The Education System as a Platform for Involving the Public in Planning Processes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.17.3.0084Keywords:
public involvement, children as planners, municipal parks, education as an agent of community involvement, local identity, Israel, child participationAbstract
*Israel | Reports from Field
This paper describes a process of involving youngsters in planning a municipal children’s park in Petah Tikvah, a town near Tel Aviv, Israel. The project was initiated by the municipality and represents a collaboration between the formal education system and the city’s planners and decision-makers. As part of this project, all 22 primary schools in the city introduced the subjects of urban and park planning into their curricula, and prepared plans for the children’s park. The results were presented to the decision-makers and to the urban community, and the park’s planners and builders will incorporate the children’s ideas into their design. The combination of planning and educational aspects in this project aimed to empower children and give them a leading role in prompting the entire community to take part in shaping its environment.
