What child in what city? A social pedagogical perspective on the child friendly city

PhD student: Sander Van Thomme
Summary: The child friendly city (CFC) is generally seen as a practice of good urban planning in the best interest of the child. However, thorough debate on its actual pedagogical meaning is missing. To open up this debate, we will take on a social pedagogical perspective, focusing on how the CFC organises the relationship between children and young people and the society. As a result, the CFC will be approached as a pedagogical project shaping the pedagogical potential of the city. As such, this PhD-project aims to disentangle the hidden pedagogy of policy and practices in the CFC, to better understand the way the CFC acts as a socialising framework for children and young people and to collect empirical knowledge on the way CFC's embrace the various ways in which both children and young people are approached as citizens. This will contribute to the broader knowledge base on the position of children and young people in society and the way cities deal with urban transformations and challenges.
PhD in Social Work
Promoter(s): Lieve Bradt, Sven De Visscher (Eco-City, University College Ghent)
Periode of time: December 2022 - January 2028