Toward a Sustainable City

11 Pages·2021·0.339 MB·English

by  Raisa Sultana, Raisa Binte Huda

T
Toward a Sustainable City Sustainablecityreferstoanurbanareawhichis
socially equitable, economically wealthy, envi-
AParadigmShiftinChildren’sModern ronmentallybalanced,fulfillsthedemandsofres-
RecreationalOpportunities identsandofferswiderscopesfordevelopment.
RaisaSultanaandRaisaBinteHuda
DepartmentofGeographyandEnvironment, Introduction
UniversityofDhaka,Dhaka,Bangladesh
Cities are unique as it is the only environment
builttocaterspecificallytotheneedsofresidents.
Synonyms The built environment mediates conflicting
desires to ensure a healthy and sustainable place
Built environment; Recreation; Recreational to live. Rampant urbanization, extreme popula-
opportunities; Recreational space; Sustainable tionpressure,andeconomicdevelopmentincities
city arecreatinganincreaseinpropertyandlandcosts,
whichconsequentlyhaveaterribleimpactonthe
cities,mostlyofdevelopingcountries.Themixed-
Definition zonestrategyandcompactionareslowlydesign-
ing out recreational green spaces, such as parks
Recreationisanactiveorpassiveparticipationin and playgrounds, which are integral parts of the
anyactivityincludingrelaxing,dancing,singing, urban land coverage. However, the Sustainable
and playing which can be enjoyed in a group or Development Goal (SDG) section 11.7.1 states
alone(Siddiqui1990;Biswas2002).Urbanrec- that by 2030, safe, inclusive, and accessible
reational space can be defined as the points in green and public spaces should be accessible to
spatial fabric that are occupied by residents for all the residents, especially for women, children,
recreation and which serve as an excellent plat- seniorcitizens,andthedisabledpopulation(Sus-
formforsocial,aswellasenvironmental,interac- tainable Development Goals: Bangladesh Pro-
tion (Nilufar 1999; Ahmed 2010). Built gressReport2018).
environment isa man-made environment which Inthebroadestterms,urbanrecreationalspace
mediates conflicting desires of the residents to can be defined as the points in spatial fabric that
ensure a healthy and sustainable place to live are occupied by residents for recreation. These
through infrastructures and other facilities. Chil- spaces play an important role in urbanites' well-
drenarethehumanbeingsbelow18yearsofage. being as it provides an excellent platform for
©TheAuthor(s),underexclusivelicencetoSpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2021
R.Brears(ed.),ThePalgraveEncyclopediaofUrbanandRegionalFutures,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51812-7_289-1
2 TowardaSustainableCity
recreation, social interaction, as well as interac- newrecreationalopportunitiesintoexistinginfra-
tion with a healthy environment (Nilufar 1999; structure without overhauling both established
Ahmed2010).Thebenefitsofrecreationaremul- environments and lifestyle patterns. Appraising
titudeandthenecessityofitspresenceonadaily theremarkablebenefitsofrecreationonchildren’s
basisiswelldocumentedinliterature:rangingall overall well-being, the paradigm shift approach
the way from purely physiological to psycho- shouldbegin with thequestioninabroad frame:
social well-being, including reduction in obesity How can we provide children with recreational
(SallisandGlanz2006),betterfitness(Marchione opportunities to play freely, walk independently,
2013), increased competence through play (Hart liveactively,andmakethemfeelasenseofown-
2002), learning of critical thinking and prosocial ershipandbelongingtothecommunity?Thepur-
behavior, establishment of a sense of self pose of the article is to cross-examine three
(Richardson et al. 2017), and cognitive develop- questions:
ment of a child. While private play is important
for establishing autonomy over their own lives 1. Whyhasurbanchildren’sopportunityofcon-
(LesterandRussell2010),outdoorplayiscrucial tactwithrecreationalgreenspacedecreased?
forsocialnavigationskillsinunfamiliarenviron- 2. How has this changed their recreational
ments, formation of friendships, and developing behavior?
publictrust(Hart2002). 3. How can recreational green space be
Unfortunately,incitiesofdevelopingcountries reintroducedintotheirlives?
