Child Friendly Neighborhoods? A Critique of the Australian Suburb as an Environment for Growing up

This study is a critical exploration of the Australian suburb and its efficacy in providing for the play space needs of children. Experiences of Australians who grew up in suburbs and country towns between 1930 and 1960 are related to findings from formal research on the environmental needs of children. Modification of the physical form of Australian suburbs since the Second World War, brought about by technical and social change, has led to erosion of the value of the suburb as a play space for children. Projected policies for planning of more compact urban neighbourhoods lack adequate understanding of the environmental needs of children, which are complex, and depend as much on social ethos as they do on physical layout.