Q&A: CEDaR Fellow Louise Chawla shares her passion for children’s involvement in shaping their communities
"," which wasreleased Sept.17by New Village Press, was written by three women with strong ties to CU ǸԹ'sCommunity, Engagement Design and Research Center (CEDaR):CEDaRFellowand CU ǸԹ Professor EmeritaLouise Chawla,Mara Mintzer, program director for CEDaR's Growing Up ǸԹDz(ұ),achild- and youth-friendly city initiative,and lead author Victoria Derr, a former senior instructor in CU ǸԹ's Program in Environmental Design and former GUB co-coordinator, who now teaches at California State University, Monterey Bay.
The book releasewill be followed bya ǸԹ Bookstore event on October 4, and Susan Glairon, CEDaR communications specialist,sat down for an interviewwith one of the book's authors, Louise Chawla, whoselife work has centered onyouth participation in the design and planning of their cities.
Louise Chawla
Why is it important for children to be involved in planning their communities?
When I coordinated the Growing Up in Cities program for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), I found that no matter where children lived--a high-income country like the U.S., or a former communist country like Poland, or a squatter camp in South Africa–the children were all incredulous when we suggested adults would listen to them. Imagine being put down in a squatter camp in Johannesburg, or in a working-class community in England and then having adults listen to your ideas. It results in a new self-esteem for the children; they realize their ideas have value. I have seen that again and again, and it’s very powerful.
Your work has focused on giving kids a voice in city planning. Why were you involved in the formation ofCEDaR, which involves people of all ages?
There was always a strong tradition of community engagement at CU ǸԹ’s Children, Youth and Environments (CYE) Center, the predecessor forCEDaR. ButCEDaRprovides a chance to work together under one umbrella.It’s the big tent, a meeting place for those of us in the Program in EnvironmentalDesign (ENVD) who want to promote community engagement as well as share and integrate what we are doing.
The CEDaR events where students sharetheir research with city officials and the communityaregood examples of the types of sharing thatCEDaRprovides. These events includeGrowing Up ǸԹ, as well as studio classes working on different city projects, city officials andlocal residents. Community events like theseraise the visibility of what we are doing within the program in ENVD, CU ǸԹ and the region at large.
In addition, we hear again and again from students about how much they learn from real-world projects, andCEDaRprovides those opportunities.
Growing Up ǸԹ (GUB) is aCEDaR program. What does “growing up” mean?
“Growing up” means gaining the freedom to move beyond the home into the community. It’s essential that cities and communities provide the resources that children need to develop their capabilities. We need cities with people who know and love their city and invest in caring for it, and children and youth are an important part of that group.
Where did the idea for Growing Up ǸԹoriginate, and why is it important?
The idea started with Growing Up inCities, which has a mission of including children and youth in urban planning and design,andthe Child Friendly Cities Initiative of UNICEF.In the mid-1990s I revivedGrowing Up in Cities,(originally conceived byurban planner Kevin Lynch in the 1970s),at the same timeUNICEF began the Child Friendly Cities Initiative.Atthattime, Growing Up in Cities was implemented in eight cities. When I lastcounted,approximately50 cities worldwide had introduced Growing Up in Cities programs on some scale. GUB is a recent example.
We want ǸԹ’s city officials and politicians to listen to young people in a serious way, so the young people feel that ǸԹ is their city, and they feel valued. GUBoffers a means for children and teenagers to have that voice and help to create a vibrant, ecologically alive and socially welcoming city. GUB pre- and post- questionnaires include the question, “Do you believe people in the city will listen to you?” Mara (Mintzer), Growing Up ǸԹ’s program director,found that if adults listen to young people, afterwards they believe, "Yes. My ideas count."
How is ǸԹ different than other cities who have implemented Growing Up inCities?
ǸԹhas funded Growing Up ǸԹsince 2009, and it was the first city in the country to implement child and youth participationlong term. It’s changing the culture of city decision making. ǸԹ recognizes that young people's ideas are often innovative, people-friendly and playful, and that implementing their ideas adds to the city’s character.
Mara Mintzer
What: Louise Chawla and Mara Mintzer will speak about and sign their new book, "Placemaking with Children and Youth: Participatory Practices for Planning Sustainable Communities"
When: Oct. 4, 2018, 7:30 PM
Where: ǸԹ Bookstore, 1107 Pearl St., ǸԹ
Etc.:Vouchers to attend are$5, and are good for $5 off the author’s featured book or a purchase the day of the event. Vouchers can be purchased in advance at the store, over the phone, or at the door. Readers Guild Members can reserve seats for any in-store event.
","was releasedSept. 17,and is available for pre-order now via New Village Press, NYU Press, or Amazon.
This story was also updated andon the Child in the City website. Child in the City is dedicated to the rights and well being of children throughout Europe.