with high level of poverty, there is a dearth of
basicessentialservicesandamenitieslikehealth,
housing,andeducation,andrecreationalspaceis Method
consideredalowpriorityandignoredinthedevel-
opment agenda by the city development authori- Thisarticleisbasedonsecondarydataandempir-
ties (Bartlett 1999; Hart 2002; Krysiak 2017). icalevidencefromtheauthors’cityofresidence,
Thisisoftenbecauseresearchonthedevelopmen- Dhaka,tocontextualizetheissuesofurbanplan-
tal importance of recreation for children is not ning, which is a field that is highly spatially
easily available to decision-makers and because localized.
manyviewchildhoodasjusta“temporaryphase.” In defining search terms for the article, the
InDhaka,plannedneighborhoodsareveryfew central dimensions of the topic were first demar-
and availability of open space and recreational cated: urban recreational space, children’s well-
facilities for people are not found in most of the being and their sustainable future, and changing
dense residential areas (Siddiqui 1990; Biswas lifestyle and modern recreational opportunities
2002; Ahmed and Sohail 2008; Nilufar 1999). (Fig. 1). Subtopics that fall under these topics
Parks and playgrounds have been encroached, werethenlistedinaniterativeprocesswithmore
lack good maintenance, display poor amenities, relevant subtopics added as more papers were
and are unsafe, unwelcoming, and unhealthy. reviewed. Several scientific literatures, e.g.,
Consequently, lifestyle is changing greatly and reports, research articles, dissertations, theses,
children are becoming more individualized, self- and white papers published between 1980 and
centered, and mechanical instead of being social 2021 in the English Language were searched.
andhumanistic(Nilufar1999).Mostimportantly, This time period was selected for the study to
therepercussionsarelongterm,aschildrenarethe explore changes in recreational behavior and to
futureofthepresentsociety. look for the modern approaches to recreational
Thereisagapinourknowledgeofwhatadap- opportunities.Inaddition,usingasnowballtech-
tive coping mechanisms children are developing nique we hand-searched references cited in
tofilluptheirneedforrecreation,whatsortofnew reviewed studies. More than 350 documents
urban networks and spaces are being established werereviewedofwhich310werefinallyincluded
in the process, and how we can integrate these accordingtorelevance.
TowardaSustainableCity 3
UrbanRecreational GreenSpace,Sustainability, Sustainablegreenery,
Topic 1: Livability, Sustainable cities, Sustainable development goal, Urban
jungle, Parks and playgrounds, Availability of recreational space in
Urban Recreational Space
Dhaka, Neighbourhood parks and playgrounds, Accessibility to open
and Sustainable ci(cid:2)es
space, Recreation, Outdoor Recreation, Outdoor Play, Urban green
belt, Children’s outdoor play, Public space, Quality of Open Space,
Barriersinaccessingrecreationalspace,RecreationalAmenities
CommunityWellbeing,Qualityoflife,Natureandwellbeing,Health,
Topic 2: Mental health, Consequences of technology addiction, Cognitive
Children’s well being development, Psychological development, Neighbourhood
attachment, Equitable society, Nuclear family, Gender based
recreation,Socialequity, ConsequencesofLackofphysicalactivity.
Modern recreational space, New recreation opportunities, Sedentary
Topic 3: Changing Life Lifestyle, Lifestyle changing, Changing Attitude, Resident’s adaptation
Style and Modern in Dhaka, Terrace, Balcony and Rooftop garden, Indoor recreation,
Recrea(cid:2)onal Animal adoption, Escaping Hectic Life, Dependency on technology,
Opportuni(cid:2)es Restaurants,Shoppingmalls,Naturebasedrestaurant,Resorts,Street
recreation,Library,CafeCulture,Changingrecreation,BiophilicDesign.
Collections 350 documents Excluded 310
Time span: 1980-2021
From 1980 to 2021 Documents
Updated: 25/04/2021
TowardaSustainableCity,Fig.1 Conceptoperationalizationandsearchstrategy
BarrierstoUrbanChildren’sAccessibility recreationalgreenspace,andtotacklethese,one
toRecreationalGreenSpace mustfirstexplorewhattheseare.
inDhakaCity
InadequateProvision
Existing literature is limited to either a single By2030,itisestimatedthatmorethan50%ofthe
categoryofvariableorcoverslimitedgeographi- world’s population will reside in urban areas
calregions,particularlydevelopingcountries.The (UN 2016). Rapid densification of cities results
predominant emphasis is on barriers imposed by in an increasingly smaller portion of land being
the built environment (physical availability and allocated for recreational open space in lieu of
accessibility of parks and playgrounds, spa- residential and other land usage. This creates the
tial proximity, traffic security, topographic attri- primary barrier to children’s accessibility to rec-
butes, weather condition, etc.) and their impacts reationalspace:alackofprovision.
