Witten Karen, Kearns Robin, Carroll Penelope
Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation, SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, Massey University, P O Box 6137 Wellesley St, Auckland, New Zealand.
School of Environment, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.
Soc Sci Med. 2015 May;133:349-57. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.01.016. Epub 2015 Jan 14.
The diversity of people living in a city is often most visible on inner city streets. These streets are also the neighbourhood environment of children who live in the central city. In the past, the wellbeing and sensibilities of children have been marginalised in planning practices in western cities but this is beginning to change with child-friendly and inclusive city discourses now more common. In this paper we report on children's experiences confronting diversity in inner-city Auckland. In 2012, 40 inner-city children, 9-12 years, participated in walking interviews in their local streets and school-based focus group discussions. As the children talked about their lives, moving and playing around neighbourhood streets, many described distress and discomfort as they confronted homelessness, drunkenness, and signs of the sex industry. A few older children also described strategies for coping with these encounters, an emerging acceptance of difference and pride in becoming streetwise. New Zealand (NZ) has a history of progressive social policy. In 2003, it became the first country in the world to decriminalise all forms of prostitution. Securing the health and human rights of sex workers were the primary drivers of the reforms. Similar concerns for health and rights underpin broadly inclusive local policies towards homelessness. To promote the health and wellbeing of inner city children their presence on city streets, alongside those of other marginalised groups, needs to be at the forefront of planning concerns. However we conclude that there are inherent tensions in promoting a child-friendly city in which diversity and inclusiveness are also valued.
城市中居民的多样性往往在市中心的街道上最为明显。这些街道也是市中心儿童的邻里环境。过去，在西方城市的规划实践中，儿童的福祉和情感一直被边缘化，但随着儿童友好型和包容性城市话语现在越来越普遍，这种情况开始有所改变。在本文中，我们报告了奥克兰市中心儿童面对多样性的经历。2012年，40名9至12岁的市中心儿童参与了在他们当地街道的步行访谈以及基于学校的焦点小组讨论。当孩子们谈论他们在邻里街道上的生活、走动和玩耍时，许多人描述了他们面对无家可归者、醉酒者和性产业迹象时的痛苦和不适。一些年龄稍大的孩子还描述了应对这些遭遇的策略、对差异的逐渐接受以及变得精明世故后的自豪感。新西兰有着进步社会政策的历史。2003年，它成为世界上第一个将所有形式的卖淫合法化的国家。保障性工作者的健康和人权是改革的主要驱动力。对健康和权利的类似关注支撑着对无家可归问题广泛包容的地方政策。为了促进市中心儿童的健康和福祉，他们在城市街道上与其他边缘化群体一起的存在，需要成为规划关注的首要事项。然而，我们得出结论，在促进一个重视多样性和包容性的儿童友好型城市方面存在内在的紧张关系。
