CREATING HYBRID URBAN SPACES FOR CHILDREN: “PLAY STREETS” OF ISTANBUL

We live in an age where learning is not limited with educational buildings. Museums, parks, sports clubs, public spaces and even the city itself is considered as a learning environment and urban space; as a tool for learning. For children who are born and raised in cities, urban landscape is their “natural” environment. However children’s interaction with cities and urban environment is limited. Physical and social barriers like dominance of traffic, physical security, stranger danger, fear of crime are barriers to discover and learn about the environment the children live in.

Play is an important tool for children engage with their environment, interact, socialize, discover and learn. Many countries accept the role of play in children’s physical, cognitive and emotional development as a matter of public health. Cities are in great need of opening spaces for children to play and playability is one of the main subjects discussed on becoming a livable and sustainable city.

Playgrounds and school grounds are safe places where children can play. But, they do not offer an urban experience as they are not a part of daily life of all urban community. A hybrid formation of these isolated and safe play spaces and “wild” urban spaces called “Play Street” or “Child Street” are emerging in Turkey, as in some other countries in Child Friendly Cities Initiative Network of UNESCO.

Started in housing areas, many child friendly hybrid streets spread close to, or even attached to school areas; creating a buffer zone between the school and the city where traffic is blocked and children are welcomed and encouraged to play outside.

This study explores the way Play Streets/ Child Streets of Istanbul are used by urban dwellers and their potentials of becoming an outdoor learning space, while discussing its effects to the city itself.