EXPLORING AFFORDANCES IN CHILD-FRIENDLY URBAN GREEN SPACES: IMPACTS ON ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v23i38.1805Keywords:
Affordance, Behavioural Mapping, Children’s Behaviour, Urban Green SpacesAbstract
Child-friendly urban green spaces (UGS) are outdoor environments that offer diverse opportunities for play and support children’s holistic development. From an ecological perspective, these spaces provide rich affordances that encourage autonomous exploration and interaction. However, planning and design remain predominantly adult-driven, often resulting in a misalignment between the affordances available and those perceived or used by children. This study investigates how different types of affordances in UGS shape children’s activity patterns and behaviours. Using behavioural mapping in three distinct UGS settings, the research systematically examines the relationship between children’s activity preferences and environmental attributes. Findings show that children actively explore their surroundings, discovering actual affordances while gradually recognising potential ones and transforming them into new utilisable opportunities. Their needs for environmental attributes vary, and they adjust their engagement by balancing support and challenge in line with ability levels and developmental goals. These dynamics highlight the critical role of affordance-rich UGS in fostering children’s adaptive development and underscore the importance of designing spaces that align with children’s perspectives.
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