on children’s developmental needs (Abu- Thestandardamountofopenspaceinanarea
Ghazzeh 1998; Bjorklid 1985; Ahmed 2010; is context specific and ultimately dependent on
Churchman1980;Churchman2003;Cooperand population density (Patel 2011). According to a
Sarkissian 1986; Freeman 1995; Gehl 1996; report of RAJUK (2015), Dhaka has been
Moore etal. 1987;Verwer 1980;Watkins1980). suggestedtohave0.065hectaresper1000people
Whileitisallverywelltofocusonimprovingthe by DMDP or 0.388 hectares per 1000 people by
quality of recreational space, children must be DAP. However, currently, it offers a mere 0.028
able to access these. Clearly several barriers hectares of recreational space per 1000 popula-
existwithintheverynatureofcitiesthatfrustrate tion, equal to only 1.51% of total land (462.32
children’s opportunities of contact with hectares). This is significantly low. The recrea-
tionalopenspacethatdoesexistishighlyspatially
4 TowardaSustainableCity
skewed(SultanaandNazem2016).Dhaka’sZone NegativePerceptions
4,forexample,hasnoopenspaceforitspopula- The hardest to overcome barrier that a city can
tion density of 97,500 people/km2. This is prob- imposeonrecreationalspaceis“perception.”Per-
lematicaschildren’sterritorialextent(i.e.,howfar ceptions are tricky because they are often not
theyarepermittedtoroamwithoutparentalsuper- based on objective truth but rather feed off
vision) is very limited: around 15 min or assumptions:Ifaplace“seems”tobedangerous,
300–500mfromtheirhome(FreemanandTranter it will be avoided. In Dhaka city, lack of safety
2011). Even for adults who accompany kids, the measures is the most important aspect which
willingness to travel too far is limited. Research affects the children’s enjoyment of recreation
on urban parks suggests that on a regular basis and outdoor play facilities (Ahmed and Sohail
mostuserswanttotraveltherebyfootandonlyif 2008; Biswas 2002), particularly for female
ittakes3–5minofwalkingfromtheindividual’s teens and children dependent on parents’ com-
residence/office (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989; pany. Young children are especially dependent
Thompson2002;Comedia/Demos1995). on parental supervision and/or permission when
Densificationandpressureoncitiestoprovide accessing these facilities (Woolley 2006).
easily accessible service have caused schools to Unhealthy,unwelcome,andunsafeneighborhood
mushroom in every lane of the city, so much so environmentssnatchawonderfulchildhoodfrom
that even school playgrounds have become rare, childrenandtheirrighttoexperienceandexplore
whichusedtopreviouslyresemblegreenoasesin spontaneously,safely,andontheirownterms.
satelliteimages.Designatinggaragesorthe“left- Teenagers have a more “sedentary” expecta-
over” space in front of the school building as tionfromrecreationandlookforwardtoamenity
playgrounds has become common practice. In areas where they can simply “hang-out.” A cul-
fact, it is not uncommon to find schools where tural issue often arises in conservative societies
indoorcorridorsaretheonly“recreationalspace” about how welcome a group of teens are in the
available. public sphere, i.e., whether a group of teens are
readilylabeledasdelinquentsbypassersbyornot
LackofModernAmenities (Owens 1988). Urban design plays a crucial role
Even in areas where recreational facilities do inthisaspect:Forexample,locatingtheseatsout
exist,theyfailtoattractchildrenanyway. Insome in the open, from where there is a clear line of
designatedparks,recreationalequipmentsareout sightforpassersby,butwhicharenotsocloseto
of order almost throughout the year. However, adjacentpathsastoenableeavesdroppingintothe
parentsoftenaimtoimparttheirkidsatleastone conversation, can create a sense of visual open-
experienceatthesenationalthemeparks,butpeo- nesswhilealsoprotectingprivacy.
