility.