The children in the city. An introduction

Abstract

This special issue aims to encourage and promote the debate around the theme of the child and the city. The goal is to give voice to contributions that, despite their specificity, show the complexity and the variety of theoretical approaches with which the issue can be investigated. The scope of the complexity pursued here is not possible without an interdisciplinary approach: the present volume collect contributions of scholars of history, history of pedagogy, architecture, children’s’ literature, pedagogy and education. It is thus possible to reconstruct the evolution of the concepts of childhood and the role given to children, as well as the structural and aesthetic changes of cities in the long run. In light of the fact that our urban centres have changed a lot, it appears necessary to reconsider the relation between the children and city, considering not only the places “for children”, but above all the spaces designed and offered “by children” by pursuing an active gaze able to understand the relationship between education and citizenship, participation and membership of the different contexts of life.