pleseldomreturnforasecondturn.Recreational
facilities must attract the child himself/herself PoorRoadConnectivity
(Abubakar and Aina 2006). However, what As a city evolves, there is an increase in the
attracts a child evolves over time and differs by number of urban primary- and secondary-level
gender. While boys enjoy a more active, space- roadsthatcatertomotorizedvehiclesatthecom-
consuming,roughplaystyle,andorganizedteam plete disregard of the needs of pedestrians. This
sports (Børve and Børve 2017), girls seem to road connectivity impacts the play patterns of
enjoy smoother interaction during play such as younger children by influencing parents’ per-
taggames,walkingandrelaxing,badminton,etc. ceived level of safety. Parents are more willing
(Hyndman and Chancellor 2015). Instead of a tolettheirchildrenroamaboutiftherearefewor
uniform open space-style playground, a design no primary- and secondary-level roads, thus
that offers variously structured subspaces of dif- reducing threats from motorized vehicles and
ferent sizes, among which at least one subspace enablingstreetplay.Distanceisamajordetermi-
offersamenityareasthatgirlsprefer,cangoalong nantofaccessingrecreationalplacesforchildren,
waytoattractgirlstotherecreationalfacilities. the more distant the playground from home, the
TowardaSustainableCity 5
lesserthefrequencyofvisitstotheseplaces.Age On the other hand, well-being of the less
is another factor, which decides how much dis- privileged children is often neglected by the city
tanceachildcancover(Handetal.2016).Long- authority as well (Child 1983; Sharmin et al.
time residence in the same neighborhood and 2020;RissottoandGiuliani2006).Encroachment
frequentsocialencountersfacilitatedbyinformal and commercialization of open space has made
streets and local shops create a sense of kinship freepublic“stayspace”nonexistent,drivingkids
whereneighborslookoutforthekids.Thiswayit from socioeconomically poorer zones to partici-
gets easier to spot strangers that do not belong pate in communal play in their local neighbor-
there. hoods that are unfortunately usually both
Roads designed for pedestrians, for teenagers socially and physically unsafe. Low- and lower-
and for families to take a leisurely stroll on, are middle-income families cannot afford the high
slowly becoming nonexistent. Streets offer more entry fees to visit a city’s amusement parks.
opportunities,thanparksandplaza,tourbanitesto Thus, the city is constantly failing to become
engage withnatureandthesurroundingenviron- inclusive and socially equitable regardless of
mentthroughshops,shadyboulevards,andcafés. age, gender, and class (Ahmed 2010; Siddiqui
Not only are streets the true representative of 1990; Islam et al. 2014). Nevertheless, cities
publicopenspaceinwhichtheusersfeelcomfort- needtoensuresocialcohesion,inclusion,solidar-
able and welcome, but it also enables the maxi- ity with promoting equity, and avoiding discrep-
mum incidental interaction with nature and ancyofopportunity(Rogers1999).
recreation (Jacobs 1961). However, poor condi-
tion of roads, vehicular threats, exhaust fumes,
etc. are turning streets into a medium for getting AParadigmShiftinRecreational
from one indoor place to another instead of a Opportunities
spacetobeoccupiedbyitself.
Intherapidlyurbanizingcity,childrenbarelysee
UrbanHecticLife outdoor environments at all (Kyttä 2004). This
Urbanworkaholiclifeisoneoftheprominentand markstheneedtothinkcreativelyabouttransfor-
influentialfactorsthatdeterminesaccessibilityto mation of built environments incorporating new
recreationaltimeandspace.Teenagersaregranted recreational opportunities. Children have the
more autonomy over their territorial range but capacity and motivation to search for and find
urbanteenswithahecticschedule(classesinthe recreationalspacenomatterhowsmallthescale.
morning,tuitionintheafternoon,andtrafficcon- But the metamorphosing city puts an increasing
gestioninbetween),pairedwithpubescentbehav- numberofbarriersontheirabilitytodoso.Asthe
ioral change and a different, more “sedentary” city grows and mutates, children cope. As chil-
expectation from recreation, often do not find dren cope, there are large-scale cultural shifts in
facilities within walking distance that cater to theirlifestylepatterns.Thecontemporarychanges
theirneeds. are represented as cause-and-effect relationships
inFig.2briefly.Itshowshowtheinaccessibility
SocioeconomicInequity torecreationalspacesisharmingthewell-beingof
InastudydonebyIslametal.(2014),thecohort residents (especially children) which in turn is
of children under 18 with the least exposure to triggering them to incorporate alternative yet
outdoor recreational activity was found to be the modernrecreationalspaceintotheirlifestyle.
upper-classkids.Thiscanbeexplainedbythefact
that upper-class children are often from planned EvolvingCafe´ CultureandCommercialization
residentialareas,wherethereisanincreasedpres- ofRecreationalSpace
ence of cars on streets and a greater desire of One such shift is the modern “café culture” of
parentstocontrolwhotheirchildrenmixwith. urban teens: Recreational space to teenagers
have started to exclusively mean eating out at
6 TowardaSustainableCity
Barriers in Accessibility to Outdoor Recrea(cid:2)onal Open Spaces
C
Physical Factors Social Factors
(cid:129)Poor Connectivity And a
(cid:129)Physical Absence Of Transport Network (cid:129)Lack Of Company
u
Parks And Playground (cid:129)Lack Of Maintenance (cid:129)Safety And Security
(cid:129)Encroachment Facility (cid:129)Hectic Schedule s
(cid:129)Dirty Environment (cid:129)Lack Of Modern (cid:129)Social Inequality
(cid:129)Unattractive Parks Amenities e
Unable To Enjoy Recrea(cid:2)onal Services Provided By A Livable City
Affecting Hampers Overall Subjective Well Being
-Physical Health of Residents Especially Children Results
-Mental Health Unsustainable Community
Consequences: Long Term Repercussions Suffer From
(cid:129)Lack Of Physical Activity -Depression/ Hypertension/ Aggression
-No Room For Exercise/ Walking/ Cycling -Gadget Addiction
/Outdoor Play -Regular cognitive development and natural E
-Lack Of Community Attachment well being
f
-Lack Of Social Cohesion -Hampers mental health
f
Adapta(cid:2)on To Alternate Op(cid:2)ons: e
Looking For New Recrea(cid:2)onal Opportuni(cid:2)es
c
t
(cid:129)Home-
bound (cid:129)Rooftop Garden (cid:129)Restaurant (cid:129)Library And (cid:129)Nature
Recreation (cid:129)Indoor s With Kids Cafe Culture Retreat/
(cid:129)Balcony Recreation Spaces Play Zone With Resorts
Garden In High Valued (cid:129)Shopping Modern Close To
(cid:129)Animal Buildings And Malls Amenities The City
Adoption Neighbourhood
Immediate Community/ City/ Sub-urban Level Scale
Neighbourhood
TowardaSustainableCity,Fig.2 Shiftingparadigmtowardsustainablecommunitywell-being
cafésaloneorwithfriends,theevidenceofwhich teens. The core reason behind café culture is the
canbefound intherapidproliferation offoreign lack of any safe, free, quickly accessible recrea-
foodchaincafesandeateriesalloverDhaka.Not tionalpublicspace,evenifsmallinscale.
onlydoesthisleadtogentrificationandexclusion Yetcaféculturehasalsoproventobeoneofthe
ofpeerswhocannotaffordtoeatoutregularly,but mostacceptedrecreationalopportunitiesforpub-
also encourages a consumption fetish among licsociability(Montgomery1997).“Librarycafé”
TowardaSustainableCity 7
is a new concept in urban area and attracts new foundthattechnologywaslessinfluentialonchil-
users to libraries. Physical space that integrates dren than expected and observed that children
amenities for both adults and children through a actuallypreferredtoplayoutsideifpermitted.
library and a café enhance the library’s allure
whileencouragingasenseofcommunityinvolve- BringingNatureIndoors:Pets,Rooftop,
ment (Woodward 2005). Similarly, restaurants andBalconyGardens
offeringkids’zoneareattractingmoreusersthan There has been a movement toward bringing
theirregularcounterparts. “nature” into homes in the form of pet adoption
and house plants. Although adopting and taking
GrowthofNatureRetreatsandResorts care of a pet is not “true” exposure to nature or
inSuburbanAreas outdoors, encounters with pets can still serve as
There has been increased “destination activities” vital recreational opportunity. Dog walking, for
among the upper class that includes traveling to example, has been found to be an effective way
resortsandnatureretreats.Albeitthatsuchdesti- of increasing children’s mobility and physical
nationareascanbefurthermodifiedtogivechil- exercise, with parents being less worried about
dren and their families an even better interaction possible harm coming their children’s way if a
with recreational space by incorporating varied petiswiththem(Christianetal.2014).Moreover,
naturalactivities,e.g.,duckfeeding,fishing,etc., animalshavealonghistoryofaidingemotionally
suchplacesarerestrictedeconomicallyonlytothe or physically affected children: cerebral palsy,
upper-rich and even then only to a few times excessive weight, autism, hearing impairments,
ayear. etc.(Timperioetal.2008;Espositoetal.2011).
On the other hand, plants inside the home,
IncreasedDependenceonTechnology specifically terrace and balconygardens,areget-
Theboomintechnologyandthediminishingout- ting popular these days for increasing creativity
doorspacehasresultedinchildrenspendingtheir andprovidingpsychologicalbenefitstourbanites
leisure time more and more behind screens (Green2004).Streettrees,greenwalls,potplants,
(Bratman et al. 2015; Mackerron and Mourato birdbox,andotherdomesticremnantsofnature,
2013; Ekkel and de Vries 2017). As accessible despitetheirsmallscale,offerimportantopportu-
outdoor space becomes rarer over time, “extinc- nitiesofcontactwithnatureforchildren.
tionofexperience”(Pyle1978)willincreasingly What seems obvious is that as we move for-
drivechildrentowardtheexcessiveusageoftech- ward, newer technological advancements and
nology. The result of this would be dire: Unre- newerpatternsofopenspace networks willneed
strained screen time has been linked to speech to be conceptualized and utilized to satisfy chil-
delay (Zimmerman et al. 2007), poor sleeping dren’soldandunchangingrequirementofrecrea-
habits (Brambilla et al. 2017; Parent et al. 2016; tionalspace.
Nathanson and Fries 2014; Magee et al. 2014),
reduced mineral density of bones (Shao et al.
2015; Winther et al. 2015; Chastin et al. 2014), IncorporateModernStrategiesintoBuilt
poor posture (Lui et al. 2011), increased depres- Environment
sion, hypertension, aggression, and suicidal ten-
dencyamongadolescents(WoodandScott2016; All children have a universal right to enjoy the
Marasetal.2015)andmuchmore(Lissak2018). benefits of recreational space regardless of
What is not clear, however, is whether exces- whether they are in cities or not. The challenge,
siveuseofscreenscausedreduceduseofoutdoor then,ishowtoachieveit.Theurbanresidentsnow
space or vice versa: Do children prefer screens needanovelapproachwhichwillenablethemto
over outdoor time or is it just where they can accessrecreationalopportunitiesinalimitedscale
meet their friends than in parks? For example, a throughanincreasinglyeffectiveway.Insteadof
study done by Holloway and Valentine (2003) focusing on creating “pocket utopias” of parks
8 TowardaSustainableCity
and playgrounds, planning needs to go beyond withneighboringbuildings,aneffectiveresponse
functional thinking and move toward integrating to growing densification. For example, terraces
recreationandnatureintothecityasawholeand andplayroomsinresidentialbuildingshavebeen
into existing built infrastructures (malls, restau- considered beneficial and have precedents in
rants,hospitals,etc.).Thisisessentialsinceurban- many dense European cities (Ghosh etal.2016).
ization and growing population means that Urbanroofgardenhasrecentlybeenpromotedas
recreationalspacewillalwaysremainincompeti- aneffectivewayofservinggreeneryinthecities
tionwithotherlandusage. andaddinghighervaluetohigh-risebuildingsby
A dense city like Dhaka has already filled up offeringopenspacefunctions(Green2004;Pouya
with concrete infrastructures with no room for etal.2016).
breathing, hence ensuring a nearby, safe, well- Itisalsoimportanttorememberthatnatureis
maintained, attractive community park in every more than just “green”: light and/or air, let in
singleneighborhoodmightbedifficult.Therefore, through clerestories, and water felt through the
indoor recreational space is greatly encouraged. soundoffountainsareallvalidwaysofincorpo-
Several research suggest that social interaction rating nature in design. The concept of biophilic
canbestrengthenedthroughstrategicurbanplan- designisnotnew,ratherithasbeenscientifically
ning that encourages interactive spaces (Hadavi explored for decades (Ryan et al. 2014). Using
2017; Jens and Gregg 2021). A well-balanced, naturalelements,suchaspebblesonpathwaysor
enclosed, in-between informal space between woodbenches,helptoinvolvethepatinaoftime
built-instructures,corridors,andbreakoutspaces thathumansareparticularlysusceptibleto.Itpro-
plays effective role in social activities (Beckers motes a sustainable life for the residents as the
et al. 2016), promotes diversity and community spaceoffersstressrelief,spiritualcomfort,recre-
bonding, as well as improves health and mental ation,gardening,andcommercialvalue.
well-being (Jens and Gregg 2021). Traditionally, Modernexplorationsinurbanismarechalleng-
plannershaveputanincreasedemphasisonlarge- ing traditional ideas. For example, “urban acu-
scale, idyllic versions of recreational experience puncture” is a school of thought that shuns
while disregarding the more limited, incidental massive urban renewal projects and overhaul of
interactions with street trees or potted plants. entirecityblocksinfavorofmoremicroscaleand
This is unfortunate because children can interact community interventions which, in cities of lim-
withnatureinmeaningfulwaysevenwhennature ited resources and constrained budget, can
is highly modified and at small scales. As new cheaplyprovidechildrenwiththatcovetedgreen
evidence appears, they provide newer insights recreational space in the form of a series of
into the relationships between the built environ- “micro-parks” or “urban lounges” that they may
ment,science,andnature(Ryanetal.2014).The enjoywhilewalkingtoschool.
simple placement of a bench near a fountain in
front of a shopping mall can act as an effective
recreational environment for users (Goss 1993). Conclusion
Moreover, given the hectic urban schedule, inci-
dentalandregularexposuretohedgesandshrubs Facedwithpovertyandhunger,itiseasytotriv-
onnaturalwalkways,forexample,mightbemore ializechildren’saccesstorecreation,butwemust
effective than rare visits to parks. Balcony gar- understandthatrecreationisanecessityforurban-
dens, potted plants, bird feeder, and a lone street itesforproperfunctioningofeverydaylifeamidst
tree are all limited natural experiences but still urbanhecticschedule.Children’saccesstourban
valuable. recreational space has decreased rapidly due to
Therehasalsobeenagrowinginterestintrans- densification, increased road connectivity, and
forming the building itself into green space for parents’ growing sense of perceived danger and
home-bound recreation by integrating rooftop their desire to protect their children even at the
gardens, green walls, or shared courtyard spaces detriment of cognitive development. However,
TowardaSustainableCity 9
this inaccessibility has also resulted in a move- implicationsforpolicy,planningandpractice.Environ-
ment toward bringing nature indoors, as well as mentandUrbanization,11(2),63–73.
Beckers,R.,vanderVoordt,T.,&Dewulf,G.(2016).Why
home-bound recreation, biophilic design, and
dotheystudythere?Diaryresearchintostudents’learn-
searchformicroscalerecreationalspacetocreate ingspacechoicesinhighereducation.HigherEduca-
a sustainable and resilient lifestyle. Moving for- tionResearchandDevelopment,35(1),142–157.
ward,urbanplanningmustmovebeyondthesim- Biswas,M.,(2002).‘Patternandtrendofrecreationactiv-
plistic idea of “pocket utopias” of distant parks itiesinDhakacity’facilityunpublishedMURPthesis,
submitted to the urban and regional Planning,
andplaygroundsandratherintegratecontactwith BangladeshUniversityofEngineeringandTechnology
recreationalspaceintothecity.Tobuildasustain- (BUET),Dhaka,Bangladesh.
ableandlivablecity,modernstrategiesneedtobe Bjorklid,P.(1985).Children’soutdoorenvironmentfrom
theperspectives of environmental anddevelopmental
incorporated into existing built environment for
psychology.InT.Garling&J.Valsiner(Eds.),Children
betterrecreationalopportunitiesforchildren.Rec- withinenvironments.NewYork:Plenum.
reational space in building, rooftop, and balcony Børve, H. E., & Børve, E. (2017). Rooms with gender:
gardens as well as café and library with modern Physicalenvironmentandplaycultureinkindergarten.
Early Child Development and Care, 187(5–6),
amenities are greatly encouraged. For further
1069–1081.
research,itisimportanttoincludechildren’sopin- Brambilla, P., Giussani, M., Pasinato, A., Venturelli, L.,
ions into recreational planning which should be Privitera, F., del Giudice, E. M., & Chiappini,
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